Connecting Through Circles: Using Circles to Support Inclusion, Establish Belonging and Build Trust

Connecting Through Circles offers a fresh perspective on how we can listen to one another and build a safe space for courageous conversations. It is more than a tool; it is guidance on how we can enhance connection, inclusion, trust, and change by sharing, discovering, celebrating, and supporting one another by learning how to speak our truth and embrace the truth of others without fear.

Praise for CONNECTING THROUGH CIRCLES

“Connecting Through Circles is about a method, a tool, and a process. But it's more than that. It's about creating a human experience that removes rank, station, and hierarchy. It creates what I call cultural flatness. In this container, people can model and reward vulnerability and in that process, share, listen, connect, discover, celebrate, forgive, and change.
You're not the same person on the other side. That's the whole point. What a beautiful resource, Cecilia and Gina
have given us to bridge and heal!”

Timothy R. Clark, Founder/CEO of LeaderFactor;
Author, The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation

“The medicine for shame is radical compassion, the loving presence that helps us trust our belonging and essential goodness. Cecilia and Gina’s guide for circles calls forth this compassion and helps us repair what’s broken, listen for what’s missing, and connect with the common ground of our shared human experience.”

Tara Brach, Mindfulness Leader and International Best-Selling Author

“Connecting Through Circles offers a fresh perspective on how we can slow down and listen to one another,
building a safe space for courageous conversations. Cecilia and Gina’s shared vision of the practice of circles and
how they build psychological safety offers the potential to create an inclusive work environment. Thoughtful and wise,
this book is an invaluable resource for practitioners everywhere.”

Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership, Harvard Business School;
Author, Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well

“Change is challenging, but Connecting Through Circles helps us support one another and navigate discomfort with deep listening. Leaning into what we don’t know is imperative to change. This book raises our awareness of how to develop a growth mindset through indigenous circles and hold new spaces through storytelling.”

Jonah Berger, Wharton Professor and Bestselling Author, The Catalyst: How to Change Anyone’s Mind

“What our world needs urgently is people sitting in circles, sharing their experiences with one another, with respect and trust. This book is a wonderful resource towards making that happen. I have had the privilege of sitting in circles with both Loving and Leow. How fortunate for us all that they have come together to share their wisdom, knowledge, and experience.”

Paul Browde, M.D., Narrative Psychiatrist and Couples’ Guide Co-Founder, Narativ, Inc.

“In a circle, there are no corners or edges. In much the same way, Connecting Through Circles lends itself to an intimate and transparent experience where everyone is moved to participate. Our firm was fortunate to work with Cecilia Loving in 2020 during a particularly sensitive time of racial and social tension across the country. Her use of circle discussions created a safe space for our attorneys and staff to connect on a personal level, which demonstrated her proficiency in humanizing conversation to allow authentic exchange. The impact of that work continues to yield benefits years later.”

D.L. Morriss, Partner, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP