Buna Sa’at: Three Rounds to Real Belonging
Welcome! We’re glad you found us. As you probably already know, culture doesn’t ask permission to change. It shapes how people relate, decide, and belong, and left unchecked it quietly reinforces habits that no longer serve your mission. As leadership, work, and community evolve, culture must keep pace. And sometimes drawing from age-old practices helps us rethink our current practices as we know them. Inspired by the Ethiopian coffee ceremony Buna Sa’at, we borrow a deliberate rhythm for gatherings that helps teams arrive, speak honestly, and leave with real belonging.
The Three Rounds
The ceremony unfolds in three rounds that deepen connection and meaning. Abol, the first round, is a pause: an invitation to slow down and simply arrive. In organizational settings, Abol is the intentional opening that creates psychological safety and presence.
Tona, the second round, is where the surface gives way and real conversation begins. Tona is curiosity in action—questions that surface tensions, diverse perspectives, and the information needed to make wise choices.
Baraka, the third round, is the blessing. It is the integration point where belonging is affirmed through shared commitments, recognition, and the rituals that make decisions stick.
We honor that the coffee ceremony is a living cultural practice with regional and household variations. Our adaptation respects that diversity while translating its rhythm into practical design for teams.
Applying the Rhythm
Designing for Abol, Tona, and Baraka means resisting the rush to solutions. It requires structuring time and space so insight can surface and be integrated. That looks like opening meetings with a real check‑in, creating facilitation that holds complexity without collapsing into quick fixes, and closing with named commitments that people can feel and follow.
This rhythm pairs with the technical work organizations need—handbooks, policies, and people‑ops systems—so structure and relational practice reinforce one another. The result is not slower for its own sake; it is more durable, clearer, and more likely to produce sustained behavior change.
Practical Examples
We translate the three rounds into concrete practices you can use immediately.
Abol example: Start leadership retreats with a 10‑minute arrival ritual. Use a single prompt that centers attention, then invite brief personal check‑ins to build presence and trust.
Tona example: During strategy workshops, surface tensions with structured inquiry. Rotate prompts, allow silent reflection, and use small groups to surface diverse perspectives before deciding.
Baraka example: Close with a ritualized commitment. Each person names one action they will take, the group records those commitments, and a short follow‑up at the next meeting holds the work accountable.
Pair these practices with operational changes: align role descriptions to new behaviors, embed reflection prompts into performance cycles, and update policies so they support relational norms rather than undermine them.
Gathering well is a skill you can practice. Buna Sa’at teaches a simple, powerful blueprint: arrive fully, listen deeply, and bless what you create together. When teams move through Abol, Tona, and Baraka, they build trust, clarify decisions, and create commitments that stick. That’s not just warm feeling; it’s practical strategy that improves alignment, retention, and performance. Pull up a seat, bring your questions, and let’s design gatherings that actually change how you work and belong.
