Context

The circle process is an indigenous social technology that has developed independently across many cultures around the globe and offers a valuable alternative to our WEIRD western culture's tendency to make everything an argument with "winners" and "losers." It basically captures the quality of conversations you are likely to have around the campfire with good friends. 

The main goal of the circle process is to create a space where everyone is welcome to participate, overcoming hierarchy and barriers that keep people from fully engaging. 

The Basic Elements

There are many subtle variations on how to run a circle, but there are a few core elements that pop up regularly. Ultimately, you can experiment with variations and find out what format works best in your local community and groups. Here are the elements that we find valuable in our work together. 

Circle Geometry

• The circle is both literal and symbolic. In person circles have all participants sit in a single row circle so that everyone can see everyone else. It is also symbolic of the equality of all those at the circle. It's often said there is no "head of the circle" - everyone is at the same level. 
• The center of the circle is also an important consideration. In the circle, participants are speaking to / contributing to the whole, and the center of the circle represents this collective wholeness. It often contains items which represent important shared values of the group. 
• NOTE: The circle adapts well to online meeting environments like Zoom because everyone can see each other on screen at the same time.

Rounds / Talking Stick

• The core feature of the circle is that conversations move around the circle, giving each person a chance to share as much or as little as they choose to. 
• In person circles usually use a talking piece that is passed from one person to the next. When someone holds the talking stick, the floor is theirs and others listen silently and patiently until the talking piece is passed to them. 
• We have found that the most important aspect of rounds (and often the most uncomfortable for Western folk) is that it forces you to listen and prevents you from quick responses.
• In more structured circle processes, each round of the circle might have a specific question or focus to help move the conversation along, but often we simply trust what emerges from the process. 
• NOTE: In an online environment, you can establish the order of the circle (we usually type it into the chat) and then each person has the floor until they verbally pass the virtual talking piece to the next person in the circle. 

Opening / Welcome / Land Acknowledgment

• There is a ceremonial quality to the circle process, so it's important to mark the opening and closing to establish it as a different way of being together. 
• Our opening usually begins with a Land Acknowledgement and grounding moment.
• The welcome also includes a statement about the purpose of the circle - the reason we are all gathering together. 
• We also take a moment to let people check-in and/or introduce themselves to each other. 

Agreements

• The circle needs to ensure that the space "works" for everyone. This is done by establishing agreements or guidelines about how participants will share the space with each other.
• This process can take a considerable amount of time for groups that are just forming and intend to work together for an extended period of time, or can be handled quickly in groups that already have a strong, healthy working relationship. 
• The agreements answer the question: "what do you need to be able to show up and participate today?" or "how do we want to be with each other?"
• The agreements we commonly use at the Lifeboat Academy are:

• We're all in this together.

• You have choice; choices have consequences.

• We lead with curiosity, kindness, patience, compassion, and gentleness.

• Listen for understanding.

• Speak from the heart; what's true for you?

• Both/and, not either/or.

• Have fun. Find the humour. Keep it simple.

• When existing agreements are offered (in the interest of time), it is important to give each person in the circle a chance to say whether they can live with the agreements as suggested, if they would like any changes to the agreements, and/or if there are any agreements they would like to add. 

Closings

• We often overlook closing in our impatience to "get things done," but good closing are key to good circles. Circles give participants an opportunity to reflect back on the time together and anchor in the key elements of the experience.
• Closings usually work best with two parts. The first part gives participants a change to share final thoughts. At the Lifeboat Academy, we often ask "any last thoughts for the good of the cause?" In other circles, you might ask for two words that describe how you are feeling or what your main take away was from the conversation. 
• After that, it can be valuable to have a symbolic closing. This might include blowing out a candle, ringing a bell or recite a favourite quote or line from a poem. 

Questions and Feedback

Ultimately, the circle process is an incredibly valuable and flexible tool that can be used in hundreds of ways from small team meetings to large, contentious community conversations. We encourage you to experiment with the basics in safe spaces to develop your skills, then challenge yourself to apply the process to more complex situations. We want to support your experiments, so let us know if you have any questions. Likewise, we would love to learn from your experience. 

If you have any questions or suggestions for improvement, add a comment, contact the Help Desk or sign up for Office Hours.