Method guide · Progress through phases
Pronoun rounds
Allow voluntary sharing of how people wish to be referred to, with passing, no reasons required, and a route for later correction.
- People
- 2–30
- Base procedure time
- 6 minutes
- Recording
- No record
Purpose: Begin together; Build working relationships.
English guide
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How this method works
An opening method for voluntarily sharing how one wishes to be referred to and checking how to correct it. First, the facilitator explains why pronouns are being asked about, that sharing is voluntary, and that passing is possible. After brief examples of sharing and passing, each person chooses in turn. Do not record contributions; respect only the person's chosen form of address for use there and then. If a mistake occurs, the person may correct it and others do not ask for reasons or background. Before ending, explain whom to tell if someone wants to change their form of address later. Do not use this where choosing not to share cannot be protected or contributions are repurposed for performance appraisal.
Phase schedule
Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.
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- Explain that sharing is voluntary0–1 minutes from the start (1 minute)
Action: Check. Participation: Everyone or small groups.
No record
- Show brief sharing and passing examples1–2 minutes from the start (1 minute)
Action: Explain. Participation: Everyone or small groups.
No record
- Choose sharing or passing in turn2–5 minutes from the start (3 minutes)
Action: Choose. Participation: Everyone or small groups.
No record
- Check how to correct5–6 minutes from the start (1 minute)
Action: Check. Participation: Everyone or small groups.
No record
Facilitation steps
- For 1 minute, explain the purpose, that sharing is voluntary, and that people may pass.
- For 1 minute, the facilitator shows one brief example each of sharing and passing.
- For 3 minutes, each person chooses sharing or passing in turn; do not ask those who pass for a reason.
- For 1 minute, explain how to communicate a correction to a form of address and close.
If something changes
If
Immediately after the opening explanation, even one person says they understood sharing to be compulsory.
Then
Do not begin the round; explain again that each person may choose sharing, passing, or later correction.
If
During the round, even one contribution asks why someone passed.
Then
Do not ask for an answer to that contribution. Check with everyone that passing needs no explanation, then resume.
Preparation
Materials
- One explanatory facilitation note for the facilitator
Room and setup
- An arrangement where everyone can hear one another
Adjust for people and time
With 2–10 people, use one circle. With 11–30, also make one round, with a limit of five seconds per person and no second presentation. With 31 or more, divide the participant count by 15 and round up to determine the number of groups, distributing people evenly into groups of no more than 15. Every group uses the same explanation. Afterwards, do not combine content; the facilitator checks only that all groups have confirmed whom to contact for corrections.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Make sharing voluntary and passing explanation-free; stop before the round if anyone understood sharing as compulsory. Do not ask for reasons or background for passing or corrections, record contributions, combine group content, or reuse it for appraisal. Respect the person's chosen address and provide a contact for later corrections.
Manuscript's recorded references
These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.
- Seeds for Change Facilitation Tools: Pronoun rounds
https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/tools#pronoun-round
anti-copyright adaptation; changes made
- Conditions for applying anti-copyright
https://www.seedsforchange.org.uk/resources
anti-copyright
Diagram, print, and video language
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Editorial provenance
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