Sample Storyboards

A project or a transformation initiative that is too big to be supported by a single string of Liberating Structures calls for a comprehensive design, which is simply a series of strings and structures linked together in a logical progression.

Below are examples that are typical of our experiences in the field:

1. A Seattle User Group meeting (100 minutes)
2. Launching a multi-stakeholder collaborative project via a meeting (3 hours)
3. Developing strategy and building a new leadership team via a retreat (1.5 days)
4. Advancing a broad movement across many regions via a summit (2 days)

At first glance, these designs may seem far too ambitious or idealized. We ask you to suspend your judgment: we have found that as the participants become more familiar with Liberating Structures, the speed and depth of their ideas and activity increase.

Liberating Structures make much more possible. The experience can be breathtaking—almost too good to be true. With increasing inclusion comes more trust. With more trust, it is possible to believe before you see. With shared beliefs, it is possible to take bigger leaps and move boldly forward together. 

 

1. SEATTLE USER GROUP MEETING (100 minutes)

 

2. LAUNCHING A MULTI-STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

Twenty-five leaders from a variety of organizations—schools, small nonprofits, and business—are starting to work together to attract funding from a large foundation for a community-wide initiative. Their goal is to build a healthier and more vibrant community, but they need a “big idea” to inspire collaboration and spark a community movement. A funder has expressed strong interest. The pressure is on.

The design for the meeting is intended to help the whole group arrive step by step at a well-thought-out big idea. It consists of a logical sequence of seven stages each with its own purpose and supported by a specific Liberating Structure. In the agenda below, the questions used to spark engagement and idea generation appear below each Liberating Structure in the design. Notes regarding important transitions for the facilitator are italicized.

The logical sequence for the design is as follows:

• Connect participants with each other
• Discover what participants have in common and what’s different
• Find the themes and patterns that cut across all of their interests
• Extract all the big ideas that these themes and patterns inspire
• Determine the most attractive ideas
• Dig deeper to find the one with the greatest benefit to the community and that will attract the most support
• Clarify what participants must absolutely not do as a group to make it possible for their big idea to become reality
• Identify who else must be included
• Decide on their next steps
• Since the twenty-five leaders don’t all know one another, the first step in the agenda is designed to help them build new connections that will serve them down the road. The second purpose is to reveal which challenges and expectations they share and which ones are different. Impromptu Networking is selected for this first step in the agenda as follows:

Step 1. Impromptu Networking (15 minutes)

• What is a challenge you would like our big idea to address? What can you give and get from a new community initiative?

In step 2, the participants use 1-2-4-All to identify the themes and patterns that cut across their wishes as follows:

Step 2. 1-2-4-All (one or two rounds) (10-20 minutes)

• What will be different as a result of our work together? Be as concrete as you can about behaviors and tangible health or economic outcomes.

Look for two or three themes to emerge out of the individual contributions. One round of 1-2-4-All may be enough if responses are tangible and compelling through the eyes of participants.

In step 3, the best ten bold ideas are sifted with 25/10 Crowd Sourcing as follows:

Step 3. 25/10 Crowd Sourcing of Bold Ideas (15 minutes)

• If you were ten times bolder, what would you do? What first step will get the ball rolling?

Call out the top ideas and post on a large wall chart.

In step 4, the participants identify the most promising idea with 1-2-4-All as follows:

Step 4. 1-2-4-All (10 minutes)

• Which ideas do you think will make a big difference in the community? Is there one that stands out? Can you and your organization support and move forward with this idea?

Look for one idea to emerge above all others.

In step 5, participants then clarify what they must absolutely not do.

Step 5. TRIZ to Make Space for Innovation (15 minutes)

• How can we make sure that we act as a collaborative community group in name only… without having the back of anyone but ourselves?

Looking forward to a successful proposal, start to establish a productive pattern of behavior among participants.

In step 6, they identify who else must be included as follows:

Step 6. Social Network Webbing (20 minutes)

• Who are the people we need to attract to this initiative? Who are the people we need to start the work? Who can block and who can enable fast progress? Who are experts on the periphery of this social network we need to tap?

Make it real by naming names.

In the final step, the participants agree on their next steps by clarifying the five components of their next task (Purpose, Principles, Participants, Structure, and Practices) as follows:

Step 7. Next Steps

Writing up the proposal.

• Purpose-To-Practice to clarify how the proposal will be readied.

Purpose-To-Practice will deepen the group’s readiness to hit the ground running when the work to write the proposal starts.

At the end of an intense but short three-hour session, the twenty-five leaders were surprised by their experience using Liberating Structures and delighted with the outcome. They had their big idea, which was the fruit of their common labor, and they felt clear and prepared for what to do next.

3. Developing Strategy and Building a New Leadership Team (1.5 days)

In four parts...