Center for Social Innovation

One of the oldest, most widespread, and effective tools for creating personal and social change is the Circle. This organizational form is used for an array of purposes and appears under different names in a variety of contexts and cultures in countries around the world. In Sweden and Norway, study circles are an institutionalized part of the adult education system, with millions of participants coming together in small groups to learn and engage with one another. In the United States, millions of people form self-organized literature circles, otherwise known as book clubs. In Japan, hundreds of companies like Toyota and Honda invite employees to join quality circles, a kind of self-managed work team, to develop employees’ talents and contributions and improve organizational processes and products. ... Read more