Liberating Structures Finder

More and more people are discovering Liberating Structures all the time. I created the Liberating Structures Finder to make it easier to quickly locate a Liberating Structure that fits your particular need or context.

As noted on the Liberating Structure Finder page, the layout of the Finder is based on the LS Selection Matchmaker, which I’ve found to be one of the most helpful references when it comes to selecting Liberating Structures.

If you’re not familiar with Liberating Structures, read on for a short primer about them.

A Brief Introduction to Liberating Structures

Usage of Liberating Structures in many different contexts has become increasingly popular among Agile practitioners, educators, and many others. The reasons that Liberating Structures were created aligns nicely with the reasons for the creation and evolution of many Agile practices. Those reasons include the following:

• Organizations often struggle with creating an atmosphere that leads to consistent employee engagement
• Traditional management practices have been found to be ineffective and inhibit employee growth and development
• The power to create and to innovate is often in the hands of far too few people

Liberating Structures introduce tiny shifts in the way we meet, plan, decide and relate to one another. They put the innovative power once reserved for experts only in hands of everyone.

See also this short video introduction: Liberating Structures: Simple, Subtle, Powerful

What are Liberating Structures?

As stated on the Liberating Structures website:

Liberating Structures are easy-to-learn microstructures that enhance relational coordination and trust. They quickly foster lively participation in groups of any size, making it possible to truly include and unleash everyone. Liberating Structures are a disruptive innovation that can replace more controlling or constraining approaches.

There are a total of 33 Liberating Structures to choose from (plus others that are in development.

Liberating Structures Principles

Liberating Structures are based on the following ten principles:

1. Include and Unleash Everyone
2. Practice Deep Respect for People and Local Solutions
3. Build Trust As You Go
4. Learn by Failing Forward
5. Practice Self-Discovery Within a Group
6. Amplify Freedom AND Responsibility
7. Emphasize Possibilities: Believe Before You See
8. Invite Creative Destruction To Enable Innovation
9. Engage In Seriously-Playful Curiosity
10. Never Start Without a Clear Purpose

How to Use Liberating Structures

Liberating Structures can be used separately, or in various combinations, where a facilitator might choose a particular set of Liberating Structures (possibly along with other techniques) that align with the objectives they wish to achieve with a particular group/team.

Liberating Structure Elements

The description of each Liberating Structure includes elements similar to the following:

• An icon and name plus a brief tag line that expresses its essential characteristic
• What is made possible: a paragraph that describes what you can expect to achieve when you use this Liberating Structure
• Structural Elements — Min Specs: a minimalist set of instructions about how to facilitate the Liberating Structure
• Why? Purposes: a list of the kind of purposes that may incite you to use this particular Liberating Structure
• Tips and Traps: Advice and do’s and don’ts that increase your chances of getting more value when you use this particular Liberating Structure
• Riffs and variations: Examples of alternatives or embellishments for you to try
• Examples: a few actual applications to inspire you to think of opportunities that may exist in your context
• Collateral materials: visuals, slides, videos that may provide you with additional support when using this Liberating Structure.

Choosing Liberating Structures

There are quite a few tools on the Liberating Structures website to assist with selecting Liberating Structures, pointed out in the Notes at the bottom of the Liberating Structures Finder page.

I hope that the Liberating Structures Finder makes it easier for more people to get familiar with and experiment with Liberating Structures.