Circle of Viewpoints
Circle of Viewpoints is a perspective-taking routine from Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, developed in its Visible Thinking work. The group lists the different viewpoints that exist on a topic, and each participant then speaks from one of them using three sentence starters: which viewpoint they are taking, what they think from there, and a question that viewpoint raises. It is a quick way to get more than two sides of an issue into the room before a discussion or decision.
Facilitation script
- 1
Present the topic or case and explain the routine: list viewpoints, take one each, speak from it in three sentences.
3 min - 2
Brainstorm the viewpoints connected to the topic and write them up. Ask who or what is affected that nobody has named yet.
7 min - 3
Participants choose a viewpoint and quietly prepare their three statements. Check that the uncomfortable viewpoints have takers.
4 min - 4
Go round the circle. Each person speaks in role; the group listens without comment. Capture the questions on the flip chart.
12 min - 5
Debrief out of role: what is new, which questions matter most, and which viewpoints need to be checked with the real people.
9 min
Tips
Encourage people to choose a viewpoint that is not their own, and make sure someone takes the one the group finds least sympathetic, since that is usually where the learning is.
Hold the round without cross-talk; responses belong in the debrief.
Say clearly at the end that role-taking gives hypotheses about what others think, and that it does not replace asking them.
Common pitfalls
Everyone picking the viewpoints closest to their own, so the round repeats the existing debate with different labels
Playing a viewpoint as a caricature, which gets laughs, reinforces stereotypes and teaches the group nothing about that position
Allowing replies and rebuttals during the round, which turns perspective-taking into a debate and cuts off the later speakers
Treating what was said in role as evidence of what stakeholders think, and deciding on that basis without checking with them
Skipping the third sentence starter: the questions are what the group can act on, and without them the round produces opinions only
Variations
Remote: list the viewpoints on a shared board, let participants put their name next to one, and run the round by calling on people in the order of the list; the three statements can also be typed into chat and read out. Large groups: form circles of five or six that each cover the full list, then collect the questions in plenary. Written version: each person writes the three statements on a card and the cards are posted and read in a gallery walk. Deeper version: after the first round, have participants swap to a second viewpoint, or follow with a longer role-taking routine such as Step Inside.
Where it fits
When to use it
A discussion has narrowed to two camps and the group has stopped noticing who else is affected
A team is about to decide on a change and has only looked at it from its own position
You want a short, low-risk way to bring in the perspective of customers, colleagues in other units or future users who are not in the room
The group needs questions to take into stakeholder interviews and does not yet know what to ask
A training group is analysing a case and should look beyond the protagonist's view
When not to use it
The affected people can be asked directly and there is time to do so: interview them or invite them, since imagined viewpoints are no substitute
The conflict is between people in the room and is personal: speaking in role will be read as mockery or point-scoring, so use a mediated conversation instead
The topic touches participants' own experience of discrimination or trauma: asking others to voice those viewpoints can hurt and stereotype, so bring in lived experience properly or choose a different format
You need a structured evaluation of a proposal from several angles: Six Thinking Hats gives modes of thinking, where this routine gives stakeholder positions
The group wants a prepared, extended stakeholder dialogue with research on each position: Stakeholder's View is built for that
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Circle of Viewpoints?▾
Circle of Viewpoints is a thinking routine from Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. A group lists the perspectives that exist on a topic, each participant takes one, and everyone speaks from their chosen viewpoint using three sentence starters. It helps a group see an issue from several sides in 20 to 40 minutes.
What are the three sentence starters?▾
Project Zero's routine uses three prompts: "I am thinking of [the topic] from the viewpoint of ...", "I think ...", spoken as that person or thing, and "A question I have from this viewpoint is ...". The first names the perspective, the second gives its position, and the third opens a line of inquiry. Keeping to the three keeps each contribution short and comparable.
Can Circle of Viewpoints be used with adults at work?▾
Yes. The routine was developed for classrooms, but the mechanics suit any group that needs to consider people who are not in the room. Teams use it before decisions on reorganisations, policy changes or product changes, and as preparation for stakeholder interviews.
How is Circle of Viewpoints different from Six Thinking Hats?▾
Six Thinking Hats assigns modes of thinking, such as facts, risks or feelings, and the whole group applies them to a topic. Circle of Viewpoints assigns positions of people or things affected by the topic. Use the hats to examine a proposal thoroughly and Circle of Viewpoints to find out whose perspective has been left out.
What are the limits of the method?▾
Participants can only voice what they imagine another party thinks, and that guess is shaped by their own assumptions. The routine widens the group's attention and generates questions, but it does not produce data about stakeholders. Follow up on the important questions with the real people concerned.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education.