I was working with a group doing a training and I had put the chairs also in a circle, no tables. When the group walked in and saw the configuration at first there was a lot of demeaning talk about the way the chairs were placed. One person said, "Oh, so we're going to do this like in nursery school" I smiled and said yes. The circle was extremely uncomfortable in the beginning of the work for these people, but as the day went on the quality of the work done was much deeper than what they had ever experienced in a training situations. Especially they became inpressed with the sort of dialogue and interaction that went on. In the end they commented on it and asked me what I did...I said that what I did was put the chairs in a circle and that was the reason for the different quality. Interestingly they all agreed that this was the reason for the change of quality of the work that day.
I think the comment of bringing you back to an old pattern can be frightening. It is interesting to me that early pre-school experience often happened in my day in a circle, and we only ended up in rows when we entered primary school. I wonder why that was, but my thought on it now is that you can't communicate to toddlers in rows - and maybe as young people we know something that we forget as we grow older and get socialized about the quality of communication. Maybe that is also why sometimes its so confrontational to work in a circle for people. Sincerely, Doris Gottlieb -----Oorspronkelijk bericht----- Van: OSLIST [mailto:[email protected]]Namens Joelle Lyons Everett Verzonden: zondag 11 januari 2004 2:14 Aan: [email protected] Onderwerp: Re: Properties of circles The circle brings many benefits--not the least is that it is a very ancient way for people to gather, and so brings energy gathered through the aeons. I think creating a circle bounds the gathering, helps to focus on the theme, creates a container that give participants a sense both of safety and of awe. I remember reading in the newspaper a few years back about a planned gathering in Seattle--I think a demonstration or protest of some sort. The article named a tribal elder and shaman who had come to the site every day for a week before, and walked prayerfully around the entire geographical space included in the proposed march. I often remember this story when I am preparing to facilitate Open Space. The circle truly does put people in a position of equality, and participants sense this right away, with or without mention. I usually invite the sponsor to open the space from the center of the circle, if he or she is willing. They feel a bit awkward or vulnerable, and this feels just right. As for getting rid of tables, I still chuckle over the report of a friend, who years ago was beginning to have engineering problem-solving groups meet in a circle, without a table. I asked him how that was going. "It's really funny," he replied, to stand in the center and watch all these guys trying to cover their balls." My 2 cents' worth-- Joelle * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html * * ========================================================== [email protected] ------------------------------ To subscribe, unsubscribe, change your options, view the archives of [email protected], Visit: http://listserv.boisestate.edu/archives/oslist.html
