Facilitate Liberating Structures Together!
Make your life as a facilitator more fun, more relaxing, and more effective
Yesterday, Henri Lipmanowicz (co-developer of Liberating Structures) joined an online Conversation Cafe with a small group of LS enthusiasts of the Ministerie van Defensie.
It resulted in many small golden nuggets using Liberating Structures. One example is the recommendation to facilitate Liberating Structures in pairs. Ideally, it’s someone you work together with for a longer period.
Great examples are Henri & Keith McCandless, Anna Jackson & S. Fisher Qua, and Christian Hofstetter & Peter Zylka-Greger.
It’s also how everything started for Christiaan Verwijs and me. When we discovered Liberating Structures (thanks to Johannes Schartau ❤️), we prepared, designed, facilitated, and debriefed countless meetings and workshops.
Our close collaboration resulted in the necessary level of trust to give (ruthless) feedback. This wasn’t (and isn’t) always easy, and sometimes things exploded 💥, but it helped me to expand my skills in using Liberating Structures.
Not only is pairing up way more fun, but you can also share feedback like:-
- “Hey, I noticed the group was confused when you instructed them.”
- “It seems we missed a step…”
- “While watching the group, a great idea emerged for a new exercise. What if we try <…> next?”
- “I noticed the timebox was too short for most participants; let’s give them more time in the next round.”
- “Not everyone could hear your instructions; next time, speak louder.”
These are all examples you might miss when you facilitate alone. Especially when you’re not super experienced yet. You’re probably fully focused on giving the right instructions; that’s already challenging enough. 😅
Another benefit of a co-facilitator is that while you prepare step 1, your buddy can already prepare step 2. It results in a smooth experience for the group and reduces stress on your side.
Please note that it’s fine if things aren’t going smoothly. That’s life. Life is messy, and out of messyness, the most innovative ideas emerge. 😎
What is your experience with co-facilitating Liberating Structures?
