id: sociocratic-circle-meeting
title: Sociocratic Circle Meeting
description: >-
  A sociocratic circle meeting where a working group governs its own domain
  by consent, with a chosen leader and roles, within the larger
  organisation's circles. Developed in the Netherlands by Gerard Endenburg
  as Sociocratic Circle-Organisation Method (SCM).
source: Sociocracy for All / Endenburg Electrical Engineering
source_url: https://www.sociocracyforall.org/
tags: [sociocracy, circle, consent, cooperative, governance]
forked_from: null
image: null
steps:
  - headline: Open with round
    description: >-
      The circle opens with a brief round in which each member shares how
      they are arriving, setting connection before business.
  - headline: Consent to agenda
    description: >-
      The facilitator proposes an agenda. The circle consents to it —
      anyone may add an item by raising a reasoned objection.
  - headline: Work each item by consent
    description: >-
      Each agenda item is worked by consent: presentation, clarifying
      questions, consent round. Decisions are adopted when no reasoned
      objection remains.
  - headline: Review roles and measurements
    description: >-
      The circle periodically reviews its roles (leader, facilitator,
      secretary) and its measurements, consenting to any changes.
  - headline: Close with round
    description: >-
      The circle closes with a brief round — one word or sentence from
      each — and the next meeting is confirmed.
outcome: >-
  The circle governs its domain by consent, with all roles and decisions
  held by the members rather than imposed from above.
practice: >-
  Consent is not consensus — it asks "is this good enough for now, and
  safe enough to try?" not "do we all agree?" This difference lets the
  circle move.