WA’s suggested meeting format provides the basic elements to be included at each meeting.
Below are suggestions for meeting types that can be indicated at the appropriate point in the script. Please feel free to mix and match, be creative, and explore which types of meetings appeal to your WA Group and what organization of the meeting script feels appropriate.
General Sharing Meeting:
Attendees share openly in relation to their WA programs.
Topic Meeting:
Shares around a topic selected for the meeting
Literature Meeting:
Read selections from WA literature, followed by shares.
Step Meeting:
Read Step material from the Book of Recovery or Book of Discovery, possibly also write from the Book of Discovery, followed by shares.
Speaker Meeting:
First half for introduction and speaker; second half for shares and closing
Focused Meditation and Writing:
A chosen reading; two-to-four-minute meditation; writing ten to fifteen minutes; then shares
Grab Bag Meeting:
Members submit questions or topics for sharing, which are randomly chosen during the meeting.
Play Meeting:
Joining in games and other playful and joyful activities
Rotating Meeting Types:
WA Groups are free to choose a single type for all their meetings or to vary meeting types. Alternating types might be at random, or according to a schedule—for instance, according to the week of the month:
Week 1 – Step
Week 2 – Topic
Week 3 – Speaker
Week 4 – Focused Meditation and Writing
Week 5 – Play
Meeting Ideas and WA Events
More information and ideas for weekly meetings, retreats, and Step study groups, are found in the Workaholics Anonymous Book of Recovery (2nd ed., pp. 205-207) and the Workaholics Anonymous Book of Discovery (2010, pp. 12-17).
Your WA Group or Intergroup may also wish to host a special WA event, such as a Recovery day or a WA literature writing workshop, and open it to others in the Fellowship. The WA-WSO can help with details and publicity.
Literature Writing Workshops:
Writing meditations (perhaps for submission for the future WA Daily Meditation book) or short essays about your WA experience (for yourself, or to share in other WA publications)
Here is a sample format for a Daily Meditation book meditation writing meeting.
Some Definitions
“Closed” meetings are for WA members, or for those who desire to recover from their problem with work, activity, and/or work avoidance.
“Open” meetings welcome anyone interested in the Workaholics Anonymous Program of Recovery from workaholism. Non-workaholics may attend open meetings as observers.
Meetings are not held by licensed mental health professionals. They are voluntary gatherings of fellow workaholics who “share their experience, strength, and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from workaholism. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop working compulsively.” (From the WA Preamble and Tradition Three)