Circles everywhere!

High involvement is both a tool for and outcome of culture change. I like to say a culture change organization is more like a house of cards than a line of dominos – every person is constantly important and involved in supporting care for elders. There is no trickle down of directives from on high. Instead, there is continuous sharing of information among all involved. This is why we use techniques for learning and growing based on circles.

In a circle, everyone is equal. There is no head of the table. Also, we can see everyone’s face. Because that is the point of meeting in person – being face-to-face. In this way, body language is visible and can help in communication. If you believe the elders and their needs are at the center of your organization, when you sit in a circle, you see that each person is equal distance from and important to the elders and therefore has the same responsibility for the care of elders.

Action Pact promotes five different types of circles for use in a culture change organization. Each has its particular strengths and uses. They are: the learning circle, the community circle, the competency circle, the stand-up circle and the team meeting model.

The learning circle is the most basic form and can be used by different groups of people for exchanging all sorts of information. The community circle is based on the learning circle but is used more with elders living with dementia. Team meeting models are effective and efficient ways of getting the most out of staff meetings in a way that is focused and involves all in attendance. And finally, the competency circle is an ongoing process for training and education wherein staff in groups study important competencies and become “experts” in them so that they in turn can teach the rest of the organization.

Here’s a free dandy of a handout that better details these circles. When presenting it to folks in your organization it wouldn’t hurt to bring doughnuts or bagels to reinforce the circle concept.