Have you ever found yourself stuck in a meeting where one person does all the talking… and everyone else just tunes out? Or where it’s so open-ended that nothing really gets done?
Even with smart people in the room, the best ideas often never get heard.
That’s precisely the problem Liberating Structures were created to solve.
Developed by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless, Liberating Structures are a collection of simple yet powerful facilitation techniques designed to break down hierarchical patterns, invite everyone’s voice, and make collaboration more inclusive and productive.
Instead of one person talking and everyone else passively listening (or zoning out…), these methods create space for everyone to think, speak, and contribute. And they’re easy to use – even in your next meeting.
With simple, practical facilitation methods, they help you create meetings where everyone gets involved, energy goes up, and collaboration works.
One of the most popular structures is 1-2-4-All, a brilliant little framework for surfacing ideas from any group:
1: Start with quiet individual reflection
2: Pair up and share ideas
4: Join another pair, deepen the conversation
All: Collect insights from each group to share with the whole room
This simple pattern transforms how people engage, helping even large groups move from silence or dominance to shared clarity and action.
Want to know more?
Read this insightful blog post from Ruben Klerkx, where he shares how these practices unlock team potential and explains why they are so necessary in today’s workplaces.
Check out the homepage of Liberating Structures.
Join us for the first time ever, Liberating Structures Immersion Workshop in Stockholm May 8-9 2025 – at the inspiring Färgfabriken. A beautiful space by the water, perfect for sparking fresh thinking and real connection.
