Liberating Structures are alternatives to typical ways of structuring meetings. They are easy to learn and simple to lead. They can help you and your organization generate innovation and greatly improve results. One friend considers the word "liberating" to be suspicious. She asks, "Is this another attempt from liberals to shut down conservatives?"
The answer is no. Liberating Structures don't disempower viewpoints or destroy institutions. Liberating Structures actually help people work better together, so that everyone in the room feels included and heard. They generate innovation and lead to great results -- and in much less time than typical meetings.
According to the Liberating Structures website: "Conventional [meeting] structures are either too inhibiting (presentations, status reports and managed discussions) or too loose and disorganized (open discussions and brainstorms) to creatively engage people in shaping their own future. They frequently generate feelings of frustration and/or exclusion and fail to provide space for good ideas to emerge and germinate."
I use Liberating Structures in the trainings and meetings I facilitate. They get folks engaged, speed things up and create clarity and buy-in. And they are FUN! Experience Liberating Structures for yourself! More information and links to register are available at Liberating Structures News and Events.