Making waves around the world, Liberating Structures (LS) productively and playfully disrupt conventional patterns in how we work together. Liberate yourself from deadly boring meetings, someone else’s “best practices,” wondering why people don’t speak up, strategic planning that is anything BUT strategic and group process that feels like drudgery. Inspired by complexity science and developed by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless, LS is a repertoire of 33+ simple methods that introduce tiny shifts in the way we meet, plan, decide and relate to one another. Come engage, reengage or dive deeper into these easy-to-learn microstructures that quickly foster lively participation in groups of any size, making it possible to truly include and unleash everyone.

1. The Surprising Power of
Liberating Structures
Facilitated by
Astrid Pruitt

2. This workshop exists in order…
…to develop enough familiarity with 3-4
methods that you can start applying them
right away in routine and imaginative ways to
complex challenges-at-hand.
…to draw attention to the role of different
micro-design elements in shaping our
interactions and encourage more mindful and
inventive use of them

3. Impromptu Networking
Rapidly share challenges and expectations while
building new connections

4. What around you demands
transformation?

5. 1-2-4-all
Engage everyone simultaneously in generating
ideas, questions, or suggestions

6. In pursuit of this transformation,
what obstacles must you
overcome?

7. Troika Consultations
Get Practical and Imaginative Help from
Colleagues Immediately

8. Select a challenge or situation that
you would like to get imaginative
help around.

9. 2 min. Client introduces their challenge
1 min. Consultants ask clarifying questions
5 min. Consultants discuss ideas out-loud
1 min. Client shares what was most valuable

10. Made available through a Creative
Commons Non-Commercial, Attribution,
Share-and-Share Alike License.
You can use ‘em, you can
share ‘em, but you can’t
sell ‘em.

11. LS DNA
1. An Invitation
2. Arrangement of Space
3. Sequence Steps & Allocation of Time
4. Configuration of Groups
5. Distribution of Participation

12. Presentation
Managed
Discussion
Status
Update
Brainstorm
Open
Discussion
Conventional Structures

13. Over Controlled Under Controlled
Presentation
Managed
Discussion
Status
Update
Brainstorm
Open
Discussion
Conventional Structures

14. For example:
A Presentation
Invitation: Listen to me from start to finish
Space: Presenter at the front and everyone facing them
Time: Set amount of time regardless of topic
Groups: One to many
Participation: 99% speaker and then, “any questions?”

15. For example:
An Open Discussion
Invitation: Here’s the theme, go wild!
Space: In a big circle
Time: Arbitrary amount allocated to discussion
Groups: One big undivided group
Participation: Whoever can scream or kick the loudest?

17. For each method we’ve experienced today,
describe the design elements.
1. An Invitation
2. Arrangement of Space
3. Sequence Steps & Allocation of Time
4. Configuration of Groups
5. Distribution of Participation

18. What did each method make possible?
When could you use it again?

19. Liberating Structures
Immersion

20. Liberating Structures Immersion
Save the Date
September 28-29, 2019
9am-5pm
Location
Montreal, Canada
Contact
ap@mgtsavvy.com