Jack Gibb’s TORI groups—held more than a decade after the original T-Groups were first being held in Bethel Maine—retained some of this spirit of discovery and some of the unpredictability to be found in “genuine,” “unscripted” interactions among people who find themselves in a safe environment. Ironically, Jack Gibb sustained Kurt Lewin’s spirit of experimentation and discovery, while refusing to remain open to change (in the delivery of human service programs)—as Lewin also advocated. “Old” and “New” stand as a polarity on behalf of another Essence–in this case, the Essence of Human Service Quality. In the history of human relations training, Jack Gibb resides on the side of the “new” (T-Groups) that soon became the “old.” Even today, we look back on T-Groups and sensitivity training as something from the past. It typified the naivety of those seeking authenticity and freedom during the 1960s—and perhaps the self-absorption that Christopher Lasch (1979) identified as existing within a “culture of narcissism.”
Whether representative of that which is at the cutting edge or that which is terribly naïve, TORI groups brought the matter of Trust to center-stage. Given their free-form structure (or lack of structure), the TORI workshops provided both a major challenge to the formation of Trusting relationships among the TORI participants and an exceptional opportunity to find a level of Trust and opportunity for deep exploration of self that is rarely available in contemporary societies. We see the tension between challenge and opportunity operating in Gibb’s TORI groups.
On the one hand, Gibb seems to be embracing a zero-order viewpoint. Trust is inherent in any interpersonal relationship or group. Gibb uses the term “discovery” rather than “creation” or “production” when writing about Trust. He is known for the phrase “trust the process” as a viewpoint regarding the inherent goodwill and competence to be found in any group that is seeking to establish a secure environment in which to work on their own interpersonal relationships and their own personal growth.
On the other hand, Gibb is fully aware of the barriers that exist regarding the appearance of Trust. His most widely read essay concerns defensive communication and ways in which we avoid open communications (Gibb, 1961). This essay provides a report on the conditions that increase defensiveness, based on a study that Gibb conducted over eight years. Gibb points to the push toward evaluation, control, strategy, neutrality, superiority and certainty as productive of defensive climates, whereas description, problem-orientation, spontaneity, empathy and provisionalism are conducive to open and supportive communication. I would suggest, on the one hand, that these latter factors contribute to the formation of trusting relationships. On the other hand, when evaluation and control are prevalent then mistrust is likely to emerge. Mistrust, in turns, requires that control become even more pronounced. This leads to even greater mistrust. A vicious cycle of mistrust emerges. Mistrust begets mistrust.
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