Data-Informed Strategy Knotworking

Our final week before our summer break proved to be a busy one. Not only did we host the first edition of our Columinity Client Day (check this post for the outcome), but I also facilitated a data-informed Strategy Knotworking workshop at the Kamer van Koophandel for the first time.

The idea was simple: use aggregated team data from Columinity as the starting point for Strategy Knotworking — a Liberating Structure for developing strategic initiatives in complex contexts.

Although the process itself is straightforward, the six questions invite surprisingly deep reflection. Until now, I had always facilitated Strategy Knotworking without data. Participants would define the baseline — the current reality — based on their intuition, experience, and observations.

This time, we complemented those perspectives with data from Columinity. Rather than replacing people’s judgment, the data enriched the conversation, helped participants validate (or challenge) their assumptions, and created a shared understanding of the current situation.

It worked like a charm!

Strategy Knotworking

First, a bit more about Strategy Knotworking. Although Strategy Knotworking has been used by practitioners for several years, it only recently became an official Liberating Structure. And rightfully so!

Strategy Knotworking helps groups make progress on complex strategic challenges where there is no obvious solution and no single person has the answer. Rather than trying to create a perfect strategy upfront, participants collaboratively untangle a “knot” by exploring the current reality, imagining a desirable future, identifying the critical obstacles in between, and deciding on practical next steps.

The structure revolves around six simple but powerful questions. Together, they help participants develop a shared understanding of the challenge, surface different perspectives, and converge on a strategic initiative that is both ambitious and actionable. Instead of producing a static strategy document, Strategy Knotworking creates alignment around what to do next while acknowledging that the strategy will continue to evolve as people learn.

A Brief Introduction to Columinity

Columinity is our platform to help teams and organizations improve how they work together. Team members regularly complete a questionnaire, after which they receive reports with insights into areas such as teamwork, effectiveness, organizational support, and other factors that influence (stakeholder) collaboration.

For this workshop, we used aggregated team data as input for the conversations. Rather than telling participants what to do, the data helped them identify patterns, validate assumptions, and start from a shared understanding of the current situation. The strategic choices still came from the people in the room; the data simply made those conversations richer.

How we used Strategy Knotworking with data

The workshop followed the six questions of Strategy Knotworking. Rather than replacing the structure, the data from Columinity simply improved each step of the conversation.

1. Purpose

We started by clarifying the purpose. What is the purpose of the team (or teams), and what do you hope to achieve as a coach or leader? Having a shared purpose helped participants interpret the data in the right context. After all, data only become meaningful when viewed through the lens of a desired outcome.

2. Baseline

Next came an honest look at the current situation. Instead of relying solely on intuition and experience, participants explored the team reports and used a predefined checklist to discuss what they saw. The data didn’t settle the discussion — it was an enabler. They helped participants validate assumptions, challenge perceptions, and arrive at a more shared understanding of where they were starting.

3. Context

No team exists in isolation. By looking at aggregated data across multiple teams, participants identified broader organizational patterns and explored how these might influence the team they were supporting. This shifted the conversation from “What’s wrong with this team?” to “What is happening in the wider system that affects this team?”

4. Challenges

The next step focused on the paradoxes, tensions, and uncertainties that needed to be addressed. The team reports made many of the challenges visible, while participants added the stories and experiences behind the numbers. Together, the quantitative and qualitative perspectives created a much richer picture than either could provide on its own.

5. Ambition

With a shared understanding of the current reality and its challenges, participants explored what now seemed possible. Rather than jumping to unrealistic aspirations, the discussion naturally led to improvement goals that felt both meaningful and achievable.

6. Action and Evaluation

Finally, participants identified concrete next steps and discussed how they would know whether they were making progress. An important realization was that these actions should not simply be imposed on teams. Instead, the workshop provided a starting point for engaging teams in their own improvement process, using the insights as input rather than as conclusions.

Reflections

I’ve facilitated Strategy Knotworking many times, but never with data as a starting point. After this workshop, I came away convinced that data can significantly strengthen the process.

The biggest difference wasn’t that the data provided the answers. Rather, they gave participants a shared starting point for the conversation. Instead of debating whether a problem existed, people could spend more time exploring why it existed and what to do about it. Intuition, experience, and professional judgment remained essential, but the data helped make those conversations more focused and evidence-informed.

Another interesting observation was how naturally the workshop flowed. I didn’t introduce additional Liberating Structures to explore the six questions. Participants simply worked in small groups and periodically shared their insights through 1–2-ALL. At the end, each group presented its strategic narrative in a Conversation Café, allowing participants to compare approaches, ask questions, and build on one another’s thinking.

This was only my first experience facilitating a data-informed Strategy Knotworking workshop, so I’m careful not to draw broad conclusions. Even so, the combination felt remarkably natural. It reinforced my belief that data are most valuable when they don’t replace conversation, but enrich it.

If you’re interested in running a data-informed Strategy Knotworking workshop in your organization, feel free to get in touch.

Learn More

If you’d like to explore the ideas behind this workshop in more detail, here are a few useful resources:

• Strategy Knotworking — The official Liberating Structures description, including the purpose, six questions, and facilitation guidance.
• Columinity — Learn more about how we use team data to support evidence-informed conversations and organizational improvement.
• Our Liberating Structures articles — Browse our growing collection of practical articles, facilitation tips, and workshop formats.