liberating structure day 1 slides

LIBERATING STRUCTURES

STOP UNPRODUCTIVE MEETINGS, START PRODUCING DRAMATICALLY BETTER RESULTS

IMPROMPTU NETWORKING Rapidly share challenges and expectations, building new connections as we go.

What challenges do you face in your meetings?

How do you know when a meeting is

going south?

What do you hope to give to and get from this workshop?

STEPS + TIMING: 1.  Find a partner :: Share for 4 minutes

2.  Find another strangely attractive partner :: 4

minutes sharing

3.  One final dosey-doe with a new partner :: 4 minutes sharing

What challenges do you face in your meetings?

How do you know when a meeting is

going south?

What do you hope to give to and get from this workshop?

1-2-4-ALL Progressively build toward productive contributions from everyone

MINIMUM SPECIFICATIONS Specify only the absolute must do’s & must not do’s for achieving a purpose

Compose a list of everything you must do and must not do for a

meeting to achieve productive endpoints.

STEPS + TIMING: 1.  Alone, respond to prompt :: 1 minute

2.  In pairs, share your “To Do” list :: 2 minutes

3.  Find another pair, in quartets synthesize a

combined list of MIN SPECS :: 4 minutes

Can you violate this requirement and still achieve

your purpose?

If “yes”, cross it off your list. It is NOT a Min Spec.

PURPOSE :: MIN SPECS v  Find what is absolutely essential for success v  Open up space for new possibilities v  Reduce front line frustration v  Focus or redirect resources and energies where they will make a difference

A DIP INTO THEORY

What are LS and what difference do they make?

INCLUDE AND UNLEASH EVERYONE IN SHAPING THE FUTURE TOGETHER

This is NOT a certification course v  You first experience should be enough to get started

v  You will decide how to achieve mastery personally

v  LS take a braver-than-usual step, yet are embarrassingly simple and subtle

v  Practice makes perfect

“LIBERATING STRUCTURES ARE

SMALL WISDOMS IN COMMUNICATION."

Dr. Yoko Kawamura describing how she

"translates" when introducing LS in Japan.

PRESENTATIONS

MANAGED DISCUSSION

OPEN CONVERSATION

STATUS REPORTS

BRAINSTORMING

MICROSTRUCTURES: Always present, yet often overlook

MAKE AN INVITATION

DISTRIBUTE PARTICIPATION

CONFIGURE GROUPS

ARRANGE SPACE

SEQUENCE AND ALLOCATE TIME

Micro-Organizing

Design Elements

Groups Space

Time Participation

Invitation

Presentation

Listen to me talk

Not until the

end.

One to many

Presenter at front,

audience fixed.

I talk for as

long as I want.

Open Conversation

Respond as you see fit

Anyone can try to jump in

One big undivided

group

In a room, usually seated around a table

Introduce topic, then free-for-all

Why stop using conventional structures?

Too Tight v  Over-controlled

v  Too uniform

v  Only a select few engaged in shaping direction

Too Loose v  Under-controlled v  Too unstable v  Too random to shape direction

CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURES MAINTAIN TOP-DOWN, EXPERT

DRIVEN CHANGE Senior Leaders identify problems, generate solutions

CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURES MAINTAIN TOP-DOWN, EXPERT

DRIVEN CHANGE Senior Leaders identify problems, generate solutions

Change is imposed on the organization and cascades down

CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURES MAINTAIN TOP-DOWN, EXPERT

DRIVEN CHANGE Senior Leaders identify problems, generate solutions

Change is imposed on the organization and cascades down

Strategies are developed to produce buy-in and overcome immunity to change

CONVENTIONAL STRUCTURES MAINTAIN TOP-DOWN, EXPERT

DRIVEN CHANGE Senior Leaders identify problems, generate solutions

Change is imposed on the organization and cascades down

Strategies are developed to produce buy-in and overcome immunity to change

Frontline workers are expected to implement solutions, regardless of what reality dictates.

LIBERATING STRUCTURES DISTRIBUTE FREEDOM AND

RESPONSIBILITY MORE WIDELY

1. Simple, Expert-less 2. Results-focused 3. Rapid cycling 4. Seriously fun

5. Inclusive 6. Multi-scale 7. Self-spreading 8. Modular

APPRECIATIVE INTERVIEW Discover and build on the root causes, attributes and activities of success

A few hints for Appreciative Interviews:

1.  Sit face-to-face and knee-to-knee for the interview 2.  Ask about the context (When, Where, Who, How) 3.  DO NOT share your own experience 4.  Collect details of the journey (Status quo, barriers,

action, reversals, powerful discoveries) 5.  Try to find a moment that sums up the drama and the

deeper meaning

9 WHY’S Make the purpose of your work together clear

A few hints for 9 Whys:

When you have the story outlined, ask… Why is your contribution to this story important to you? First answer, “_______….” Hmmm, why is that important to you? Second answer, “_______….” OK, if your dream came true last night, what would be different today?

A few hints for 9 Whys:

Keep asking, “Why… why… why… until you make a discovery about your partner’s bedrock purpose

Actively listen, digging deeper and deeper

Record a brief statement of our partner’s purpose

Share a story of a time when you were responsible for, or helped

design, a meeting/gathering/coming-together that had least a

few breathtakingly awesome moments

STEPS + TIMING: 1.  Alone, reflect on the story you want to tell : 1

minute

2.  With a partner, share your story :: 5 minutes

3.  Shift into asking Why questions ::: 4 minutes

4.  Switch roles and repeat. Starting with an Appreciative Interview

Share a story of a time when you were responsible for, or helped

design, a meeting/gathering/coming-together that had least a

few breathtakingly awesome moments

1.  A personal touchstone for you as an individual

2.  Fundamentally justifies the existence of your work to the outside world

A powerful purpose attracts participation and has two essential

attributes.

PURPOSE :: APPRECIATIVE INTERVIEWS + 9 WHYS

Build positive energy & momentum

Create an exciting purposeful and positive narrative for your community

Discover root causes of your success

PURPOSE :: APPRECIATIVE INTERVIEWS + 9 WHYS

Discover what is truly important to group members Generate clear answers can help you move forward together with more velocity Provide a basis for progressive evaluation

FLUID ADJUSTMENT BREAK

10 MINUTES.

LIQUID COURAGE An exorcism of ritualized complaints

In regards to your meetings, complete the following sentences:

IF ONLY…

In regards to your meetings, complete the following sentences:

THEY MAKE ME…

In regards to your meetings, complete the following sentences:

I HAVE TO…

In regards to your meetings, complete the following sentences:

…AND THAT’S JUST THE WAY

IT IS.

TRIZ

Stop counterproductive activities and behaviors to make space for innovation

What could you do to reliably guarantee…

People’s bodies are present, but

their minds are absent during meetings?

STEPS + TIMING: 1.  Alone, respond to prompt : 1 minute

2.  In pairs, share your list and go wild :: 2

minutes

3.  Form a quartet, what more could you do ::: 4 minutes

What could you do to reliably guarantee…

People’s bodies are present, but

their minds are absent during meetings?

Is there anything you do in current meetings that resemble items on

your list?

Be unforgiving.

How are you going to STOP it?

What is your first move? (Be as concrete as you can)

What triggers this behavior?

What competing commitments and assumptions may be holding you back?

How do you know when you are falling into

the behavior?

What do you need from colleagues to extinguish the behavior forever?

STEPS: Invitations 1.  How can you produce the worst possible

result?

2.  What are we doing today that resembles those behaviors?

3.  How do we stop doing those behaviors?

STEPS: Outcomes

1.  Generate list of behaviors.

2.  Confront current reality.

3.  Commit to stopping.

15% SOLUTIONS Discover and focus on what each person has the freedom and resources to do now

How will you exert your 15% to stop those behaviors?

What first steps can you now take to enliven

your meetings without needing any additional permission?

TROIKA CONSULTING Get practical and imaginative help from colleagues immediately

STEPS + TIMING: Form trio with 2 other people (the consultants) First person shares 15% solution : 2 mins

STEPS + TIMING: Consultants ask clarifying questions :: 1 min

STEPS + TIMING: Turn back on consultants. Listen to advice. :: 3 min

HINTS:

Person receiving the consultation: take notes!

Consultants: talk to each other.

NOT to the person you are helping.

Expand the solutions, reframe the challenge, go deep and skip around.

STEPS + TIMING: Switch to next person and repeat

CELEBRITY INTERVIEW Reconnect the experience of leaders and experts with the people closest to the challenges at hand

LUNCH 30 MINUTES

 MAX SPECS Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior

MIN SPECS Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex, intelligent behavior.

FLOCKING QUESTIONS

Did patterns form without a leader or detailed instructions? How?

In what way did the Min Specs both enable & constrain movement?

What differences did you notice with & without a chief?

What factors influenced the adoption and spread of innovations?

What role did free will play?

USER EXPERIENCE FISHBOWL Share know-how gained from experience with a larger community

STEPS + TIMING:

Form small circle within larger circle

Invite inner circle conversation among 3-6 people with direct experience about the topic at

hand

Do NOT allow presentations! (inner circle members talk to each other, NOT the

audience)

STEPS + TIMING:

Start with a question (e.g., What is the good, the bad, and the ugly of your experience…?

Stories are encouraged

Invite outer satellite groups to ask questions

after 10 minutes

Invite exchange between inner & outer circles

What is the good, the bad, the ugly of your experience with LS? 1) What helped you take the leap? 2) What surprised you? 3) Did you seek permission?

Shannon Cole Myrtle Tim Tracy

HEARD, SEEN, RESPECTED Practice deeper listening and empathy with colleagues

Share a story of a time when you were NOT heard seen or respected in a meeting

STEPS + TIMING: In pairs, first person shares a story : 5 mins When listening, don’t try to fix anything. Only ask questions as needed

What else… Go on… Tell me more…

STEPS + TIMING: Switch roles, repeat steps 1 and 2 Debrief in groups of 4 to 8 people. Use What, So What, Now What to reflect on the experience

SHIFT & SHARE Spread good ideas and make informal connections with innovators

STEPS + TIMING: Invite individuals to share short stories Bring artifacts to show what happened Divide the group into evenly sized learning pods Learning pods go to a station :: 9 minutes Rotate.

HINTS: Storytellers need to cut to the chase! ~7 mins for stories + 2 mins for questions Storytellers get multiple opportunities to refine or reinvent their story

A) Jeanne UW B) Tom – Coalescing a spiritual community C) Alex – Designing in half lives D) Magda – HR E) Lynda – Passing legislation in MT F) Jeff – Drawing Together

W3 DEBRIEF Together, look back on progress and decide what adjustments are needed

CONVERSATION CAFE Make sense of a complex, difficult, or painful situation and lay the ground for being able to move on

STEPS + TIMING: Form groups of 6 3 rounds : ~5 mins each Go around the circle, using the talking object to indicate who has the floor

What have you

noticed about LS?

So what?

What are the implications of

LS for you personally?

Now what?

What actions will you take next?

What do you need from the

remainder of the workshop to continue making progress?

Tomorrow: Start: 930am End: 330pm