TED Circle - clubhouse

Clubhouse Templates

Event details

Title: [main question - relates to talk, invites robust conversation]

Description:

Discuss [topic/theme] after we listen to a TED Talk about the “[talk title]”:

[link to talk/TEDx SHORT, ideally tinyurl.com]

No-prep required, drop-ins encouraged!

Host profile

🗓 Join our next room: [Month, date, time] | [Clubhouse room link or converted Clublink]

⭕️ Circle format: Listen and discuss a TEDx SHORT about [theme]. It’s a fun way to expand your mind and your circle!!

✋ Room guidance: Answer [main question]

⏰ Bonus question: [additional question]

💡 TEDx SHORTS main idea: [two-sentence summary of idea]

❌ TEDx SHORTS link: [link to talk/TEDx SHORT, ideally tinyurl.com]

Invite (email/text/social)

Tired of video calls but still want to have great conversations? Follow me [your profile link] on Clubhouse and join my room [your room Clublink] on [Month, date, time] about [theme]. To join more TED Circles on Clubhouse, follow our TED Circles club!

Reminder (email/text/social)

I’m looking forward to discussing [theme] together in our upcoming TED Circle [your room Clublink] in Clubhouse. Follow me [your profile link] to get notified as soon as I open the room on [Month, date, time]! Chat with you soon...

Timeline and notes - 50 minute total

Guests join

5 minutes

Make casual conversation + Clubhouse: ping people in, ask guests to ping also

Conversation set-up

2 minutes

Welcome/ do intros/icebreaker/ agree values-norms/ set time expectations

Listen to talk (optional)

10 minutes

Remember any key quotes, lists, or questions to engage conversation

Circle conversation

25 minutes

Conversation starters you want to use to begin, progress, and end discussion

Wrap-up

5 minutes

Ask for guests’ takeaways from conversation + upcoming availability

retrieved from TED Circle Host resources on the 21/02/22 , before the 25th feb 2022 transition

Hosting voice calls

Tired of seeing yourself on camera? Circle conversations can also happen through voice calls! Audio-only platforms foster great discussion while letting guests move around or use less bandwidth. The five steps outlined in Hosting Resources still apply but you need to pick a tool (Clubhouse, conference call) that works for you and your guests. Here are tips and templates to begin!

Note: Our TED Circles club on Clubhouse is open! If you have hosted 5+ TED Circles and feel comfortable moderating Clubhouse rooms, then become a TED Circles club member so your rooms are also seen by TED Circles club followers!

Tips

Before you host

• Spread the word, emphasize in the invite that it’s audio-only so they’re free to move around (it can be a ‘walk and talk’)

• Clubhouse: Create event (tap → ), set date/time, add event name, co-hosts/guests, and description, click “Upcoming for you”, select “My events”, tap event, choose share action, copy link to Clublink to optimize

• TIP: Add theme to event name (e.g. How can we appreciate Earth? How can we take better risks?)

• If you’re a member of our TED Circles club, add Peter as a guest and TED Circles as the host club and then message Peter so he opens the event to non-club members and avoids scheduling conflicts.

• Consider the event considerations explored on the Hosting Resources webpage and prepare accordingly:

• Participants: Do your guests have experience with voice calls and/or Clubhouse? Who needs extra support?

• Vibe: Let guests know how to share (unmute, raise hand, you calling on them) and ‘reset the room’ throughout.

• Size: How many can you handle? Smaller is ideal (15 people) but some will just listen and others will cancel.

• Length: Shorter is ideal (1 hour) so outline the time you’ll spend on each part and how you’ll keep the flow

• Role of talk: How will your Circle listen to the talk? Send it before or play it on speaker or with the right cables.

• TIP: Play a TEDx SHORT - they’re audio-only and shortened to 5-8 minutes which is perfect for calls!

• Consent: If you record up to 1 minute or quote guests, get consent via RSVP and include ‘Recording’ in title.

While you host

• Prior to participants joining

• Cue your selected talk/TEDx SHORT (if listening together) in a web browser tab and be ready to text the link

• Clubhouse: Include talk details (link and summary) in your bio so you can refer guests to it during the Circle

• Start the call / room

• Open the line a few minutes before your scheduled time to make it feel warm and welcoming (e.g. play music)

• Clubhouse: Go to “My events”, “tap Start the room”, set raised hands (), ping people in (), ask guests to do so also too, tap co-host profile to “make a moderator”, tap guests’ profiles to “make a speaker” (it’s ok, we know Clubhouse uses “speaker” differently than TED does!), mute lines with background noise

• To set up the conversation

• Keep it simple because people remember less of what they only hear. For example:

• “I’m thrilled you’re here today to discuss [theme]. I’m [name] and I volunteer to host TED Circles which are small groups who discuss big ideas to learn new things and meet new people. This month, 500+ Circles are also discussing this theme. We’ll listen to a talk entitled [talk title] and discuss it. Please limit your talk time to one minute so people can participate multiple times within our hour together. Anyone can listen but we hope you’ll raise your hand (Clubhouse) or unmute to join the conversation.”

• Clubhouse: [optional] Help guests connect with a fun icebreaker. For example, ask them a question that they answer by typing in their bios and you read a few or ask them to change their profile photo to a baby picture!

• To engage in the conversation

• If guests hesitate, wait! Ask a simple question about what this topic means to them and how/if this talk has them thinking differently (check out our conversation starters). Encourage people to unmute and speak and/or keep a list of people on the line and invite their answer systematically (alphabetical, East-West) or randomly. Or if guests dominate, ask them to finish their sentence so others can share, establish sequence, use a timer.

• Clubhouse: Invite guests on stage to share thoughts or answer the question. Order can be random (they decide when to unmute) or systematic (“pass the mic” from left-to-right, top-down). After 2-3 speakers, paraphrase/comment on their contributions, reset the room to welcome new people (sample language below), and pass the mic. If you see a raised hand (top banner or button icon badge), tap “invite as speaker” or tap to unmute (). Once onstage, mute their line so background noise doesn’t interrupt current speaker. If stage gets crowded, tap profiles of people no longer speaking and “move to audience”. Turn off raised hands at end.

• Sample language to reset the room as new people join: “This TED Circle is an open conversation about [topic/event title]. Click my bio for details about the topic and raise your hand to join the stage. Anyone is welcome to participate, please follow me and our TED Circles club to join more rooms!

• To close the conversation

• Summarize guests’ responses to theme, preview the next theme, get suggestions for next meeting time

• Clubhouse: Ask people follow you and TED Circles club to get notifications, end room (tap → End Room)

Here and now

There are times when something happens (locally or globally) and it helps to discuss it, safely and respectfully. Through TED Circles, your small group can meet to discuss a pressing issue that is affecting your community. As the host, you identify the urgent issue (“Here and now: [urgent issue]”), find content to spark discussion, and follow our five hosting steps. Bringing people together to listen and learn from each other to develop mutual understanding is invaluable and challenging. Tips in Hosting In-person/Video/Voice still apply but below are special considerations to facilitate conversations about Here and now.

Before you host

• Select a talk or content that speaks to the urgent issue and fosters a credible, consensus-building discussion:

• Define the urgent issue your Circle will discuss, select a TED Talk/piece of content to spark discussion

• Utilize the shared sheet to help select a talk and/or share your chosen content to inspire fellow hosts

• Search TED or TEDx for keywords related to the topic and ensure content is:

• Credible - facts verified by many sources, no generalizations, absolutes, inflammatory words

• Solution-oriented - concrete problems and solutions with an urgent yet positive tone

• Future-focused - what can be done going forward rather than lamenting the past

• Take time to reflect/educate yourself on the issue -- you do not need to be an expert but consuming credible content from various sources helps identify your blindspots and prepares you to moderate the conversation

• Invite guests in advance, emphasize the topic/content being discussed, set clear expectations about norms

• Anticipate potential scenarios you might encounter and prepare your response:

• Group disagreement - invite a third party expert to be an equal participant who offers related facts

• Group hesitance - first summarize the points of agreement, then discuss the points of disagreement

• Emotional guests - politely interject to acknowledge their viewpoint and thank them for sharing

• Withdrawn guests - draft digestible questions to invite easier answers from each person

While you host

• Take more time to set up the conversation and create connection among guests

• Use intros/icebreakers to find guests’ similarities/value their differences to make them feel welcome

• Agree norms and values, with particular emphasis on respect, listening, learning:

• “I’m honored to host this TED Circle about “Here and now: [urgent issue]”. I acknowledge that this issue affects our community and may carry personal meaning to each of you. As a host, I will create a safe space free of judgement where we openly discuss this issue and have a dialogue centered around listening and learning from each other. TED Circles have a respectful and friendly spirit that values curiosity, debate, inclusion, and impact. We mind each others’ boundaries and agree that disruptive, discriminatory, self-promotional, and physically inappropriate behavior have no place here. As a group, we’ll ensure everyone can participate equally, remain present, and maintain respect. As a host, I’ll actively address corrections to uphold these values as needed.”

• Establish a shared goal or hope for the conversation to further solidify the space you aim to create:

• “I acknowledge that I am not an expert and despite my best effort I bring biases or blindspots to our conversation. This is a continuous learning journey for me and maybe you too. I hope our group helps each other better understand this issue from all perspectives and what we can do about it together.”

• Moderate and foster dialogue

• Use a model to guide discussion (e.g. what/so what/now what model) or follow the energy in the room

• Identify which approach is most helpful for guiding the conversation:

• Go-around - each guest speaks without interruption/comment (very useful at the beginning)

• Think-pair-share - guests silently collect thoughts, share with partner, then share with group

• Hand signals - guests distinguish a response (two hands) from a new contribution (one hand)

• Invite diversity - guests from underrepresented communities share without being singled out

• Recognize disagreement is healthy in open dialogue, encourage disagreement within Circle norms

• Take breaks so guests reflect on the conversation and you can reiterate the values/norms before restart

• Thank guests and ask them to share a learning to acknowledge fellow guests who contributed to their learning

• Leverage the takeaways prompt to collect each guest’s learning, which they take forward in their life

• Acknowledge the issue is not solved by one conversation but this is part of the solution

After you host

• Enable on-going discussion by creating a shared space where guests can share resources with each other and continue the discussion (guests are most open to further engagement right after the event)

• Follow up with any guests (as needed) - if any guests were particularly helpful or unhelpful, reach out to them 1:1 to have a follow-up conversation that reinforces their positive participation/aims to understand their problematic behavior

Additional resources (external): Facilitation, De-escalation, Group exercises, What/so what/now what model

You all are the heartbeat of our community. The way you bring your passion, expertise, and guests together exemplifies how community and impact — our core values — are fostered through small group conversations about big ideas! We want to co-create the community with you and help you get to know each other. Please consider these connection opportunities:

Pick a theme-related TED Talk, register your event, and invite your guests.

Circles discuss one of three themes (monthly theme, Countdown, or Here and now), so pick a related TED Talk and register your event (multilingual forms provided). Then, invite your guests however you prefer.

2

Set up the space (in-person or online) and engage guests in conversation.

Enjoy doing what you do best, hosting! Arrange your space so guests are comfortable and you are prepared. Watch the talk (beforehand or at the beginning) and help guests equally engage in conversation (in your preferred language).

Circles typically meet for 1-2 hours with 3-30 people.

3

Schedule your next Circle and share event insights with fellow hosts.

Consistency builds community so schedule your next Circle (ideally for the following month)! Collaborate with fellow hosts via our online host community group to ignite a global conversation about the theme your Circle discussed.

Log into your host dashboard to access all of your Circles and host details.