Liberating Structures meet up: Ecocycle planning

In this month’s meet-up we’ll try out Ecocycle Planning. Ecocycle Planning invites you to view, organise and prioritise current activities of your team, or project, using four developmental phases: birth, maturity, creative destruction and renewal. 

You’ll formulate action steps linked to each phase: actions that accelerate growth during the birth phase, actions that extend life or increase efficiency during the maturity phase, actions that prune dead wood or compost rigid practices during the creative destruction phase, actions that connect creative people or prepare the ground for birth during the renewal phase. 

This process can help eliminate or mitigate common bottlenecks that stifle performance by sifting your team/project’s portfolio of activities, identifying which elements are starving for resources and which ones are rigid and hampering progress. The Ecocycle makes it possible to spur agility, resilience and sustained performance by including all four phases of development in the planning process.

We’ll look at a slightly reduced version of Ecocycle Planning due to the time constraints of the session. However, it will be a great introduction to the Structure and an opportunity explore in a safe space before you use it in your own team or organisation. 

The meet-up is facilitated by Chris Larkin, with support from the Liberating Structures in healthcare convener team. 

Liberating Structures meet up: Thursday 9 January

Liberating Structures meet up: Thursday 6 February

Liberating Structures can be used to change the way we work and collaborate. They promote inclusive, innovative, and productive meetings and projects and are now used widely in improvement work. There are 33 structures to explore. Using them can quickly encourage lively participation in groups of any size, boost engagement, and enable connection and collaboration with others in a fun and inspiring way.

For more info on all the different structures and tools, including FAQs and guides on using them, visit the Liberating Structures website.

Q’s Liberating Structures group meets online each month to explore, practice and trial one or more of the Structures. It’s a supportive space, and everyone is welcome. The group meet ups are co-facilitated by members of the community. While there are varying levels of experience with Liberating Structures and facilitation in the group, no one is an expert. We rely on peer support. Everyone is safe to try something new and learn together through participation.

People taking part in the group have told us:

“I always find these meet ups helpful and it has got me from wanting to use Liberating Structures to actually using them. I am meeting great people and learning practical skills.”

“I find this group a great energy boost, learning experience and networking opportunity.”

“I didn’t realise how much fun I’d have – but I also learnt something”.

For updates on future meet ups, join Q’s Liberating Structures in Health Care Special Interest Group. Maybe you’re planning a session at your own workplace or with any groups you’re part of? The group is open to everyone and is a great place to ask the community for advice and support on any of the Liberating Structures.

There is also a Q‑connected Liberating Structures group in Scotland, started by two Q members. Follow them on X for updates and events.