Liberating Structures – Change Methods for Everybody Every Day

Written By Jeff Thoren

Since their book, The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures, was published in 2013, people have spread Liberating Structures all over the world and in every professional domain. In this featured blog post, authors Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless share their experience and the experience of others in using Liberating Structures to bring about positive, co-created change.

Highlights from the Article

Liberating [verb]: to set free from imposed, controlling structures

Structures [noun]: simple rules that specify how people are included and participate

Liberating Structures (LS) are simple processes that make it possible to include and engage every voice in shaping the future. The LS repertoire consists of 33 practical methods versatile enough for anyone to use for a wide array of activities and challenges. None require expert training. Seeing them in action once is enough for many novices to get results and adapt them for use in other settings.

Read the full blog post to find answers to the following questions:

  1. Why do we need change methods that everybody can use every day?

  2. How are the 33 Liberating Structures ideally suited to become people’s normal way to work and interact with one another?

  3. What principles are reinforced by Liberating Structures to promote improved performance and increased innovation?

  4. What makes Liberating Structures work well in today’s complex world and applicable to a full range of situations and issues?

  5. How do Liberating Structures invite individuals and organizations to unearth and develop possibilities that did not seem to exist before?

  6. How do people learn and spread Liberating Structures?

The Enlightened Rebel Perspective

Lipmanowicz and McCandless have come to believe that most people wish to productively include and unleash everyone but do not know how. Using Liberating Structures makes it relatively easy and practical to start.

As an Enlightened Rebel leader, we believe that you will find LS to be an invaluable addition to your facilitative tool kit.

Jeff Thoren

Jeff is the founder of Gifted Leaders, LLC, an established leadership and team coaching company based in Phoenix, AZ. He’s also the Clinical Assistant Professor of Veterinary Communication at Midwestern University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Jeff is committed to building engaging and innovative workplace cultures. He understands the mindset required to effectively lead and influence others in a business environment that is increasingly uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. His goal is to accelerate the shift from traditional hierarchical leadership (where a few leaders at the top exert control) to collective leadership (where leadership emerges as a collective capacity from everyone).

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