LIBERATING STRUCTURES
IMMEDIATELY IMPROVE COLLABORATION
1 + 1 = 3
What if the sum of one and one was three? That is, what if you could reliably achieve better results as a team than if everyone worked on their own?
The reality is often like this: there is a new initiative. There is a spirit of optimism: ‘Finally, we’re going to do it!’ Then it’s time for the meeting and Bernhard takes the floor – and doesn’t give it up. Until Jenny finally interrupts: ‘Sorry to interrupt, BUT…’. And Bernhard: ‘Yes, no! That’s something completely different…!’
Or: The boss decides to really get the team involved in today’s meeting: ‘So? What suggestions do you have?’ Silence… ‘Marc?!’ ‘Me? Yes… well, I think it’s important that we do something, but it’s still difficult.’ Silence.
Why does the joint search for solutions so often end in paralysis or power struggles?
‘It’s the structure, stupid!’
Our thesis: It’s not about the people, it’s not about the ideas, it’s about the structure. And that’s where Liberating Structures come in. This set of methods enables everyone to participate profitably and to overcome challenges in a targeted, step-by-step manner.
Liberating Structures enable established patterns of thinking and behaviour to be discarded and replaced with more productive ones. This has a direct and noticeable impact on results – and on the energy within the team.
WHAT DO LIBERATING STRUCTURES CONTRIBUTE TO THE TOPICS OF LEADERSHIP, CHANGE AND COOPERATION?
LEADERSHIP
Leadership begins where participation is seen not as a risk but as a resource. This is where Liberating Structures can help.
The following principles behind Liberating Structures are also principles of modern leadership:
- Include and unleash everyone → Every voice counts.
- Amplify freedom and responsibility → Participation requires responsibility.
- Learn by failing forward → Experimentation instead of risk aversion
- Amplify freedom and responsibility → Participation requires responsibility.
CHANGE
Change does not require heroic deeds, but participation. With Liberating Structures, change processes are supported by everyone.
The following principles behind Liberating Structures are effective:
- Believe before you see → Focus on possibilities instead of problems
- Invite creative destruction → Remove obstacles to promote innovation
- Engage in seriously-playful curiosity → Take off your blinders and dare to think the unthinkable
COOPERATION
With Liberating Structures, we create spaces where teams can interact in new ways: structured, safe and honest. Unproductive routines are consistently replaced by productive ways of working.
This is based on principles such as:
- Build trust as you go – trust is created through joint action.
- Practise self-discovery within a group – utilise the full potential of a group
- Engage in seriously playful curiosity – ‘playful’ is not a dirty word.
Teams experience themselves differently – and develop a new sense of commitment: to communication, to decisions, to the common goal.
Our Liberating Structures offering for you
- One-day in-house workshops: Introduction & direct experience
- Moderated team workshops: Addressing specific challenges with Liberating Structures
- Leadership retreats: Rethinking leadership – with structure, attitude and humour
- Support for strategy and change processes: using Liberating Structures as a catalyst