In 2016, an important co-teaching relationship was formed. It began with Penny Hamilton visiting the United States as participant in The Circle Way Practicum, hosted by Amanda Fenton and Tenneson Woolf. In 2017, that relationship grew to hosting together in Australia. It included both a Practicum and a 2-Day Workshop, that has continued annually with offerings staggered in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, and with growing hosts, including Carolyn Ball for Bendigo 2-Day Workshops.
In 2020, this suite of offerings grows to The Circle Way Advancing Practice, with continued intent to grow skilled circle practice and circle community. Advancing Practice pairs Penny and Tenneson, with distance support from Amanda. We all remain deeply committed to spreading the introduction, application, and evolution of circle work more widely in the world, in support of the human family in times like these.
In 2020, this suite of offerings grows to The Circle Way Advancing Practice, with continued intent to grow skilled circle practice and circle community. Advancing Practice pairs Penny and Tenneson, with distance support from Amanda. We all remain deeply committed to spreading the introduction, application, and evolution of circle work more widely in the world, in support of the human family in times like these.
Tenneson Woolf
([email protected]; www.tennesonwoolf.com)
I am a facilitator, workshop leader, teacher, blogger, and coach committed to improving the quality of collaboration and imagination needed in groups, teams, and organizations — to help us be in times such as these with consciousness, kindness, and learning. I'm a long time steward of The Art of Hosting, since having been part of offering the first AoH trainings in North America in early 2000s. My work over 20+ years has been to design and lead meetings in participative formats. From strategic visioning with boards to large conference design to communities just learning to listen again to one another. I'm geeky about meeting design. I'm geeky about process containers for being brilliant and awake together.
I post a daily blog, Human to Human, in which I offer reflection on varied aspects of participative leadership practices, insights, and human to human depth. I recently published a book (March 2020), A Cadence of Despair: Poems and Reflections on Heartbreak, Loss, and Renewal -- as another expression to encourage honesty and awakeness. Living systems, self-organization, and emergence inspire all of my work. So does emptiness, breath, or a fresh-picked garden tomato. My work lineages include The Berkana Institute with Margaret Wheatley, The Circle Way with Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea, and The Art of Hosting with Toke Moeller and Monica Nissen. I live in a small town where urban meets rural, Lindon, Utah, USA at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. I’m originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I'm delighted to return to Australia, where I seek to support thoughtful and kind ways for human beings to be in enduring practice together.
([email protected]; www.tennesonwoolf.com)
I am a facilitator, workshop leader, teacher, blogger, and coach committed to improving the quality of collaboration and imagination needed in groups, teams, and organizations — to help us be in times such as these with consciousness, kindness, and learning. I'm a long time steward of The Art of Hosting, since having been part of offering the first AoH trainings in North America in early 2000s. My work over 20+ years has been to design and lead meetings in participative formats. From strategic visioning with boards to large conference design to communities just learning to listen again to one another. I'm geeky about meeting design. I'm geeky about process containers for being brilliant and awake together.
I post a daily blog, Human to Human, in which I offer reflection on varied aspects of participative leadership practices, insights, and human to human depth. I recently published a book (March 2020), A Cadence of Despair: Poems and Reflections on Heartbreak, Loss, and Renewal -- as another expression to encourage honesty and awakeness. Living systems, self-organization, and emergence inspire all of my work. So does emptiness, breath, or a fresh-picked garden tomato. My work lineages include The Berkana Institute with Margaret Wheatley, The Circle Way with Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea, and The Art of Hosting with Toke Moeller and Monica Nissen. I live in a small town where urban meets rural, Lindon, Utah, USA at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. I’m originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I'm delighted to return to Australia, where I seek to support thoughtful and kind ways for human beings to be in enduring practice together.
Penny Hamilton
([email protected]; www.uccomunity.org.au/participatory-leadership)
Local caller and host Penny Hamilton works with participatory processes as designer, host, teacher and coach. In her work with UnitingCare Community over six years she has demonstrated participatory leadership as a leader in service provision and strategic engagement. With Circle and Art of Hosting methods as core practice, this plays out in creative ways to meet, think together, make collective decisions and find solutions that move groups toward their vision. She works with leadership, community members, people with disability, and teams to unlock their collective wisdom and step into their own leadership.
([email protected]; www.uccomunity.org.au/participatory-leadership)
Local caller and host Penny Hamilton works with participatory processes as designer, host, teacher and coach. In her work with UnitingCare Community over six years she has demonstrated participatory leadership as a leader in service provision and strategic engagement. With Circle and Art of Hosting methods as core practice, this plays out in creative ways to meet, think together, make collective decisions and find solutions that move groups toward their vision. She works with leadership, community members, people with disability, and teams to unlock their collective wisdom and step into their own leadership.
Amanda Fenton
([email protected]; www.amandafenton.com)
In 2020 Amanda Fenton supports The Circle Way Advanced Practicum from a distance as Tenneson and Penny host in person (and is working with Penny to offer an online class later in 2020).
Amanda's background includes workin in the co-operative sector for nearly seventeen years with thirteen of them in Human Resources, including HR consulting, leadership and organizational development, change projects and collaborative strategic planning processes. Amanda is skilled in designing participatory gatherings using circle-based methods such as The Circle Way, Open Space Technology, World Cafe, Collective Story Harvest and others to host and harvest conversations for thoughtful change, working with non-profits, communities, churches, schools and other organizations and networks. She is a host and teacher of the Circle Way and the Art of Hosting and enjoys integrating different modes such as dialogue, improv, movement and visuals to host space with life and energy.
([email protected]; www.amandafenton.com)
In 2020 Amanda Fenton supports The Circle Way Advanced Practicum from a distance as Tenneson and Penny host in person (and is working with Penny to offer an online class later in 2020).
Amanda's background includes workin in the co-operative sector for nearly seventeen years with thirteen of them in Human Resources, including HR consulting, leadership and organizational development, change projects and collaborative strategic planning processes. Amanda is skilled in designing participatory gatherings using circle-based methods such as The Circle Way, Open Space Technology, World Cafe, Collective Story Harvest and others to host and harvest conversations for thoughtful change, working with non-profits, communities, churches, schools and other organizations and networks. She is a host and teacher of the Circle Way and the Art of Hosting and enjoys integrating different modes such as dialogue, improv, movement and visuals to host space with life and energy.
Kind Words
