It is not the speed of solutions, but the quality of relationships that determines the success of transformation

Frank Wältring
Feb 28
6 min read

Updated: Mar 2

Why group dynamics and resonance are important for economic development

During my current one-year training course in ‘Process Facilitation and Democratic Communication’ (School of Participation), I have the opportunity to learn about new approaches and receive valuable input. I wonder where these insights could change our practice. Two topics in particular have given me food for thought so far: the science of group dynamics and the question of how resonant relationships in groups can be strengthened so that an atmosphere for solution-oriented exchange is created in workshops and work processes with different actors.

Writing down these thoughts is both a personal reflection and an opportunity for me to take a fresh look at our own practice: where can new approaches be integrated? What questions does this raise for our work?

Cooperation and competition are not a contradiction.

At Mesopartner, we understand our bottom-up approach to economic development as a process of social change – anchored in the concept of ‘systemic competitiveness’. This framework concept has strongly influenced our thinking and working methods. Since our inception, we have emphasised that social change without economic development is just as unsustainable as economic development without social embedding and sustainable strategies.

Our focus is on the meso level – the level of networks between companies, support organisations and funding policies. Terms such as ‘collective efficiency’, ‘joint development of local and sectoral competitive advantages’ and ‘co-opetition’ describe our understanding of the interplay between cooperation and competition. For us, rivalry and cooperation are two sides of the same coin – both necessary to strengthen social and economic creativity.

Social psychological and group dynamic insights help us to look behind the façade.

Our terminology facilitates mutual understanding among professionals working in our field. However, for people working in social or psychological fields, it can sometimes seem cold and lacking in nuance when it comes to capturing the dynamics between people. I consider this criticism to be justified.

In our international `meso work` in particular, we encounter people from different cultural backgrounds, with different world views and biographies. The moment people come together, in workshops, initiatives or projects, group dynamics arise. Whether as a couple, as a family, in groups of friends, in workshops or business initiatives: we experience first-hand and emotionally how our thoughts, feelings and actions are influenced by other people, groups and social situations. Social psychological factors influence motivation, fears, ability to cooperate and willingness to act together (see Figure 1). In transformation processes, these aspects are often more decisive than technical or economic facts.

Figure 1: Individual and collective characteristics that shape positive group dynamics and the emergence of resonance in social and economic change processes.

It is no coincidence that group dynamics emerged as a scientific field in post-war social psychology in Germany and Austria. The question was: How can destructive dynamics such as those in the Nazi Reich be prevented and democratic, constructive cooperation be strengthened?

These questions are also highly relevant to our work. Although we are often commissioned as experts in economic development, we take also on the role of facilitators and process facilitators at the meso level. We develop development strategies, innovation approaches and cooperation structures with different groups. In this role, we cannot always pinpoint exactly what is happening at any given moment. But we can sense the energy in the room: whether a process is flowing or stalling, whether connections are being formed or distances remain. These differences are not always measurable, but they are noticeable – and often decisive.

Building resonant relationships and weaving a social fabric is a prerequisite for change.

Emotions are always present in groups and while working with different stakeholders. How we deal with them has a significant influence on the success of a process. It is not just a matter of designing strategies, but of weaving a sustainable social fabric with people. This is where it is decided whether results and jointly found solutions will actually be implemented.

Anyone who works in transformation processes is familiar with the paradox: sound analyses, programmes and indicators do not automatically lead to change. This is often based on the assumption that better information automatically produces better results.

We have long questioned this assumption. Instead, we encourage people to analyse only what is necessary and then to engage in ‘learning by doing’. Joint action reveals whether genuine cooperation and relationships are developing.

This is where the concept of resonance comes into play for me (see links to two authors who I find interesting and who address the topic of resonance from different perspectives). I understand ‘being in resonance’ as a relationship that develops between people. The difference between the beginning of a process – characterised by distance and caution – and the later moment of parting ways, when a connection has been established, makes this quality tangible.

One image that illustrates this is the web of threads that is created when people in a circle throw a ball of wool to each other and become connected. I sometimes use the ball of wool in an initial get-to-know-you and warm-up round to symbolise the necessary networking. Nonetheless, real networking only emerges when openness, genuine exchange, and dialogue develop, and when underlying issues are brought to the surface rather than merely addressing the symptoms.

Another tangible experience of resonance in the seminar was entering an empty room, into which more and more people gradually entered, looked at each other, made contact, and the changing energy in the room became noticeable. The room is then no longer filled with individuals, but with each additional person entering, a group dynamic emerges in which everyone sees less of the individual and more of the group coming to the forefront of their perception. Individual relationships become group relationships.

Good process facilitation is required to accompany transformation dynamics

Good process facilitation can consciously accompany these dynamics. It encourages listening and authentic exchange and makes it possible to temporarily let go of representative roles. This requires sensitivity, experience with group processes and, at the same time, the professionalism to handle emerging conflicts and emotions. The focus then shifts from debating the “right” way to do things to acknowledging and engaging with different positions and perspectives (see further aspects in Figure 1). This different form of open and at the same time moderated dialogue opens up a better understanding of my counterpart's position, even if I may disagree completely.

Where this form of honesty is given space, emotions also emerge. I myself had to allow myself to recognise once again that the willingness to change does not arise in the mind, but in experience. Only when people or I myself are emotionally touched does a deeper insight and energy for change arise. Trust is not the starting point for success, but the result of resonant experiences. Relationships deepen through joint steps and concrete experiences of cooperation. This is also what finally creates identification with projects and initiatives.

In practice, however, we often find that support programmes are primarily aimed at eliminating uncertainties and achieving quick results. This often leaves no room for resonance. Chasing indicator systems can even undermine change processes, even if they are well-intentioned.

What this means for our role

In my work, I would like to strengthen resonance relationships and increasingly see myself as a process facilitator rather than an expert. There are various moderation formats and approaches that aim to open up spaces, strengthen speaking and listening, and initiate authentic, human and honest dialogue. This has led to several insights for my work:

The main task of my and our work at Mesopartner often consists more in accompanying and strengthening group dynamic processes than in purely providing specialist knowledge. Here, we can apply and expand our process facilitation capabilities in a more targeted manner.
Real transformation impulses arise less from the design of action plans and strategies than from relationship creation, which can be strengthened through good process facilitation.
To what extent have projects and initiatives succeeded in promoting new resonant relationships, genuine cooperation and the growth of initiative and experiential learning? This question should be given greater consideration as a success criterion for measuring progress in transformation processes.
In development work and economic development, we need more room for experimentation with methods aimed at strengthening positive and resonant group dynamics. Many programs accompany the processes on a very factual level, which is essentially focused on results, but less on the development of a supportive network of relationships.

Through my experiences with group dynamic learning processes, I am beginning to integrate new forms of resonance work into our practice. I am increasingly confident in entering into processes not only as an expert, but also as a human being. At the same time, I am more consciously observing the atmosphere and resonance relationships that develop.

In further blog posts, I will take up ideas from the training that have arisen for me in this context and that I find particularly valuable. I would be also happy to continue exchanging ideas on this topic with other colleagues.

References related to “Resonance”and “Group Dynamics”

Jascha Rohr (2023): Die große Kokreation, see: https://www.partizipativ-gestalten.de/die-grosse-kokreation/

Hartmut Rosa (2025, 2^nd edition): Resonanz, see: https://www.suhrkamp.de/buch/hartmut-rosa-resonanz-t-9783518298725

Lerchster Ruth E., Spindler, Maria (Eds.) (2023): Gruppen:Dynamik: Die Gestaltung dynamischer Prozesse für Leadership, Beratung, Teams und Organisationen im 21. Jahrhundert, Carl-Auer-Verlag