VisionCircle

Initiator's Kit

Regular Meetings

Once your VisionCircle has developed trust and strong relationships between members, it is time to start the vision selection process.

At the earliest opportunity, provide members with a schedule of meeting dates for a full year ahead so that they can diarise the dates and organise their affairs around them.

Select the day/date according to the guidelines below, but attempt to maintain the same rule, namely the first, second, third or last Monday, Tuesday, etc of every second month.

It is recommended that meeting in December and January be avoided in the Southern Hemisphere due to vacations and Holidays, and July and August in the Northern Hemisphere for the same reason.

10.1 Frequency of meeting

One meeting should be held every two months.

10.2 Time of day

Evening meeting are the norm, but meetings during the day are acceptable provided it suits members. An evening meeting will start at 6.30 pm and will normally conclude about 10.30 pm to 11.00 pm depending on the selection. This timing relates to a meeting held with a meal.

Meetings without meals will probably run an hour shorter.

10.3 Time of week

The guideline here is whatever suits members. Weekends are not preferred but if necessary, Sunday evenings are optimal but expect people to want to leave early due to work commitments the next day.

Monday to Thursday nights are preferred days.

10.4 Location

The key requirement is to select a location that suits most of your invited people so that you make it as easy as possible for people to participate.

The first step is to list all invitees' addresses. Then plot their locations on a wall map. Estimate a central point for the majority of the invitees. Identify the area within 1-2 kilometres of the central point. You now have a focus for the venue of the meeting.

Some of the considerations to think about in choosing a location are:

  • Parking for those driving
  • Public transport for those using it
  • House numbers of chosen venue – how hard is it to find
  • Security and access if a corporate or organisation location is chosen
  • Time needed to get from work to the venue for most members

If the venues for meetings are the private homes of members, then members are committing to travel to whoever is hosting that meeting.

If the venue for meetings is a restaurant, then the VisionCircle has two basic options:

  • Choose different venues or types of venues to vary the experience and add an aspect of discovery to the experience. Advantage is that members will experience a variety of restaurants – some good and some not so good. The disadvantage is that no "habit" will be formed, and that there is much more organisation involved. Ultimately, it is the members' choice.
  • Choose one restaurant and negotiate a "good deal" and keep going back until members say they want a change. Advantage is that you can probably negotiate a "good value" deal from the establishment for the ongoing patronage. Disadvantage is that the routine and/or menu may become boring.
  • Some VisionCircles prefer to rotate restaurants until they find one the suits their needs and then negotiate a deal with the establishment.

It is hard to set hard and fast rules for the type of venue because circumstances vary enormously.

The best rule here relates to what is required for a successful meeting, which can be summarises as follows:

  • You need an area where members can sit comfortably;
  • You need privacy where people can talk and where softly-spoken people can be heard or where people with accents can more easily be heard clearly;
  • You need privacy so that you aren't disturbed during the meeting;
  • You need access to conveniences and bathroom facilities.

Using these criteria, one might find a restaurant, company meeting room, public meeting area, private home, and a range of other venues that may suit. Some tips:

  • Do not choose a restaurant unless you have a private area, and even then, make sure the public or staff won't disturb you on the way to the conveniences or kitchens;
  • Remember that some people have aversions (dietary, culturally and personal preference) to certain types of restaurants so choose one that is reasonably "neutral" with a wide choice of meals. Either that or check with members that your choice is suitable before confirming the venue.
  • Try to avoid private homes for regular meetings. Few homes can comfortably seat 20 people and even if that is possible, it is unlikely that the 20 homes of all 20 members could seat 20 people, which would create a problem if members rotate the hosting function.
  • If a single private home is chosen as the host venue, then other members should help with the preparation and cleaning up to take the burden off the host.
  • If the venue is a private home, all family members should agree to the meeting and agree to avoid noises and distractions and to answer the phone promptly. TV should not be audible in the meeting area.

10.5 Food and beverages

If you organise meetings around a meal, there are a number of guidelines that will help you to construct an effective meeting structure:

  • All participants pay for their own meals, either as a pre-negotiated fixed price or on the basis of what they individually eat and drink.
    Advantages of Fixed price:
    – Easy payment: total bill divided by the number of members
    – No arguments
    – Everyone knows the rules
    – No disruption to flow of meeting.
    – Able to negotiate deal for the group with the establishment
    Disadvantages of Fixed price:
    – Some people eat and drink more than others
    – Some people have dietary restrictions that create inequality in consumption
    Advantages of Variable price:
    – Everyone pays for what they consume
    – Handles the natural differences in consumption between members
    – Is fair and equitable
    Disadvantages of Variable price:
    – Messy when it comes to paying the bill
    – The restaurant will not happily maintain separate bills for each person
    – Impossible to fairly manage things like bottles of wine, or shared plates of food
    – If people need to "go to the servery" to order their meal and drinks, then this disrupts the flow of the meeting.
    Solution: ask your members what they prefer and adopt their preferred arrangement – nothing stops the group reviewing the arrangement in the future if a more suitable arrangement is evident.
  • Meetings held in a private home should not have meals provided for attendees, nor should this be expected. Having an external caterer where there is seating for all members is acceptable provided all members share the cost.
  • Remember that people have dietary preferences and restrictions. Before any arrangements are made with restaurants, make sure that you are aware of any special dietary needs of members and that the restaurant can cater for those needs.
  • No everyone can afford restaurant meals. Although it is difficult to ask people how much they wish to spend on a meal, it is easier to choose a restaurant where choices are wide and prices are moderate.
  • If you choose a restaurant, choose one that you have visited and where you have eaten in order to avoid "unpleasant surprises" related to quality of food or service.
  • The drinking of alcohol, always in moderation, should be at the discretion of members and I keeping with their culture and custom.

10.6 Costs

No cost should be incurred for securing venues for meetings. However, for a non-meal based meeting, members may contribute a small amount to cover tea, coffee and biscuits if necessary.

Meal costs should be borne by members

  • Equally, or
  • Based on each person's own consumption

10.7 Agenda and activities in meetings

The activities undertaken in a regular meeting will depend on whether the meeting is primarily intended to build relationship or to undertake a vision selection.

A meeting to build relationships will normally include:

  • A round-the-table update of member activities
  • Relationship-building exercise (optional – since some people are cynical about organised relationship-building activities)
  • Socialising
  • Informal discussions between members to "get to know" one another
  • Discussions dealing with technical questions regarding developing or forming personal visions and working toward delivering member visions.
  • Meeting mechanics
  • Administrative issues: contact details, meeting locations, organising food and beverage arrangements

A meeting intended to select a vision follows a strict agenda (see 10.8) but includes:

  • Socialising before formalities commence
  • A request for candidates
  • Candidate presentations
  • Reflection time for deliberation over Candidate/s
  • Voting
  • Counting of votes
  • Declaring the vote
  • Appointment of Coordinator
  • Toasting the selectee
  • Detailed questions of the Selectee

A meeting in the selection cycle but when no candidate presents:

  • Socialising before formalities commence
  • A request for candidates
  • "Round-the-table" – personal update & progress on personal vision – about 10-15 minutes in total each person
  • Identify when next candidate is likely

10.8 Typical Agenda of a Selection Meeting

The following is a typical selection meeting. The only changes that can be made relate to time, which need to suit the needs of members. Daytime sessions are entirely acceptable.

The VisionCircle meets on a scheduled meeting day at 3.00 p.m. sharp in the afternoon. They conduct around-the-table updates of member activity until 5.30.

At 5.30 members who wish to be considered for selection at that session, will verbally and in writing present a short statement of their milestones/vision for which they request assistance from the VisionCircle. It is advisable to have circulated a few weeks before the meeting a synopsis of their personal vision and invite discussion and feedback before the selection meeting.

Time allocated to each presentation should be 60 minutes divided by the number of candidates. These presentations will conclude at 6.30 p.m. sharp. Only members present may be considered for selection.

At 6.30 p.m. the meeting will adjourn for a rest, socialisation, leg stretch, walk around the block, etc. During this period members will consider the presentations and determine for whom they will vote. During this period, only personal reflection should be undertaken with no discussion of candidates, politicking or lobbying of members.

Ballot papers will be circulated at 6.30 and all members must vote and return their ballots to the Chairman by 7.30 p.m.

Members select a member to assist the Chairperson as scrutineer.

Voting is by secret ballot.

No proxies permitted or accepted.

The vote is binding on all members.

The ballot papers are to be destroyed after the vote is declared.

Dinner commences at 7.30 p.m. sharp.

The Chairperson announces the winning member as early as possible after the count with a Circle toast to the selected member.

No vote numbers are announced. The choice will be considered as unanimously supported by all members.

Members should not discuss the ballot once announced - the outcome being magnanimously accepted as the will of the group by everyone. Once a member has been selected, he/she presents a more detailed 15-20 minute discussion of his/her vision, milestones and tasks.

Members should ask detailed questions of the selected member about his/her vision and milestones so that they can determine how they can help and what they should/could/would do (one task per day for 7 weeks). This activity takes the balance of the evening. Members should take notes.

One member is asked to work with the selected member as their coordinator for the duration of their seven-week selection. Their role is to provide guidance, support, coordination and encouragement to the selected member and to liaise with other members about their own task commitments. The role of coordinator is critical.

Coordinators change with each new selection.

Within 48 hours of the selection, each member should notify the selected member (through the coordinator) as to what he/she will do to assist and how he or she will stay in communication. This should be a list of 49 actions/tasks (1 task x 7 days x 7 weeks).

It is the coordinator's responsibility to coordinate (not instruct) members and to ensure that no two members are conflicting (eg attempting to approach the same contact or organise the same event). The selected member must not attempt to force helping members to do anything, yet the selected member must be able and prepared to do what has been coordinated for them: eg make a phone call, attend meeting, etc.

Although this Agenda is firm, these are a few variables that may impact the Agenda on a case-by-case basis:

  • Where members are unable to commence the meeting at 3.00pm, then the meeting can be restructured as follows:
    6.30-7.00 Arrival & Socialisation
    7.00-7.30 Candidate presentation
    7.30-7.45 Voting and tallying
    7.45 Declaration of vote and toast
    8.00 Commence dinner and detailed presentation and question session
  • Where the Selection Meeting is held directly after the conclusion of another Selection period, it is customary for the "outgoing" selectee and coordinator to speak briefly about their experience and to thank members for their efforts. It is also, subject to the nature of that vision, to formally present the outgoing Selectee with a physical depiction of their vision. In such a case, this part of the evening should be scheduled before the call for new candidates and should not take more than a half hour. Be prepared that this session often becomes quite emotional.

Dummy Run

Some VisionCircles are naturally hesitant in embarking on a selection before they are comfortable with the process. One way to increase the level of comfort is to run a "dummy" selection that involves the following:

  • Members agree that a "dummy run" is a good idea.
  • Three members volunteer to develop a personal vision for presentation to the VisionCircle at the next VisionCircle meeting. The visions chosen may be entirely fictitious and bear no resemblance to that individual's actual personal vision.
  • The purpose of the 'dummy run' is to:
    – Start members thinking seriously about the visioning process
    – Test the selection process (voting) process
    – Experience the process without the tension
    – Discuss without risking offence, both the voting structure and the reasons for the vote (which is not permitted in a "live" selection).
    – Allow members to experience the process, and therefore become more familiar with it, before a 'live' selection thus increasing the effectiveness of the first selection for the first selectee.
  • The evening should be conducted as a typical selection evening and should include:
    – Calling for candidates
    – Having candidates present
    – Reflection time
    – Vote
    – Tally the vote
    – Announce the vote and the formal toast
  • After the toast to the selectee, the meeting should concentrate on discussing members' experience and feeling regarding the process and why they voted for different visions, particularly whether the vision satisfied the criteria of a suitable vision.

10.9 Building trust and relationships

The building of trust and relationships between VisionCircle members should always be seen as an important part of all VisionCircle meetings. Once the VisionCircle matures into the Selection phase, relationships and trust between members should be reasonable strong. Formal relationship activities are generally no longer required but may be employed if circumstance dictate – such as the arrival of a few new members or in the event of tension or conflict.

10.10 Exercises in relationship building

There are many books and guidelines available that outline exercise and games that can be employed to help facilitate trust and relationships.

We don't recommend specific activities for the following reason:

  • Often people are familiar with the most common exercises employed in relationship building contexts and as such, the use of these commonly experienced exercises may lose their impact.
  • Some exercises and games are context and/or culturally dependent or specific. Those who wish to use exercises should be sensitive and mindful that certain exercise might offend. As an example, certain cultures prohibit men touching women (such as holding hands, etc) – therefore exercises that require such activity may offend certain people.
  • Some people are offended cynical about formal attempts to build relationships, and would prefer that this occur in a natural and unforced manner.

The message therefore is that you should know your members' sensitivities before you attempt to impose such activities.

Relationships will develop through:

  • A socialisation period before the formalities of a meeting commence
  • During one-on-one discussion or general discussion between members during and after meetings – particularly when the meeting is around a meal
  • After the meeting when some members linger to discuss issues, requests and opportunities stemming from the meeting
  • Between meetings when members contact each other directly to discuss issues
  • When members go "round-the-table" in turn

10.11 'Round the Table'

The "round-the-table" is an excellent meeting discipline to adopt and has the following features:

  • Starting with any person in the group, each person speaks for about 5-10 minutes about what they have been doing since the last meeting including family, career, interests, lifecycle events, etc.
  • When a meeting is held with no candidate for selection, then the "round the table" should focus on members talking about the progress they are making on their own personal vision development and the likely timeframe for their candidature.
  • Initially, the "round-the-table" technique is used to build relationship and then evolves into managing personal vision development progress.
  • Each person must say something even if it is to say that nothing has changed from their last meeting.

10.12 Sounding out Personal Visions

It is important for members to informally monitor the progress of personal vision development of members. This is to ensure that:

  • Those seeking help with their personal vision get that help
  • That not too many visions are candidates together (more than 2-3 at any meeting may be too many to effectively asses)
  • Every vision complies with the criteria of a candidate vision
  • Every candidate vision is in sufficient detail to be meaningful
  • That the VisionCircle can make a meaningful difference to a candidate's vision
  • That members know ahead of the meeting, of the detail of a candidate vision and the tasks that they may be asked to contribute to.

10.13 Establishing member contact details

Establish as soon as possible the contact details for each member and develop a list of these details that should be circulated to all members.

Seek a volunteer from the membership who would be prepared to maintain the member name and contact list. All members should proactively notify this person with any changes to the details recorded. The coordinator should recirculate the list after any amendments.

The list should include the date that the list was last changed.

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