Why Are Women’s Circles So Effective?
A New York Times article, Why Some Teams are Better Than Others examined the intelligence of various groups and their decision-making. It asks an important question about the efficacy of groups: “Are some groups, like some people, reliably smarter than others?”
In the study by Anita Woolley, Thomas W. Malone and Christopher Chabris, teams were given a variety of tasks. In the same way that some individuals’ general intelligence translates into overall success, certain teams showed superior performance in all tasks. The researchers determined some fascinating details about what makes a team effective. Interestingly, it was not the collective IQ of individuals in the team that determined the group’s success, nor was it the degree of extroversion among participants. Instead, there were three other crucial factors:
Equal Contribution – instead of being led (or the discussion being dominated) by intelligent or charismatic leaders, the most successful teams created a space for participants to contribute more equally. In a Money Circle, we don’t feature a presenter, we simply assign a facilitator to pose questions and tend to the needs of the group. In my experience facilitating Women’s Money Circles, we have found that tremendous awakenings are possible when everyone takes responsibility for the event’s outcome. We discover new strengths, build our financial confidence, forgive ourselves, and find hope. Transformation becomes a reality.
Empathy – At its most basic level, the second defining attribute of successful teams was the ability of participants to understand where other members of the group were coming from. In psychology, this ability typically emerges in children aged 3-4 who begin to take into account the needs and wants of others. For those who grow up continuing to hone this skill referred to as “Theory of Mind,” their contribution to teamwork will be significant. Our Money Circles allow us to sit facing one another in a circle so we get the best view of each member. We also ensure members don’t interrupt one another so each participant gets a chance to make her point fully. Active listening is recommended and empathic behavior is modeled by the facilitators.
Presence of Women – The third finding boiled down to this: the more women in the group, the greater its success. “Teams with more women outperformed teams with more men. This … was partly explained by the fact that women, on average, were better at ‘mindreading’ than men.” At Directions for Women*, we started facilitating Money Circles for women simply because we knew the power of women collaborating with other women. But this recent research supports the fact that our Money Circles are capable of much more than just having a good time learning or discussing a formerly dry topic in a new, relevant way. We have observed the problem-solving capabilities of these groups first-hand, and now there is data to explain why our Circles are so effective in changing the conversation around women and money.
The power is in the group, it’s shape, and its participants. Join us and become part of something bigger than a circle, because if enough women participate, the circle will start to look more like a globe.
I will be facilitating Money Circles in the Washington, DC metro area and in Richmond, VA in the coming months. Contact me if you are interested in participating by emailing Candice(at)HerDollars.com.
* I would like to honor those who introduced the Directions for Women team to meaningful circle conversations, Christina Baldwin and Anne Linnea. Through their books and company, PeerSpirit, these two women have brought this ancient and wise form of leadership, governance and community building to the 21st century.
