Virtual meetup facilitated on 12/2 with 60 participants from Chicago, NYC, Montreal, Germany, UK, India, South Africa

1. Liberating Structures
For Virtual Teams
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved
Co-hosted by
Lean-Agile-Digital Transformation Learning Network, Chicago
And
NYC Liberating Structures Group

2. Liberating
Structures
http://www.liberatingstructures.com
Henri LipmanowiczKeith McCandless
An evolving
repertoire, menu,
toybox, or palette of
33+ options for
organizing generative
interactions

3. Your facilitator: Dana Pylayeva
Credentials
@DanaPylayeva
Books and Games
dana@agileplayconsulting.com
Public Speaking
45
conferences
15
countries
Clients

4. Our theme: Going into 2020
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

5. Nothing beats F2F.
Some tools can help make
virtual collaborations better
1. Camera
2. Zoom Breakout Rooms
3. Zoom Chat
4. Google Slides for on-line
collaboration
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved
We will be using all these today!

6. Impromptu
Networking
Rapidly share challenges and
expectations, Make loose but
powerful connections
F2F
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

7. (V)- Impromptu Networking
Rapidly share challenges and expectations,
Make loose but powerful connections
Breakout Rooms:
2 people per room, 2 min for discussion àReturn to main room.
2 min - Repeat with a new pair àReturn to main room.
2 min - Repeat with the last pair àReturn to main room.
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

8. What do you hope to get from
and share with the group during this
session?
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

9. Impromptu
Networking
Rapidly share challenges
and expectations,
Make loose connections
What do you hope
to get from
and share with the
group during this
session? Unlimited
number of
groups
Zoom
Breakout
sessions
Everyone is
included.
Equal
opportunity to
contribute.
Virtual,
pairs
2 min in pairs,
switch, 2 mins
in second pair,
switch, 2 min
with last pair
(V)-
Impromptu
Networking
Invitation
Space, Materials
Participation
DistributedGroups
Configured
Step
Sequence
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

10. Conventional organizing structures
PRESENTATION
MANAGED
DISCUSSION
STATUS UPDATE BRAINSTORMING
OPEN
DISCUSSION
OVER-controlled under-CONTROLLED

11. Engagement Space with
Conventional Organizing StructuresLiberating Structures

12. Drawing Together
Reveal Insights and Paths Forward Through Nonverbal Expression
F2F
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

13. The 5 Symbols
WHOLENESS
COMPLETION
CONTINUATION
CHANGE
CHAOS
PEOPLE
RELATIONSHIPS
CONNECTION
CHALLENGE
GOAL
STRUCTURE
FOUNDATION

14. V-Drawing Together
Reveal Insights and Paths Forward Through Nonverbal Expression
Tell a story about
the most unusual
challenge you had
to deal with in 2019
http://bit.ly/ls_draw GoogleSheet
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

15. Sequence of Steps & Timing
1. Open http://bit.ly/ls_draw GoogleSheet and duplicate
template slide
2. Quiet Self-reflection: Use the 5 symbols in any way you
want to draw your most unusual challenge you had to deal
with in 2019. (5 mins)
3. Shared Conversation: You will be paired in Zoom Breakout
Rooms: Share and interpret one another’s drawings (4 mins)

16. What did you notice about Drawing together?
How was it organized? What were the steps? What did it
make possible?
Where could you use it? Where could it be useful?
Debrief

17. Troika Consulting
Get Practical and Imaginative Help from Colleagues Immediately

18. “Client” describes
her challenge to
“consultants”
Troika Consulting
F2F
Facing away from
“Consultants”, the “Client”
listens as “Consultants” are
discussing how to help with her
challenge.
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

19. Instructions & Steps
1. You will be taken into breakout rooms in the group of 3 (1 min)
2. First ‘client’:
a) Describe challenge (2 mins)
b) Consultants ask clarifying questions (1 mins)
c) Client turns back on consultants and listens as they talk to each
other about ideas or ways to reframe the challenge (3 mins)
d) Client faces consultants and thanks them (1 min)
Return to the main room
3. Repeat with each person getting a consultation (7 mins per round)
V - Troika Consulting

20. What did Troika make possible? How was it organized &
structured? What difference did the micro-organizing
elements make?
Where could you use this? What was getting developed
through it?
Debrief

21. Resources and Next Steps
• http://www.liberatingstructures.com/
• App: Liberating Structures App is now
released and available in the Google Play and
Apple App Stores
• Print your own LS Card Deck
https://bit.ly/2BSJI5G
• Print your own Matchmaker handout
https://bit.ly/2GN6Y9g
• Join the LS Slack Community
http://bit.ly/2DZ93wo
• Attend a full day immersion workshop in
NYC: http://bit.ly/LSNYC_feb
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

23. What, So What, Now What (W3)
Debrief together on the use of Liberating Structures in this
session
© Agile Play Consulting LLC 2019 - All Rights Reserved

24. • WHAT happened or did you notice?
• SO WHAT is important, which conclusion are emerging?
• NOW WHAT actions make sense for you and for this group?

25. V-W3
Instructions & Steps
In the chat room:
1. Think and type in your response to the first question. (WHAT
happened or did you notice?)
2. Wait for the signal to post it. Read the responses. (1min)
3. Think and type your response to the second questions. SO WHAT is
important, which conclusion are emerging?)
4. Wait for the signal to post it. Read the responses. (1min)
5. Think and type your response to the last question. (NOW WHAT actions
make sense for you and for this group?)
6. Post, read and comment

26. When are Liberating Structures Useful?
• Amid complexity and uncertainty
• When the challenges are entangled,
knotted, and interdependent
• When you need to generate novelty,
surprise, or unexpected possibilities
• When conventional approaches just
aren’t cutting it anymore!
• Alone to organize & structure your
thinking
• Anytime two or more people are in
conversation
(One Big Mob by Art&Science Factory)

27. 1. Expert-less: requires only a few
minutes to introduce; novices can
succeed after a first experience
2. Results-focused: likely to
generate better-than-expected
purposeful results
3. Rapid cycling: fast iterative
rounds are very productive
4. Seriously fun: boosts joy,
freedom & responsibility
5. Inclusive: together, everyone is
invited to shape next steps
6. Multi-scale: works for everyday
solutions, projects, strategy,
movements
7. Self-spreading: simple to copy
without formal training
8. Modular: the parts can be
combined & recombined endlessly
Licensed via Creative Commons
Intended Attributes or Characteristics of Liberating Structures

28. 6. Interdependencies
Across Embedded
Systems Influence Our
Efforts to Transform
8. Non-Linearity: Tiny
Changes & Deviations
Can Make a BIG
Difference
3. Common Generative
Patterns Give Rise to Our Small
Local and Large Global Events
4. Our Outcomes Are
Not Predictable in
Detail, We Can
Expect Surprise
9. Order Unfolds Out of
Our Independent Action
w/o Much Central Control
5. Our Interactions
Generate More Than the
Sum of the Parts (unlike
a machine)
LS Links to Complexity Science
10. Chunking:
Our Robust
Innovations Are
Shaped from Pieces
that Work
Independently
1. Beyond Merely
Adapting, We
Simultaneously Shape &
Are Being Shaped by the
Environment
7. Redundancy
Enables Parallel
Processing & Rapid
Learning
2. Being Holistic AND
Specialized Helps Us
Navigate Paradoxical
Waters