Story Circles
Story Circles create a safe space for participants to share personal stories related to their identities and experiences. This method promotes empathy, understanding, and connection within a group.
Use this method to build trust and rapport within a team, especially when working on projects that require collaboration and understanding of diverse perspectives. It's also useful for addressing conflict or tension within a group.
Solves: Lack of empathy and understanding between team members, difficulty communicating effectively, conflict arising from misunderstandings.
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Step 1: Provide quiet time for participants to reflect on a life story related to their position on the Wheel of Power (10 mins)
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Step 2: Facilitator shares a personal story as a demonstration of vulnerability (5 mins)
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Step 3: Divide the class into groups of four to form story circles (5 mins)
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Step 4: Each participant shares their story (3 mins each), followed by 15-second flashbacks from each listener (20 mins)
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Step 5: Debrief the experience as a large group (10 mins)
- Emphasize the importance of active listening without interruption or judgment.
- Model vulnerability by sharing your own story.
- Ensure that everyone has an opportunity to speak and be heard.
- Use a different prompt for the stories.
- Extend the time for sharing and flashbacks.
- Incorporate a reflection activity after the story circles.