A couple of recent experiences reminded me again of how dreadful meetings can be without some process and without someone hosting the conversation. I realize that I have been blessed and spoiled by working with so many skilled hosts through The Art of Hosting Conversations that Matter. I have almost come to take good hosting for granted and am surprised by some of the patterns of conversation that seem to surface when there is not conscious attention given to hosting. And then I am reminded of the modeling that is provided by radio and TV talk shows on which participants are encouraged to eschew civility and listening and to aggressively pursue their personal agendas.
In a group where we were debriefing one of these meetings, I began to share some of the simple patterns and practices that are illuminated by PeerSpirit, the work of Christina Baldwin and Ann Linea. They have written the book The Circle Way and they lead practica in using the circle as an archetypal pattern for communication.
I hope that I will have even more to share about the Circle Way after I sit in an Advanced Circle Practicum later this week. Two questions are very alive in me as I go to this training. I want to learn to be more aware of the energy in a circle and to be more skilled in shifting the energy. My other question is related to several recent experiences: why is it that people are afraid to offer even simple processes that could significantly improve conversation? How can we begin to develop a culture of hosting good conversations and to change our expectations that meetings need to be dreadful to one of expecting the magic of meaningful conversation? If I get usable answers to these questions, my time will have been well spent.
Christina and Ann have distilled the essence of The Circle Way into a beautiful two-page summary that I am going to begin sharing and recommending with anyone responsible for “running” a meeting.
Here is an interview with Christina and Ann for my fellow audio-learners and for anyone interested in going beyond the two-page essence but not yet ready to tackle the book:
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