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Background and Rules The Support
Circle is designed to concentrate the total problem-solving energies of a group on one
person's question/issue/problem or challenge. The image is of a magnifying glass focussing
the sun's rays to start a flame ....
PARTICIPANTS are 5 to 8 mature, self-disciplined, caring
people. There are three roles, which rotate among all the participants:
The Conductor is the person whose question/issue is
being concentrated on.
The Facilitator/Referee monitors time, and
observance of process and rules.
The Consultants are all other participants.
TOPICS are the choice of the Conductor within a broad
framework set in advance by the group, and with the following other provisos:
1. Not too technical, esoteric, or specialized for group,
e.g., not "how to improve my three-dimensional chess game."
2. Ethical. "How to build a bomb in my cellar" is
out.
3. At least potentially solvable, including manageable
chunks of unmanageably large problems. No intrinsic riddles, please.
The SETTING should be quiet, relaxed, casual, comfortable
and, often but not always, rural. The only equipment needed is scissors to cut the phone
line. Casual clothes, of course.
Here are the rules:
1. Absolute confidentiality. This means don't even tell
your best friend or most intimidating acquaintance "in confidence." One
exception: The Conductor may give explicit permission to pursue a carefully defined
subject area outside the circle.
2. The Conductor must define her or his question/issue as
clearly as possible. However, note that the starting question may not be the best or final
question.
3. Wherever possible, background on the Conductor and
his/her question should be made available beforehand to participant-consultants.
4. Every participant firmly commits to staying in the
Circle until each participant's issue or question is fully addressed. The reasons are
experiential as well as ethical -- Consultants learn as much as Conductors.
The Process
1. (Done once only:)Each participant introduces
himself/herself emphasizing the resources and experiences/he can bring to bear on
problems.
2. Conductor states and restates her/his issue or problem
until Consultants agree it is clear, manageable, and explicit about any hidden
assumptions-or until the Consultant has had enough. Try to spend no more than 5 to 10
minutes on this.
3. For up to 30 minutes thereafter, the Conductor owns the
group's mind, spirit, and experience. The Facilitator allows no Consultant self-reference
unless clearly relevant to the Conductor's issue. The Conductor is not required to respond
immediately and should not evaluate input right away. S/he is, however, required to
summarize suggestions thus far offered, any time a Consultant asks for this. S/he can also
ask questions to clarify suggestions.
4. Conductor can call "overload" at any time
during this half hour and take some time to mull the input. Remaining time can be used at
some later point.
5. During the last five minutes of the 30-minute cycle
(whether used at once or in sections), the Conductor reports back to the Consultants what
s/he intends to do with their input, with some explanation on why some suggestions were
given more priority than others. Many Conductors choose to thank their Consultants at this
point.
6. After a short break, another participant takes his or
her turn as Conductor, and Steps 2 to 5 above are repeated.
Comments and Suggestions
The Support Circle is an intense, powerful, and usually
productive process. The chief danger is participants with abnormal needs for attention for
themselves or their program. The Facilitator and, if necessary, the entire group, MUST
deal with this.
Timeframe
At least two and one-half to three hours, if everyone is to
have their turn. Regularly meeting Support Circles, however, are usually comfortable
letting just one or two people 'have the floor" each meeting, in which case 45 to 60
minutes will suffice. |
