Agreements & Principles

The Circle Way follows a pattern that invites those gathered to enter into conversation and silence with intention. It is structured around four agreements and three principles:

The Agreements

  • We hold all stories and personal information in confidentiality

  • We listen to one another with compassion and curiosity

  • We ask for what we need and offer what we can

  • We agree to employ a group guardian to watch our needs, timing, and energy. We agree to pause at a signal when we feel the need to pause.

The Principles

  • Speak with intention

  • Listen with attention

  • Tend to the well-being of the circle

The Circle Way

Our ancestors first gathered around the fire to cook, keep warm, share stories, and form family and community groups. The Circle Way is not so much a new way of being but an ancient and familiar way of being that we have lost and yet instinctively know creates meaningful connections and community. Circle is the way people have always sat together to get to know one another.

The Circle Way, as we in The Circle Hbg practice it, was shaped by Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea and is outlined in their book, The Circle Way: A Leader in Every Chair.

The Circle Way is a structure for conversation, constructive dialogue, and community building. It is intentionally democratic and equalizing honoring the voices and experiences of those gathered. The Circle Way gathers participants on the rim of the circle and places the intention at the center. Sitting in a circle ensures that all participants can see and hear one another and avoids hierarchical structures.

To learn more about The Circle Way visit The Circle Way website or purchase the book “The Circle Way: A Leader in Every Chair” by Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea.

Host

Leadership Roles

The leadership roles in The Circle Way are temporary and rotate from gathering to gathering. Rather than leading from the center of the circle or stepping out to facilitate and observe, those who are in the roles of host, guardian, scribe, or thresholder participate in the gathering. Their voices are added to the circle as both leader and participant. 

The host assists with the structure of the circle and conversation. The host, with the help of others, sets up the space and creates a center point that is meaningful (a visual center of the room that might represent the theme of the gathering), reviews the agreements, and sets the intention for the circle. The host is granted temporary leadership by the circle members and invited to work alongside the guardian. With the guardian, the host helps to ensure that the group is living into its agreements and fulfilling its intention.

Guardian

The guardian volunteers to watch and tend to group energy and observe the circle’s process. The guardian helps the circle maintain timeliness, focus, and attention to group and individual emotions. The guardian usually employs a singing bowl that signals to everyone to stop action, take a breath, rest in a space of silence. The guardian makes this signal again and speaks to why they called the pause. Any member may call for a pause.

Scribe

The scribe's role is to catch the essence of the circle conversation. The scribe might take notes or create a visual representation of the conversation. What the scribe records is kept confidential and within the constraints of the circle that shared that information. What is or is not shared outside of that gathering must be decided upon by that particular circle. 

The Circle Hbg does not always employ a scribe but may do so on special occasions or if a visual representation of a particular gathering is desired.

*The artwork above was a harvest of one of the visioning team meetings and shared with permission.

Thresholder

The thresholder is the person that tends to the threshold through which we pass as participants of The Circle Hbg. The thresholder warmly welcomes, addresses physical needs, and offers instructions necessary for that week’s circle gathering. As the thresholder is the first person we encounter, this role is essential in setting the tone for the entire gathering.