Have you heard of Liberating Structures already? Because if you haven\u2019t, that\u2019s a treasure trove of facilitation structures all waiting for you to discover them. Yep, it\u2019s time to get excited.<\/p>\n
But we\u2019re getting ahead of ourselves. What problem are we trying to solve? Let\u2019s hear it from the source<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cConventional structures are either too inhibiting (presentations, status reports and managed discussions) or too loose and disorganized (open discussions and brainstorms) to creatively engage people in shaping their own future. […] Liberating Structures add 33 more options to the big five conventional approaches.\u201d<\/p>\n And they all aim to involve as many participants as possible as active contributors, while still moving everything forward.<\/p>\n To give you an idea, I\u2019ve picked 3 out of the 33 structures that are great for retrospectives:<\/p>\n Engage Everyone Simultaneously in Generating Questions, Ideas, and Suggestions<\/em><\/p>\n Pose a question, that people first ponder alone, then in pairs, then groups of 4. Debrief by asking \u201cWhat is one idea that stood out in your conversation?\u201d and let each group share.<\/p>\n The activity \u201cMerge (#21)<\/a>\u201d has the same basis.<\/p>\n Get Practical and Imaginative Help from Colleagues Immediately<\/em><\/p>\n Invite participants to think for 1 minute of a challenge they\u2019d like advice on. Form groups of 3, in which each person will have a turn as \u201cthe client\u201d. The first client shares their question for 1-2 minutes. The other two ask clarifying questions for 1-2 minutes. The client turns around with their back towards the consultants. Together, the consultants generate ideas, suggestions and coaching advice for 4-5 minutes. Afterwards, the client turns around and shares what was most valuable about the experience for 1-2 minutes. Repeat the steps for the other two people in the troika.<\/p>\n This would be a great alternative to \u201cSpeed Dating (#26)<\/a>\u201d for bigger groups.<\/p>\n This makes a great \u201cDecide what to do\u201d activity:<\/p>\n Where do you have discretion and freedom to act? What can you do without more resources or authority? What are your 15 percent?<\/em><\/p>\n First alone, each person generates their own list of 15% Solutions for 5 minutes. Then they form groups of 3-5 people and share their ideas \u2013 for 3 minutes per person, one person at a time.<\/p>\n Group members consult each other by asking clarifying questions and offering advice. \u2013 for 6 minutes per person, one person at a time.<\/p>\n These are just brief summaries. The website<\/a> provides so much more information for each structure like detailed instructions, traps and variations \u2013 for the 3 structures I covered and the other 30 as well.<\/p>\n Btw, all this is based on the book \u201cThe Surprising Power af Liberating Structures\u201d by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless.<\/p>\n The structures are easy to learn and if you want to get \u201cfluent\u201d join one of the many, many user groups. There\u2019s a list of LS user groups here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Not sure, how up to date this list is, though. If it doesn\u2019t list a user group in your area, google \u201cliberating structures user group\u201d + your city. On Twitter it seems that there’s a new local group every week \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n One more thing: Most Liberating Structures start with an invitation (a question or topic). Your results will vary depending on how good your invitation is. Christiaan Verwijs from The Liberators has some practical advice on coming up with a good invitation<\/a>.<\/p>\n All in all, Liberating Structures are a wonderful addition to a facilitator’s toolbox. May you have fun \u2013 and productive interactions \u2013 with them!<\/p>\n1-2-4-All<\/h3>\n
Troika Consulting<\/h3>\n
15% Solutions<\/h3>\n
Check out the source<\/h3>\n
Join a user group to practise<\/h3>\n
Come up with a good invitation<\/h3>\n
PS: Did you know there's a Retromat eBook Bundle? Ready-made retrospective plans for beginners and all activities from Retromat for experienced facilitators. Check out the Retromat books<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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