What are Liberating Structures? 

Co-developed by Keith McCandless & Henri Lipmanowicz, Liberating Structures comprise an initial repertoire of 33+ simple structures for purposefully organising group interactions. Each structure offers an alternate to conventional ways of facilitating, leading, or working with groups. The specificity of the Liberating  Structures makes it possible for anyone to take responsibility for inviting groups to make progress on and face up to their most entangled & complex challenges.

Topics include but are not limited to: spreading and deepening peer support; matching evidence-based practice with local practice-based user experience; engaging patients in shaping their care plan; exploring evaluation that is both developmental and principles-focused; and, accelerating system transformation at multiple levels simultaneously.

Inspired by insights from complexity science, innovation methods, artists, and scientists, Liberating Structures simplify and make accessible many of the approaches usually reserved for specialist facilitators, creative designers, or charismatic leaders. By identifying the underlying ‘pattern language’ or DNA of group interactions, the LS developers have put in the hands of every person the possibility of shifting group interactions towards more purposeful engagement.

What will you learn?

During this workshop we will introduce & work with a set of simple structures that make it possible to productively include more people. Liberating Structures offers a repertoire of approaches for organising group interactions in a way that leads to purposeful action.

Based on insights from complexity science, we will briefly examine the underlying micro-organising elements of every interaction before rolling up our sleeves to  practice using a selection of the most versatile structures.

By the conclusion of the learning event we hope and believe you will:

• feel ready to use 10-12 Liberating Structures in everyday settings or interactions
• be prepared to string together multiple structures to achieve a specific purpose with a group
• have formed a set of loose connections with other practitioners who you can turn to for help & advice as you get started with using Liberating Structures.

More information about Liberating Structures can be found on their website www.liberatingstructures.com

Liberating Structures is the source for some of the Q Community’s most popular Creative Approaches to Problem Solving methods (CAPS): TRIZ and Min Specs.

Read more about Liberating Structures’ growing role in transforming healthcare, in sparking innnovation and in infection control.

The workshop is open to all Q members but places are limited and will be offered on a first come first served basis.