Kata 0 (Circle Setup)
Week 0 - Circle Setup
Used in week 0
Theory
If you don't know each other in the Circle yet, get to know each other in week 0. Plan when you'll meet, what tools you'll use to share, who will moderate, and who will manage your time. A tip for scheduling is to schedule all meetings right at the beginning. You can schedule each appointment individually or set a weekly jour fixe for the sprint. Protip: Plan 2 additional appointments, in case a meeting is cancelled due to illness.
One of the biggest obstacles to successful Circle is the commitment of the participants as well as discipline and time management. The facilitator is not the "boss" of the Circle, but a normal Circle member who takes care of the smooth running of the Circle. Define the day and time of the weekly meeting. Define whether you will meet in person or virtually. Define the tools you will use for communication and documentation in the Circle. Decide which of the suggested exercises you will do in the Circle and as homework. If necessary, define rules or behavioral labels that are helpful to you.
Guiding questions you can answer for yourselves
- Alternating Circle moderation?
- Day and time of Weekly?
- Weekly meetings are: in person / virtual?
- Tools used for offline communication (Can everyone use them?)?
- Where do we share the results? Do we use social media channels?
- Dealing with appointments where not all can attend (e.g. if 3 participants* cannot, the appointment is cancelled)?
- Attitude, principles for the Circle (e.g. the Circle should be fun! If you can't do a task because you have other priorities during the week, that's totally ok. We don't create additional stress)?
Exercises
- Together, answer the guiding questions and come to a consensus.
Reflection part
- What are our personal reasons for using knowledge management in the Circle?
Learning objective
- You gain clarity in the Circle about the procedure and the organization