Online Support Groups

Lesson 4: Managing an Online Support Group

Your Presence Is Required

In order to effectively manage your group, you need to be present and participating in the regular group discussions and chat. I don't mean that you need to be 'present' in your group 24/7 but you do need to be a 'regular' participant and visible to all the members. There are many reasons why you need to be there, only one of which is so you can manage the group.

Some of the other reasons why you need to be present include your own support, friendship, and information that you can give to, and receive from the group. This is why you created the group in the first place, to bring together like-minded individuals so you could share with others. If you are not there, then the group is not fulfilling its purpose for you.

There will be times when life will get in the way, and you won't be able to participate as much as you should or want to. A cold, vacations, work, and other family events will prevent you from being in the group, unless you have a computer everywhere you go. Just telling the group that you will not be present for whatever reason will not only let the group know that you care, but will also let the group know that you are not abandoning them.

Although you cannot always be present, if you are absent more often than you are there and active, the group is going to suffer. The group will look to you not only for support and information, but also to help in leading them in discussions and problems that they might be having. If you are not present, you will not know what is happening with your group or your members.

Depending on the size and activity level of your group, even an absence of two or three days can make it difficult for you to 'catch-up' and learn what is happening. There is nothing worse then getting sick or being absent for whatever reason, and then checking your mail and seeing a complaint from a group member. If your heart does not suddenly start to race at the same pace your brain is going, maybe you are not as worried about your group as you should be.

As hard as it can be, you should not panic. There will be members that will take advantage of your absence and will break rules and generally disrupt the group. This is not a common thing, but something that you should be aware of and ready to deal with if it ever happens. This is another one of the reasons why you need to be seen in the group.

You can now see why your presence is required in your group. Being a group owner/manager is very different from just being a group member.

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