Read Online The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures: Simple Rules to Unleash A Culture of Innovation by Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless - Free Book Online
Authors: Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless
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across disciplines, and with the public can also be transformed by using Liberating Structures.
Liberating Structures change dramatically the way results are generated without expensive investments, complicated training, or dramatic shifts in macrostructures
.
What to Expect
Whether used in health-care or education, business, government, or community organizations, Liberating Structures disrupt conventional patterns in the way groups work together. They change dramatically the way results are generated without expensive investments, complicated training, or dramatic shifts in macrostructures. When Liberating Structures are introduced, many of the conventional approaches that people use all the time—PowerPoint presentations, open discussions, managed discussions, status reports, and brainstorms—become even less attractive than they already are or fall totally out of favor. And with that shift, everything changes.
Liberating Structures are not best practices imposed on a whole organization. They do not rely on expensive and lengthy efforts to change people’s behaviors. They are instead a set of simple microstructures that can easily and inexpensively replace the conventional ones that are in everyday use. Individuals and groups can choose the Liberating Structures that suit their likes and dislikes then mix and match them flexibly to address their challenges. Liberating Structures are not only for leaders and change experts but for every person in the organization to use.
Caveat: Once Liberating Structures become everyday practice for your group, it’s hard to go back to the way things were. Many of the Big Five conventional approaches will be eliminated from people’s everyday work practices. Asone of our workshop participants put it: “Warning—you may never be able to tolerate another endless conference/meeting again and might feel that everyone is in ‘The Matrix’ except you!”
“What is accepted is no longer valid, what is valid is not yet accepted.” Jamshid Gharajedaghi
As with all disruptive innovations, no one expects what will happen . Shifts in the patterns of interaction make it possible for inclusion, trust, and innovation to come forward. Not everyone will be ready at the same time. However, some people will immediately use the freedom and responsibility unleashed to make small changes that generate breakthrough results. Immense sources of untapped knowledge, capability, and momentum are revealed. Expect surprise! Expect smiles! Expect enthusiasm! Liberating Structures are fulfilling deep needs for meaningful and rewarding engagement present in all organizations .
Chapter 4
----
Liberating Leadership
How leaders can avoid perpetuating the problems they complain about
Leaders don’t purposely set out to demotivate employees or to discourage them from speaking up. They don’t want to discourage cooperation. They don’t want thousands of useless meetings conducted in their organization. Quite the contrary! They live with these frustrations because they see no other choice.
“A leader is a person who has an unusual degree of power to project on other people his or her shadow or his or her light.” Parker Palmer
Enter “leadership” in Amazon’s search box and you will get some ninety-two thousand results—and the number keeps climbing. The world is full of “proven” ideas on leadership. So why is it that so many fundamental issues continue to frustrate leaders everywhere?
When we ask leaders what they would like to see change in their organization, they say:
People contribute too little of their true potential, regardless of how many long hours they work
.
We waste enormous amounts of energy because people don’t work well together. They don’t cooperate effectively, and they communicate poorly
.
Internal politics keep people from pulling together with a common purpose
.
Too many good ideas never come to the surface. They stay buried in people’s heads and don’t ever
Liberating Structures change dramatically the way results are generated without expensive investments, complicated training, or dramatic shifts in macrostructures
.
What to Expect
Whether used in health-care or education, business, government, or community organizations, Liberating Structures disrupt conventional patterns in the way groups work together. They change dramatically the way results are generated without expensive investments, complicated training, or dramatic shifts in macrostructures. When Liberating Structures are introduced, many of the conventional approaches that people use all the time—PowerPoint presentations, open discussions, managed discussions, status reports, and brainstorms—become even less attractive than they already are or fall totally out of favor. And with that shift, everything changes.
Liberating Structures are not best practices imposed on a whole organization. They do not rely on expensive and lengthy efforts to change people’s behaviors. They are instead a set of simple microstructures that can easily and inexpensively replace the conventional ones that are in everyday use. Individuals and groups can choose the Liberating Structures that suit their likes and dislikes then mix and match them flexibly to address their challenges. Liberating Structures are not only for leaders and change experts but for every person in the organization to use.
Caveat: Once Liberating Structures become everyday practice for your group, it’s hard to go back to the way things were. Many of the Big Five conventional approaches will be eliminated from people’s everyday work practices. Asone of our workshop participants put it: “Warning—you may never be able to tolerate another endless conference/meeting again and might feel that everyone is in ‘The Matrix’ except you!”
“What is accepted is no longer valid, what is valid is not yet accepted.” Jamshid Gharajedaghi
As with all disruptive innovations, no one expects what will happen . Shifts in the patterns of interaction make it possible for inclusion, trust, and innovation to come forward. Not everyone will be ready at the same time. However, some people will immediately use the freedom and responsibility unleashed to make small changes that generate breakthrough results. Immense sources of untapped knowledge, capability, and momentum are revealed. Expect surprise! Expect smiles! Expect enthusiasm! Liberating Structures are fulfilling deep needs for meaningful and rewarding engagement present in all organizations .
Chapter 4
----
Liberating Leadership
How leaders can avoid perpetuating the problems they complain about
Leaders don’t purposely set out to demotivate employees or to discourage them from speaking up. They don’t want to discourage cooperation. They don’t want thousands of useless meetings conducted in their organization. Quite the contrary! They live with these frustrations because they see no other choice.
“A leader is a person who has an unusual degree of power to project on other people his or her shadow or his or her light.” Parker Palmer
Enter “leadership” in Amazon’s search box and you will get some ninety-two thousand results—and the number keeps climbing. The world is full of “proven” ideas on leadership. So why is it that so many fundamental issues continue to frustrate leaders everywhere?
When we ask leaders what they would like to see change in their organization, they say:
People contribute too little of their true potential, regardless of how many long hours they work
.
We waste enormous amounts of energy because people don’t work well together. They don’t cooperate effectively, and they communicate poorly
.
Internal politics keep people from pulling together with a common purpose
.
Too many good ideas never come to the surface. They stay buried in people’s heads and don’t ever
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