The Circle Protocol

The steps

1. Name the loop.
2. Map the sequence.
3. Find the earliest signal.
4. Mark the interruption point.
5. Choose one replacement step.
6. Rehearse it. Close the Loop.

Where it comes from

• Session 5 — the full handoutWhat it is for, when it goes wrong, and what to say
• WB 1.5 — The Circle (p.9)The workbook page that practises it
• Chapter 5.In the book

Prefer it one step at a time? The same protocol as a guided runner in the app, which also keeps a private record if you want one.

This is one of the tools a seventeen-session series teaches, ninety minutes at a time, in a room of six to twelve people. It is peer-facilitated and free to host.

Check what stayed 3 questions

Answer in your own words, out loud or on paper. Nothing is scored, nothing is marked, and nothing is stored — this is for noticing what you have, not for anybody to grade.

1. Once the loop is named and its sequence mapped, what are you looking for next?

   What the material says

   Find the earliest signal.

2. How many things do you change at the interruption point?

   What the material says

   Choose one replacement step.

3. What is the anchor phrase for this tool?

   What the material says

   Same loop, new choice.