Glossary: Decoding the LS Lingo

from The Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026)

action research: An approach to making transitions through taking action while doing research. Action research involves investigating, gathering data, sensemaking, and taking action simultaneously.
adjacent possibilities: A developmental phenomenon in which new options arise through exploration of connections among existing or adjacent elements. These ideas or options tend to expand as we explore them. Source: Biologist Stuart Kauffman, The Origins of Order: Self-organization and Selection in Evolution. Oxford University Press (1993)
anchor(s): The one or two LSs within a string that have the most influence on shaping next steps.
artful layering: The iterative process of arranging artifacts generated by the group with the goal of seeing past boundaries, emphasizing relationships, and understanding the interdependencies of the parts. Artful layering is akin to arranging materials into a collage to create a more coherent and beautiful new image that serves as a springboard for action.
artifact: A document or other output created during an LS session. Artifacts include written notes, visual displays, drawings, charts, digital files, and any other materials that capture participants’ contributions and collective thinking. See also capture, chat transcript, recording.

biases: Tendencies toward behaviors that may not serve us. LSs reveal and help eliminate biases such as overconfidence (we know better), hindsight (the future will be like the past), confirmation (we interpret new information to confirm what we already believe), and deference (sit back and let the overconfident rule even if you have a different view).
building muscles: Strengthening the neural pathways associated with idea generation, pattern recognition, and imaginative synthesis through engagement in LSs.
butterfly effect: In a complex system, a small or seemingly trivial event that can lead ultimately to huge consequences.

capture: The act of saving and preserving artifacts generated during an LS session. See also artifact, recording.
chat transcript: A text-based record of all comments entered in the chat during an online LS session.
Chatterfall: A stream of entries placed in chat by participants simultaneously, often in response to open sentences being completed in rapid rounds. Chatterfall is central to the Calm Tea LS.
closing triangles: Connecting two people through a shared connection. When a person brings two other people together around a shared interest by introducing them and suggesting how they might explore that interest, they are closing a triangle.
collateral materials: The physical or digital materials (e.g., slides, templates, handouts, workbooks, design cards) needed to run an LS session effectively.
complexity science: A group of theories and concepts that delve into how interconnected parts within a system, from birds in a flock to neurons in a brain, self-organize and adapt. These systems exhibit surprising behaviors and maintain order without centralized control. The science emphasizes the interactions between these parts, how they learn from imbalances (disequilibria), and their capacity for distributed, creative problem-solving.
confusiasm: A delightful experience where confusion and enthusiasm collide. Confusiasm is the giddiness you feel when a complex challenge sparks your imagination instead of causing frustration. It isn't about being stuck in a muddle, but rather the euphoric uncertainty of a messy situation holding exciting possibilities. Confusiasm is the entry point for transforming a complex challenge or an insurmountable opportunity into an action research adventure. Learn more: https://fullcirc.com/2020/02/10/finding-the-roots-of-confusiasm/
creative adaptability: A flow state of heightened awareness and purposeful action within a group, which fosters a regenerative pattern where performance, learning, and vitality rise in concert. Creative adaptability enables groups to not only navigate current challenges but also grow their adaptive capacity to thrive in uncertain futures.
cybrarian: A person who organizes, artfully layers, and displays the digital, printed, and hand-drawn artifacts we create together online. More than a manager, the cybrarian curates creative adaptability and encourages active sensemaking among group members.

design cards: A deck of cards that includes a playing card for each LS outlining its steps and common uses. Physical and digital versions of design cards are available from several sources.
design group: A subset of a larger group who volunteer to plan, execute, and host LSs to address a particular challenge. When possible, members should represent diverse levels, roles, and stakeholders who experience the challenge from unique perspectives.
developmental evaluation: A type of evaluation that provides real-time feedback on action research, hypotheses, and hunches. It is particularly helpful when working with change in complex settings and situations (e.g., transitions, disruptions in operations, mergers, policy reforms, system redesign, new product launches). It is well matched with creative adaptability.
dynamic incompleteness: Invitations, ideas, and plans that are intentionally left open for the group to figure out or fill in the holes as the work progresses. This fosters ownership and creativity. Source: The Primes.

emergence: The process of coming into being. When new properties or behaviors arise from interactions of the parts rather than from centralized control. What arises can be novel solutions or options where none existed previously.

fidelity: Constancy of purpose and adherence to the structural DNA of LSs.
fractal: A self-similar pattern that repeats at different scales. Just as a tree's branches mirror the structure of the whole tree, human habits and patterns can be similar and repeat at different scales.

guide on the side: A more experienced colleague or peer who serves as a supportive coach and mentor, helping someone develop new skills through a collaborative approach. Rather than directly telling someone what to do, a guide on the side provides feedback, encouragement, and insights while working alongside and observing their collaborator. Each partner is encouraged to actively explore and construct their own next steps.

higher-order goal: is a dynamic and emergent objective that is co-defined and clarified continuously as work progresses, rather than remaining a fixed, pre-determined target. It often includes and transcends short-term objectives like customer satisfaction or profit. As we work on the immediate tasks in front of us, we are also revealing larger possibilities. The path forward and the destination are discovered together.
host, co-host: One or more people who lead an LS session by guiding participants through the process, providing invitations and instructions, managing timing, and creating the conditions for productive collaboration. The role can be shared among members of a design group.

innovation: A good idea, practice, or prototype that you are spreading to others.
insurmountable opportunity: A humorous paradox suggesting a situation overflowing with possibilities that are so abundant they feel overwhelming. It playfully highlights the potential for positive outcomes. Source: Pogo comic by Walt Kelly.

Just Three Words: A punctuation in which participants reflect on their time together and share just three words to describe their experience.

kaleidoscopic view: A dynamic, multidimensional picture that emerges from the artful layering of diverse elements. It is more than a panorama or a changing scene. Like the child's toy, where each turn and tilt reveals a new and intricate pattern from a fixed set of objects, a kaleidoscopic view allows a group to see emerging patterns and next steps with more depth and breadth. Often, the host or cybrarian takes a leadership role in crafting this view.
kanban board: A template to visualize the flow of work for group members. Three categories or columns signify the status of your work: to do (a backlog of tasks and/or future options), doing (work in progress), and done (work that has been completed). With LSs, we recommend reversing the order of column headings: done, work in progress, and future options.

Lean Coffee: Lean Coffee is a variation of Options Place that takes the form of a structured but agenda-less meeting. Participants gather, build an agenda, and begin talking.
Liberating Structures (LSs): A repertoire of open-source methods and protocols to guide routine interactions in meeting rooms, classrooms, and communities.
lift off from where you left off: A practice of maintaining continuity between meetings through shared narratives and the use of templates to chart progress.
LS principles: The 10 principles that underlie all LSs. The LS principles articulate values through must-do and must-not-do behaviors.

macrostructure: Large or tangible elements of our work, such as buildings, core operating processes, and governing policies, that cannot be changed easily or cheaply. See also microstructure.
maestro: Someone whose LS practice has evolved to the point where they can help others build a repertoire, face down complex challenges, and integrate LS principles.
maximum mixing: The intentional and systematic combination of diverse participants across different group sizes and configurations in an LS session. Maximum mixing brings together people of diverse talents, functional roles, perspectives, and power levels.
menu: the 43 Liberating Structuresvisually displayed as choices or options
microstructural DNA: Five structural design elements specified for each LS: how invitations are structured, how participation is distributed, how groups are configured, how space is arranged, and how steps and timing are sequenced. See also min specs.
microstructure: Small or intangible elements of our work, such as group composition, meeting room arrangements, and how discussions are formatted, that can be quickly changed. See also macrostructure.
min specs: Simple rules or minimal constraints that organize how groups of people can work together toward a purpose or goal. Min specs detail only the minimum requirements that must be respected to get results from an LS. See also microstructural DNA.
modularity: A characteristic of LSs that allows them both to work as separate building blocks and to integrate into cohesive combinations called strings. LSs’ shared microstructural DNA makes modularity possible.

nesting: Embedding one LS inside another. For example, 1-2-4-All is nested in Creative Destruction.

over- and under-control: over-control isan excessive need for authority and certainty that undermines trust and stifles creative adaptability. Many bureaucratic rules can lead to excessive monitoring, reluctance to distribute control, and communication breakdowns. In contrast, under-control is the the state of working without rules or authority in which infinite options are generated but squandered.
platform: A technology package that unites various tools. For example, MS Teams is a platform that has videoconferencing, chat, discussion boards, file sharing, and other tools.
plenary: When the whole group is together rather than in breakout groups.
positive deviance: Better practices and behaviors that only a few group members are using to solve common problems. Positive deviant behaviors enable some individuals to find better solutions to common problems than their peers, while using the same resources and facing the same constraints.
precise ambiguity: A characteristic of LS invitations that guides the group toward meaningful action without prescribing specific answers. A good LS invitation is both precise (everyone knows what you are asking about) and ambiguous (there are many “right” answers that depend on your local context). A precisely ambiguous invitation sparks curiosity and engagement in a group.
punctuation: A short activity that smooths transitions between LSs, accentuates an LS principle or abstract idea, and amplifies the results or quality of output from the main structures in your string.
purpose: The deepest need for your work and what makes it important. A powerful purpose attracts broad participation and justifies the existence of your work to the larger community. Many LSs begin by clarifying or revisiting purpose.

Q-storming: Brainstorming that generates questions only. Typical questions probe and explore what is happening at smaller and larger scales, the distant past or far future, and what is appreciated now or what is missing or absent.

rapid cycles: A successive pattern of interaction that is repeated to deepen insight, expand options, or sharpen actions.
recording: A digital video file that captures audio, video, screensharing, and other activities during a videoconference.
repertoire: The full set of LSs; the collection of LSs that a person uses habitually.
riff: A productive twist on an LS. For example, a riff on 1-2-4-All is to reverse the order by starting with the whole group, then having participants work in quartets, then in pairs, then as individuals.
run sheet: A detailed chronological plan of a session, outlining every LS, transition, timing, and responsibility from beginning to end.

Selection Matchmaker: A tool that lays out the full set of LSs to allow matching goals with specific LSs that address them.
snapback: Unwitting return to old patterns. Snapback occurs when old habits that exclude, stifle creativity, or over-control creep back into use and LSs are neglected.
Springboard Story: A short story, often featuring one or two protagonists, that enables readers to make the leap from understanding a local or narrow challenge to seeing a broad opportunity for change or a principle in practice.
string: A logical combination of LSs, sequenced to achieve a larger purpose or to address multiple goals. Each LS in a string is designed to “feed” the next.
simple rules: Practical guidelines that give concrete direction when making judgments in the field. See structure.
structure: An arrangement of simple rules that specify and support how people are included and participate in activities. See simple rules.
structuring invitation: A prompt or question that introduces each LS and guides participants’ engagement while leaving them fully in control of generating their own responses and content. Structuring invitations allow participants to choose how they will engage with an LS.

tech host: Someone who manages technology during an online meeting. Tasks, outlined in a run sheet, include setting up breakout rooms, tracking timings, pasting instructions into the chat, and helping individuals who run into tech problems,
tech steward: Someone who has knowledge of both tech and groups. The tech steward must have enough experience with a community to understand its technology needs and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs.
tilde (~ symbol): This symbol is used to suggest opposites or contrary tendencies are separable yet mutually related complementary pairs (e.g., body~mind, competitive~collaborative, integrated~autonomous). Credit to Professor Scott Kelso for helping us overcome either-or thinking.
tingsha bells: Handheld cymbals with a prolonged, clear tone. Tingsha bells are helpful when making transitions with noisy LS groups in F2F settings.
tool: A piece of technology that supports a specific activity. Tools can come as part of a platform or stand alone. For example, Google Docs is a document-editing tool that is also part of a suite of integrated tools.
tool features: Characteristics that make a tool or platform usable for a specific purpose. Some tool features lend themselves to supporting Liberating Structures. For example, Zoom has a breakout room tool with a feature that allows you to remix who is in a breakout room. Sometimes a feature is so central to a platform that we think of it as a tool.

user experience: Multiple dimensions of how a person interacts with and reacts to a service or product.

walk around: A stroll around the room or a tour around a whiteboard to visit and discuss the topic at hand. Also referred to as a gallery walk.
whispering out loud: A practice of making private conversations among hosts or design group members public. Also known as “private conversations in public.”
wicked question: A question that addresses a complex challenge by exposing the complementary yet paradoxical tensions in play with the goal of sparking new solutions.