Collaborative Circles and Creative Work, Michael P. Farrell

The Stages of Development of Collaborative Friendship Circles

Once these norms are in place, the stage is set for merging cognitive processes. At the least, creativity involves combining two or more ideas so as to produce something new and useful or beautiful. When two minds are linked in a trusting relationship, such that they can openly share ideas and cognitive processes, the likelihood of discovering new solutions to problems increases.

Throughout the quest stage, the members alternate between meeting in pairs and meeting with the whole group. The quest stage tapers to an end when the collaborating pairs refine their new vision in discussions with the whole group. While individual pairs may be supportive and nurturing, the larger group may be skeptical and critical. In these whole group meetings, a member who takes the role of devil’s advocate plays an important part in challenging the pairs to refine their thinking. A center coalition of members assumes responsibility for weighing and integrating the innovations into a new vision. Through dialogues with the creative pairs and the devil’s advocate, the center coalition eventually negotiates consensus on a coherent and engaging vision. The center coalition comprises members who have won respect through their contributions to the work of the group, and who use their emergent authority to socialize marginal members into the emerging group culture.

4. The Creative Work Stage

During the creative work stage, the group members alternate between times when they work alone or in pairs and times when they meet as a group. Often the place where they meet as a group is a particular restaurant, a bar, or a member’s home. Public meeting places of circles often have the qualities that Oldenburg (1999) attributes to “third places,” unpretentious settings away from both work and family life, like the English pub or the French café, where a set of regulars feel welcomed and participate in an ongoing conversation. The physical setting may become an important part of the group’s identity. The group may claim an accustomed table, and members may each claim their accustomed chairs. If they have not already done so, during this stage the group is likely to develop interaction rituals, such as reading aloud and discussing one another’s work. The rituals and established place for meeting contribute to a more self-conscious group identity. If they haven’t already chosen a name for their group, they are likely to do so at this point, and they are likely to think of themselves as a “we.” The boundaries between insiders and outsiders become more apparent.