Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: 095e06cbf674eec0ed25b14cc1d5b78aba9ee97bd4cc5b41b25030a3203d6972

# Vortex

Participants form concentric inside and outside circles facing one another. They hold rapid, timed pair conversations on set prompts, rotating positions between rounds to meet new partners.

**Time:** 12 minutes. Playmeo lists this as a rapid icebreaker; 12 minutes accommodates setup, 3 rotating conversation rounds, and brief group reflection.
**People:** 6 to 24. Even numbered pairs in two concentric circles (inside ring facing out, outside ring facing in); with an odd participant total, the facilitator partners with the extra person to keep circles balanced

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Exchange brief personal or work perspectives across multiple partners in a short time frame without unstructured mingling.
**Use it when:** Use at the beginning of a workshop or after a presentation when you want participants speaking directly with three different peers without managing open-floor networking.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the room lacks open floor space for two concentric circles, or when participants cannot comfortably stand or adjust chairs into paired circles.

## Materials and tools

- Digital or chime timer
- Prepared list of 3 prompt questions displayed on a slide or whiteboard

## Before participants arrive

1. Clear a central open space large enough for participants to form two concentric rings.
2. Place matching inner and outer rings of chairs if participants need seated options.
3. Display the 3 conversation prompts where all can see.

## Say this to open

We will use an exercise called Vortex to meet several peers quickly. We will form two circles facing each other, discuss a prompt for two minutes, and then rotate to meet a new partner.

## How to run it

### 1. Form concentric circles (2 minutes)

Ask participants to pair up. Assign one partner in each pair as Number 1 and the other as Number 2. If there is an odd number of people, the facilitator partners with the remaining person so both circles have equal counts. Ask all Number 1s to form an inner circle facing outward. Ask all Number 2s to form an outer circle directly facing their partner.

### 2. Run conversation round 1 (3 minutes)

Announce prompt 1. Neutral example prompt: 'What is one practical project you are focusing on this week?' Give pairs 2 minutes to talk. Signal when 1 minute remains so both partners speak. Call time at 2 minutes.

### 3. Rotate and run conversation round 2 (3 minutes)

Direct the outer circle to take one partner space to their right while the inner circle stays in place, aligning everyone with a new partner. Announce prompt 2. Neutral example prompt: 'What is one tool or habit that made your work easier recently?' Give pairs 2 minutes to talk. Signal when 1 minute remains so both speak. Call time at 2 minutes.

### 4. Rotate and run conversation round 3 (3 minutes)

Direct the outer circle to take one partner space to their right while the inner circle stays in place, facing a third partner. Announce prompt 3. Neutral example prompt: 'What is one question you hope we address before today ends?' Give pairs 2 minutes to talk. Signal when 1 minute remains so both speak. Call time at 2 minutes.

### 5. Gather group debrief (1 minutes)

Bring attention back to the whole room. Invite 2 or 3 quick observations on common themes heard during the exchanges, keeping within the remaining time.


## Debrief questions

- What was one common thread you heard across your conversations?
- Did hearing multiple perspectives change what you plan to focus on today?

**Finished output:** Every participant completes three structured peer conversations and surfaces common themes for the session.

## Remote

Create breakout rooms of pairs for 2 minutes each. Broadcast the prompt via chat or announcement banner. Call pairs back to the main room, reshuffle pairs automatically, and repeat for 3 rounds.

## Hybrid

Pair in-person participants in physical concentric circles. Run remote participants simultaneously in paired breakout rooms using matching timers and prompts. At debrief, remote participants rejoin the main video call projected in the room so in-person and remote speakers take turns sharing comments.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may sit face to face in concentric rings of chairs instead of standing.
- Anyone who prefers not to answer a prompt may pass or ask their partner to speak the entire time.
- A participant may opt out of paired talk to act as the room timekeeper.

## If the session gets stuck

**Noise level rises and partners struggle to hear each other.**

Ask both circles to take one step back to widen the ring diameter, and remind partners to lean in at conversational volume.

**One partner dominates the pair conversation.**

Use a clear chime or call at the 1 minute mark instructing pairs to swap speakers immediately.


## Terms used here

- Concentric circles: Two circular rings sharing a center point, where the inside ring faces out and the outside ring faces in.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo activity documentation, where it is attributed to Mark Collard. Also known widely in group facilitation and teaching as Inside-Outside Circles or Speed Sharing.

Retained the concentric circle rotation mechanic and numbering structure documented by Playmeo and attributed to Mark Collard. UWT fixed the rotation amount to one partner space to guarantee new partner pairings across all valid group sizes, clarified facilitator pairing for odd counts, added 1-minute swap signals across rounds, and specified hybrid video integration for debriefing.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/ice-breakers-get-to-know-you-games/vortex)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/ice-breakers-get-to-know-you-games/vortex/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/interactive-sharing-exercise-for-partner-conversations-vortex/