Liberating Structures
What are Liberating Structures?
Liberating Structures are a set of facilitation techniques that help people work together more effectively and efficiently. They provide a structure to conversations and meetings, encouraging everyone to contribute their ideas and perspectives. The structures are designed to be inclusive, allowing all voices in the room to be heard. They can be used in any setting, from small groups to large organizations, enabling teams to make decisions faster, collaborate more effectively, and come up with creative solutions.
Examples include 1-2-4-All for idea generation and Impromptu Networking for meaningful conversations. With over 30 structures available, like TRIZ and Open Space Technology, they foster collaboration and unlock collective wisdom for innovative solutions.
The structures are adaptable to various contexts, such as team meetings, workshops, and conferences, promoting engagement and interactions. They empower people to reflect, share ideas, and connect with others, leading to better problem-solving. Groups using the structures can create an inclusive and collaborative environment, tapping into the collective intelligence.
An immersion workshop in the Netherlands. 6 min.
Arvind Singhal explains. 10 min.
The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures
Get this book if you have anything to do with leadership or facilitation of group processes!
What are they? At the first level, they’re a set of 33 practical, easy-to-use methods for group work. Authors Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless spent years gathering, testing, and describing these processes in real-world settings.
The heart of the book is the “Field Guide” to the 33 processes.
the authors have also identified “Sets of Strings.” These are combinations of the 33 structures that, when used together move a group toward a goal, such as drawing out prototypes or finding everyday solutions.
Go to the Liberating Structures Site!
Here you’ll find all the structures, the principles, resources. It’s all there for you to use in your next meeting.
Podcast: Meisha Rouser interviews Keith McCandless
28 min.
Go to the Menu of facilitation processes — all free and the simple instructions are provided.
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