Properties of circles

Doris Gottlieb dlgottlieb at chello.nl
Sun Jan 11 03:45:07 PST 2004


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:OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU]Namens Joelle Lyons
Everett
Verzonden: zondag 11 januari 2004 2:14
Aan: OSLIST at LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU
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

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