THERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO USE DISCOVERY CIRCLES

Opinion Circles increase clarity between people with different opinions, ideas, beliefs, values, principles….

Sometimes these differences are disputes … and sometimes they’re just differences.

Here are a couple of examples:

• “Who are they and what are you afraid they’d do if they thought they could get away with it?"

• “Who are they and where do you think they may be partly right?”

Story Circles increase understanding because they’re based on stories — as distinct from opinions, beliefs, or convictions. For example:

• “This is when I knew my race mattered…”

• “And that’s when I knew something had to change…”

Support Circles increase empathy by creating space to talk about how we face challenges and process loss. Support Circles are not therapy (unless the Referee is a licensed therapist), and they’re not interventions. 3Practice Support Circles are refereed, peer-to-peer interactions about how we’re coping with adversity . For example:

• “Who — or what — have you lost?”

• “Are you OK?”

Insight Circles increase applied knowledge by drawing on the work of writers, artists, political figures, subject-matter experts, teachers, thought leaders… For example:

• "If you could talk about just one thing from this [book, chapter, film, image…] what would you say?”

• “This is my takeaway from the [speech, debate, article, news story, opinion piece…]

Discovery Circles work because folks opt in — and the Referees reinforce — the 3Practice Circle 2-1-1 model: 2 minutes to the volunteer … followed by 1 minute to respond to clarifying questions and 1 minute to respond to followups … and all questions begin with the phrase “I’d be curious to know…”

Without going overboard, it’s fair to say that 3Practice Discovery Circles increase the possibility that strangers might become acquaintances … who might become friends … who might become better friends as they come to know each other as human beings, even when they disagree.

THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO USE SOLUTION CIRCLES

Options Circles expand our imagination by introducing us to the ways others have taken on obstacles and opportunities like the ones we’re facing.

We frame Options Circles carefully. We don’t invite participants to give advice or brainstorm solutions. We ask them to tell us what they did that addressed a real world situation.

Options Circles can be announced in advance, so interested parties may plan to join in. You can also lead a pop-up Options Circle in the middle of something else — when a meeting is stuck … or to keep a meeting from getting stuck.

There’s no expectation that an Options Circle will lead directly to an outcome. It’s meant to identify options for someone who wants to broaden their view.

Here are a couple of Options Circle examples:

• “In a situation that seems similar to yours, this is what worked for me…”

• “What did it cost you — literally or figuratively — to address this issue yourself?”

Decision Circles increase organizational capacity for innovation and problem-solving by replacing competition with clarity.

Whether the final say comes from the big boss, the executive team, the board of directors, or the whole team, Decision Circles are meant to get our best organizational intelligence on the table before the decision is made.

Decision Circles should be announced in advance, so no stakeholder is excluded. At the very least, this embodies the wisdom of Measure twice; Cut once. Best case: Having every point of view represented may unearth novel or counterintuitive options that leverage deeper and broader organizational intelligence.

Some examples:

• “Should we spend this money on raises or new employees?”

• “If you got to decide, would  you choose A or B … or Neither?”

• “If you were in charge today, what would you do?”

• “What insights do you have about this decision that others may not see?”

Solution Circles — like all 3Practice Circles — are built on the 2-1-1 model:

2 minutes for the volunteer

1 minute to respond to “I’d be curious to know” questions

1 minute to respond to followup questions.