Little Book of Stoicism Workshop

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Separate controllable actions from uncontrollable events to establish clear behavioral responses under team pressure.

Use it when: Use when a team faces organizational change, project delays, or shifting priorities that prompt reactive stress.

Skip it when: Skip when the core issues involve labor violations, harassment, or systemic safety hazards requiring managerial remedy rather than reframing.

Group arrangement: Plenary introduction, individual writing, pairs, with one trio for odd counts, for reframing, and small groups of 3 to 5 for scenarios.

Timing: Source specifies 90 minutes across five distinct phases.

Materials and tools

• Flip chart easel with paper or large whiteboard space
• Marker pens (1 per participant)
• Sticky notes (3 pads in varied colors, roughly 10 sheets per participant)
• Scratch paper (2 sheets per participant)
• Digital countdown timer
• Printed Stoic Happiness Triangle and Virtues Handout (1 per participant)

Before participants arrive

1. Draw two concentric circles on the primary flip chart or board: label the inner circle 'Control' and the outer circle 'Beyond Control'.
2. Prepare a second flip chart titled 'Our Stoic Commitments'.
3. Place scratch paper, sticky notes, markers, and handouts at each seat.

Say this to open

Welcome. Today we will explore practical tools from Stoic philosophy to help us handle pressure and rapid change. Stoicism is not about suppressing feelings or pretending problems do not exist. It is about pausing to choose a reasoned response rather than an impulsive reaction. Today we will separate what we can control from what we cannot, test our assumptions, and define practical team commitments.

How to run it

1. Introduce Stoic foundations 10 minutes

   Deliver the opening script. Ask the room: 'What challenges recently tested your patience or focus?' Note up to 4 brief examples on a flip chart. Introduce the Stoic Happiness Triangle from the handout: Live with Arete, Focus on What You Control, and Take Responsibility. Keep explanations under 5 minutes so the group moves promptly into the first exercise.

2. Sort the circles of control 20 minutes

   Ask everyone to take 3 minutes to write individual workplace challenges on sticky notes, one issue per note. Participants then walk to the board and post each note in either 'Control' or 'Beyond Control'. Facilitate a review of 4 to 6 posted items. Clarify boundaries by moving external behaviors to 'Beyond Control' and shifting internal team responses into 'Control'.

3. Reframe stressful events in pairs 20 minutes

   Form pairs, allowing one trio if the count is odd. Each person chooses a recent frustrating work situation. Partners use scratch paper to separate the incident into two lists: verifiable facts versus personal interpretations. Pairs allocate 7 minutes per person (14 minutes total) to examine facts and influence. A trio allocates 4 minutes per person, then 2 minutes for shared notes, also totaling 14 minutes. Use the final 6 minutes to collect 2 or 3 reframed examples in plenary.

4. Apply virtues to team scenarios 25 minutes

   Divide participants into small teams of 3 to 5. Assign each group one practice scenario from the handout. Teams review the four cardinal virtues: Wisdom, Courage, Justice, and Temperance. Teams spend 12 minutes identifying which virtue fits best and formulating one concrete team action. Each group presents their response to the room within 2 minutes.

5. Record commitments and debrief 15 minutes

   Have each person write two final sticky notes: 'One situation I will approach differently is...' and 'One Stoic habit I will start practicing is...' Participants place these notes on the 'Our Stoic Commitments' chart. Read 4 or 5 notes aloud, then run the plenary debrief.

Debrief questions

• Looking at our 'Beyond Control' circle, how much team effort currently goes toward things we cannot change?
• When you separated objective facts from interpretations in your pairs, what changed about your initial reaction?
• Which of the four virtues does our team need to emphasize during our upcoming workload?

Finished output: A sorted team control chart, reframed personal notes, and a shared poster of individual commitments.

Remote

Set up a digital whiteboard with 'Control' and 'Beyond Control' circles and a 'Commitments' frame. Facilitate steps 1 and 5 in the main video room. Use digital sticky notes for step 2. For step 3, send participants to breakout pairs or one trio for an odd count for 14 minutes. Pairs use 7 minutes each; trios use 4 minutes each plus 2 minutes of shared notes. For step 4, assign breakout rooms of 3 to 5 for 12 minutes with designated workspace frames. Return to plenary for scenario readouts and commitments.

Hybrid

In-person participants write physical sticky notes while a designated room assistant mirrors them onto the virtual board. Pair remote participants with remote partners and in-person with in-person during step 3. If an odd number of people exists within either subgroup, form a trio within that subgroup. Broadcast group scenario reports using the room microphone and screen share.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may use neutral, non-confidential workplace examples rather than sensitive personal grievances.
• Anyone may choose to complete pair reframing silently on paper without reading their notes aloud.
• Provide digital text copies of all handouts for screen readers or magnification tools.

If the session gets stuck

Participants place other people's behaviors or organizational policies in the 'Control' circle.

Remind the group that control applies strictly to one's own actions and choices. Move the external factor to 'Beyond Control' and ask what personal communication or boundary belongs in 'Control'.

Pairs turn the reframing step into an extended venting session without analyzing facts.

Check in at the 7-minute rotation mark. Ask pairs to point out their written dividing line between observable facts and subjective interpretations.

Terms used here

• Arete: An ancient Greek term meaning moral excellence or being one's best self in every moment.
• Stoic Happiness Triangle: A framework popularized by Jonas Salzgeber combining Arete, focusing on what is in your control, and taking responsibility for judgments.
• Wisdom: Understanding what is truly good, bad, or indifferent, and knowing how to act appropriately in complex situations.
• Courage: Facing difficulty, uncertainty, or discomfort with clear action and without panic.
• Justice: Treating others fairly, acting with integrity, and supporting the common good of the team.
• Temperance: Exercising self-restraint and moderation rather than acting on immediate impulses.