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Part 1 – Why we chose “the circle” at Linkara?
“Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made.”
Idea for a Universal History with a Cosmopolitan Intent – Immanuel Kent, 1784
Fighting Business as Usual
For the last thirty years I have explored and experimented as a facilitator and a leader deeply anchoring my practice in the principle that all voices matter and that we can design processes that bring out the human story in each of us to harness the emergence of a collective thread or output. This might take any form whether that be an agreement, a new process design or set of ideas or an acknowledgement of progress and next steps for the future.
I would be lying if I said it was not frustrating at times. I would also be lying if I pretended it did not feel good when a group feels uplifted and enthused by new connection, perspective, or the creation of an idea that they could never have imagined prior to that meeting or conversation.
I have always strived to innovate and grow alongside like-minded peers. Together we battle the “Business As Usual” meeting format—sessions jammed with speakers and presentations, leaving little space for authentic, generative conversations or even a coffee break. I love working with my peers to spark joy and engage the human spirit of participants. I use many different participatory methods. I keep trying to make more time and space for deeper conversations. I believe that these conversations help us tackle today’s big issues in forestry, climate, and human rights.
In the last few years, especially with longer-term clients, I have begun challenging myself to create spaces where participants go deeper – questioning their own and others’ assumptions and actively listening to what is emerging collectively. In this journey I have come to realize that for some emergence is not a space of safety and the level of uncertainty with the unpredictable outcome of the conversation is just too much. Indeed, my own experience is that we seek to control the outcome sometimes even before the conversation has happened as we often fear what we do not yet know.
When considering a design for how to bring CSO leaders from different generations together to talk about leadership in Indonesia there was a genuine desire to simplify and focus on conversation through authentic presence. To move away from colorful post-its, theory of change diagrams and workshop formats towards prioritizing space for heart-felt listening, speaking and intentional rest. The Linkara Initiative was born from a desire to try something different.
I have participated and led events where we have used circles, fishbowls, and a form of “way of council” before. Returning and experimenting with the simplicity of a format which allows for equal, structured yet intimate participation was appealing to me.
A form of sitting opposite each other in a closed circle where everyone can always see each other brings both vulnerability and attention. For this reason, we have experimented using repeating rounds of circles based on some of the values and principles of “Way of Council” as a foundation for the Linkara experience.
As the Linkara team progresses on this experimental journey, we are struck by how many leaders who have joined the program have shared their excitement around the power of the circle conversations and the connection they have felt between themselves and others in using this format. Some have even expressed a desire to set up their own circles for different purposes in their own communities. Others have already started to apply this practice in their own organizations and communities.
Linkara is now focusing on how to support those who want to set up self-organizing circles or SWAARA. Please do let our team know if you have questions or how we can support you in guiding the practice of these circles.
In Part 2 I will share my most recent experience of practice in “The Way of Council” which is a specific deep communication approach based on a circle.
*(Karen Edwards)
