Monday, December 2, 2013

Liberating Structures: Farewell to the Traditional Small Group Breakout?

Here's an interesting group process that I wanted to "bookmark" on this blog.

At CompassPoint, we've been exploring and testing out methods to liberate our group work from processes that feed us into routine patterns and default ways of thinking. At our recent staff meeting, consultant Alan Silva introduced us to a few of the 33 frameworks provided on the eponymous website Liberating Structures, which offers exercises for teams to engage in group work to unleash creativity and fresh ideas. The impetus behind these frameworks is that "conventional structures are either too inhibiting (presentations, status reports and managed discussions) or too loose and disorganized (open discussions and brainstorms) to creatively engage people in shaping their own future." Do you agree? It's certainly worth a try, isn't it?

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