Listening Circles

Exercise 6 · Silence, a talking object, and one topic at a time

At a glance

Time	~30 minutes for a full round
Group size	Best at ~10–25, with one or two facilitators. Split a larger class into parallel circles.
Format	One circle; one speaker at a time
Materials	Chairs in a circle (no tables); one talking object — a stick, a stone, a scarf
You will need to	Pose one topic, open and close the circle, and protect the silence

Why this exercise

In the Listening Circle, whoever holds the object speaks; whoever does not, listens. No one responds, summarizes, or cross-references. The next person simply speaks. That constraint is the whole point: it removes the usual machinery of ineffective conversation — the interrupting, the fixing, the one-upping — and leaves only speaking and being heard. Moreover, unlike other exercises, this one fosters better-than-normal listening in a group.

The form is ancient — “the listening circle, or council, is an ancient form of meeting that people used to conduct respectful conversation for thousands of years” (Itzchakov & Kluger, 2017b). The modern practice is documented in Zimmerman and Coyle’s The Way of Council. It rests on four invitations: listen from the heart, speak from the heart, be respectful (take the time to talk, but keep in mind that others want to talk too), and be spontaneous (do not plan what to say; when you feel that something rises in you, take the talking object and share).

How to run it

The structure

Sit in a circle. Chairs only — no tables between people. Everyone can see everyone. If there is a table in the middle, it is not a listening circle; it is a seminar.
One talking object. A stick, a stone, a scarf — anything. Only the holder speaks.
One topic. You pose a single topic.
No comments. No one responds, summarizes, or cross-references. After each speaker, the next person just speaks. Participants who felt moved by fellow participants’ sharing can say one word, such as “Amen” (or any word that conveys acknowledgment in their culture). Silence between speakers is welcome.
Participation. Speaking is not mandatory. Speaking for a second time is possible.
Signaling start and end. The teacher (convener) announces, “I declare the circle open” and “I declare the circle closed,” to indicate the beginning and end of adhering to the rules of the circle.

Prompts for the circle

Pick one per round, based on what the session needs. Up to ~2 minutes per speaker; “popcorn” style (whoever feels ready). The teacher (the person who convenes the circle) can be the first to take the talking object and share something that will model the direction of the circle.

Possible topics

What I take with me from today’s class (this could serve as a debrief).
Something I am really proud of (this could be useful when there is mistrust in the group, so people do not feel vulnerable).
A time I felt inspired.
A time I felt helpless.

Debrief

Optional: Have all participants in the circle reflect on one clause by a specific participant they heard that stays in their minds (e.g., “Mike: I was mesmerized,” “Susan: It is the first time I saw a manager cry,” etc.).

Teaching adaptations

Large lecture (100+): Split into parallel circles of ~25–30, each with its own object and the same prompt. You move between them, preferably in separate rooms; a co-facilitator or a briefed student can anchor each circle.
As a recurring ritual: At the end of every class, students stand in a circle, and each says one word summarizing their takeaway from today’s class.

What the research says

The circle adapts the ancient Council tradition, documented in Zimmerman and Coyle’s The Way of Council (1996/2009). Itzchakov and Kluger have studied it in organizations. In a field evaluation, simply holding a talking object and speaking in a circle — with no other intervention — improved employees’ emotions and cognitions (Itzchakov & Kluger, 2017a). And in a public organization of more than 4,000 employees, the Listening Circle reduced attitude extremism: the safe, non-judgmental atmosphere lowered speakers’ social anxiety and let them acknowledge the pros and cons within themselves, yielding more balanced, less extreme attitudes (Itzchakov & Kluger, 2017b). The circle gives students, in concentrated form, the high-quality listening episode that Episodic Listening Theory says produces well-being and relational attachment (Kluger & Itzchakov, 2022).

References

Itzchakov, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2017a). Can holding a stick improve listening at work? The effect of Listening Circles on employees’ emotions and cognitions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 26(5), 663–676. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359432X.2017.1351429
Itzchakov, G., & Kluger, A. N. (2017b). The Listening Circle: A simple tool to enhance listening and reduce extremism among employees. Organizational Dynamics, 46(4), 220–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2017.05.005
Kluger, A. N., & Itzchakov, G. (2022). The power of listening at work. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9, 121–146. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-091013
Zimmerman, J., & Coyle, V. (2009). The Way of Council (2nd ed.). Bramble Books. (Original work published 1996)