We invite you to meet us in virtual space and explore Liberating Structures, guided by our whole team, while also exploring how lively and engaged it can be to relate to one another even though we are not physically in the same space

In this immersive 2 day online workshop you’ll get to know Liberating Structures: Easy-to-learn microstructures that are designed to enable collaborative working. By using small, conscious changes in the way groups interact and collaborate, Liberating Structures enable everyone to be fully engaged and involved whenever people come together. The repertoire of 33+ structures, tested and co-developed alongside real challenges can replace controlling or constraining approaches. They have inspired a fast growing global community of dedicated users who share and co-develop the repertoire of 33+ structures continuously.

One of the key inspirations for the development of LS was preventing the spread of superbugs in hospitals by enabling everyone involved to contribute. Nowadays we are asked to refrain from physical interaction in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus but have the opportunity to combine powerful online applications to connect, engage, and collaborate together. The challenge here is not technology - it’s our practice of how we choose to organize our work & interactions together, both online and offline. There is a profound practice of using Liberating Structures in online meetings or remote work.

What to expect in the workshop

• Get to know many different applications that you can use directly in everyday collaboration - both online and offline

• Understand what Liberating Structures are based on, principles, logic and background, and how you can apply them to your needs

• Learn the Dos & Don'ts of online participation by doing

• Experience how we can simultaneously establish freedom and responsibility with the structure as your facilitator 

• Meet like-minded people and experience how similar challenges can make building on each others’ ideas easy.

What the learning experience will be like

We plan to be on-screen for 6 hours each day. Both mornings, we will begin with a playful kickstart into our means of interacting during the day. Throughout the online sessions, we’ll plunge into the rich experience of virtual Liberating Structures in pairs and group configurations through the use of breakout rooms and other tools afforded by our online platform, Zoom.

We will make sure there is off-screen time in between online sessions which we will support with guided reflections, journalling and possibly methods that incorporate physicality to deepen your learning experience by engaging your brains, bodies, and beings in a variety of ways.
Prepared to be surprised by how much serious fun collaborating virtually can be! 

Your workshop guides

Anna Jackson

Anna started working with Liberating Structures in 2010 and has used LS extensively in both online and in-person settings with individuals and teams since then. She first learned LS while running learning collaboratives with distributed participants working in mental health across Texas (which has 254 counties across almost 300k square miles!), and since then has worked with individuals and teams in a variety of domains and disciplines around the world. Like Fisher, she came to LS through a lucky connection with Keith McCandless, co-author of The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures, and learned to apply LS in partnership with him over many years of work together. Together with Fisher, she supports the LS network by organizing a variety of activities that help folks connect across geography and domain to advance their own practices and build deeper relationships.

Fisher Qua

Fisher’s practice with Liberating Structures began 10 years ago through a serendipitous connection with Keith McCandless, one of the two co-developers. Since then, he’s applied the methods across multiple contexts from working with NASA research & engineering teams to community-based health initiatives to leading online communities of practice. Along with Anna, he contributes to the global LS network’s development by organizing a variety of learning experiences, facilitating connections across the community, and supporting LS users as they get started and scale up their practices.  

Anja Ebers

Anja is a pioneer for more lively online meetings. With akanto.de she works as a self-employed process facilitator and consultant since 2001. She advises project teams, management committees and communities on how to improve participation, agility and personal responsibility. Anja contributes to the global LS network’s developmen with among other a learning journal that has been translated to multiple languges. She is co-organizer of the Liberating Structures Lab Berlin.

Ina Zukrigl-Schief

Ina is a self-employed organisational development consultant, inspiring organizations to work from their collective intelligence. She is co-organizer of the Berlin Liberating Structures Lab .

Tasman Papworth

Tas supports people, teams, and organisational leaders in connecting and collaborating in meaningful and effective ways in person, and across distributed locations. He works in the space where synergies emerge from the practices of innovation, strategy, education, creative leadership, and agile ways of working. He voluntarily works with nonprofits and social causes to support the improvement of vision, strategy, organisational practices, and interpersonal collaboration. He has designed strings for the Liberating Structures Global Gathering and European Learning Gathering, co-created the launch of the Liberating Structures Lab Melbourne, and is co-organizer of the Liberating Structures Lab Berlin.

Logistics

• We’ll start at 11.00 and end 18.00 each day on March 19/20.

• We’ll provide you with both digital and analog canvases that can be downloaded & printed-out for individual reflection time or used online depending on your preferences

• We’ll have an onboarding session that starts at 11:00 each day to make sure everyone’s technology is working correctly, troubleshoot difficulties, and orient to/practice the various tools/platforms we’ll be using 

• We are planning to have off-screen restoration sessions that involve quiet, individual reflective tasks, breaks, and physiological re-adjustments (these will happen at least every 2 h)

We will be using Zoom as the primary video program. You will receive a link which will give you access to the meeting room. The web browser client is automatically downloaded when you click on the link and is also available for manual download here.

While attending the workshop you will need:

• A place for undisturbed listening & speaking

• Internet browser

• Stable internet connection

• Input and output of audio & video

• Input option (e.g. keyboard / touch screen)