The document outlines a workshop on liberating structures, led by David Heath from the Government Digital Service, focusing on including everyone in shaping the future through various collaborative techniques. It describes specific methods like ecocycle planning and troika consulting to promote adaptability, resource allocation, and creativity within teams. Additionally, it provides a sequence of steps for practical exercises and emphasizes the importance of mutual support in problem-solving each participant's challenges.

1. Liberating Structures
David Heath
Lead Developer
Government Digital Service
@dgheath21

2. Liberating
Structures
Workshop

4. GDS Tech
Community

6. GDS
Discovered
Liberating
Structures
in 2015

7. GDS
GDS tech community

8. GDS
GDS tech community
People board

9. GDS
GDS tech community
People board
Mental health unconference
session

10. Agenda

11. GDS
Intro

12. GDS
Intro
Ecocycle

13. GDS
Intro
Ecocycle
25/10 crowdsourcing

14. GDS
Intro
Ecocycle
25/10 crowdsourcing
Troika consulting

15. GDS
Intro
Ecocycle
25/10 crowdsourcing
Troika consulting
Conclusions

16. What are
Liberating
Structures?

17. GDS
Simple
rules that
include
everyone
in shaping
the future

18. GDS
" You gain from control
" Calm things down to
promote predictability
Machine
" You gain from disorder
" Stir things up to
promote anti-fragility &
creative adaptability
Complex System

19. Design

20. GDS
Attributes

21. GDS
Expert-less
Attributes

22. GDS
Expert-less
Results-focused
Attributes

23. GDS
Expert-less
Results-focused
Rapid cycling
Attributes

24. GDS
Expert-less
Results-focused
Rapid cycling
Seriously fun
Attributes

25. GDS
Expert-less
Results-focused
Rapid cycling
Seriously fun
Inclusive
Attributes

26. GDS
Expert-less
Results-focused
Rapid cycling
Seriously fun
Inclusive
Multi-scale
Attributes

27. GDS
Expert-less
Results-focused
Rapid cycling
Seriously fun
Inclusive
Multi-scale
Self-spreading
Attributes

28. GDS
Expert-less
Results-focused
Rapid cycling
Seriously fun
Inclusive
Multi-scale
Self-spreading
Modular
Attributes

29. GDS
Co-creators
Henri Lipmanowicz Keith McCandless
Who seems more serious and
more playful?

30. GDS
Made available through a Creative Commons Non-
Commercial, Attribution, Share-and-Share Alike License

31. Let’s give it a
try!

32. Ecocycle
Planning
Analyze the full portfolio of
activities and relationships to
identify obstacles and
opportunities for progress 25 min

33. GDS
What is made possible?

34. GDS
What is made possible?
Identify which things are:

35. GDS
What is made possible?
Identify which things are:
• starving for resources

36. GDS
What is made possible?
Identify which things are:
• starving for resources
• rigid and hampering progress

37. GDS
What is made possible?
Identify which things are:
• starving for resources
• rigid and hampering progress
Involve everyone

38. GDS
What is made possible?
Identify which things are:
• starving for resources
• rigid and hampering progress
Involve everyone
See the forest and the trees

39. GDS
Liberating Structures: Ecocycle Planning
Co-developed by Keith McCandless + Henri Lipmanowicz (www.liberatingstructures.com)
Creative Commons License

40. GDS
Liberating Structures: Ecocycle Planning
Co-developed by Keith McCandless + Henri Lipmanowicz (www.liberatingstructures.com)
Creative Commons License

41. GDS
Liberating Structures: Ecocycle Planning
Co-developed by Keith McCandless + Henri Lipmanowicz (www.liberatingstructures.com)
Creative Commons License

42. GDS
Liberating Structures: Ecocycle Planning
Co-developed by Keith McCandless + Henri Lipmanowicz (www.liberatingstructures.com)
Creative Commons License

43. GDS
Liberating Structures: Ecocycle Planning
Co-developed by Keith McCandless + Henri Lipmanowicz (www.liberatingstructures.com)
Creative Commons License

44. GDS
Liberating Structures: Ecocycle Planning
Co-developed by Keith McCandless + Henri Lipmanowicz (www.liberatingstructures.com)
Creative Commons License

45. GDS
Sequence of steps
1. Individually, make a list [5 mins]
2. Plot on the ecocycle [3 mins]
3. Share in pairs [5 mins]
4. Playback [5 mins]

46. GDS
Make your list! [5m]
Pick ONE area, for example:
Activities - how do you spend your time?
Products or services offered by your company
Relationships - warning.. can be spicey!
Tools - build, CI, libraries, technologies
Processes - agile ceremonies, governance
Write down 5-10 things

47. GDS
Now plot on the ecocycle [3m]

48. GDS
Get into pairs [5m]
take it in turns to review your ecocycle
• what patterns did you notice?
• anything in the poverty or rigidity trap?
• any actions you might want to take?

49. Playback and
reflections [5m]

50. Real world
examples

51. GDS Tech
community

52. 1 hour session

57. GDS
Nasa’s innovation portfolio

58. GDS
Business school

59. 25/10 Crowd
Sourcing
Rapidly generate and sift a
group’s most powerful
actionable ideas
25/10
25 min

60. GDS
Sequence of steps
1. given a challenge
2. everyone thinks of one bold idea and
first step
3. write down the idea and first step on a
card
4. five rounds of shuffling and scoring all
the cards
5. take forward the top scoring ideas

61. Volunteer
needed!

62. GDS
What is your bold idea to
address this challenge?

63. GDS
What if you were
ten times
bolder?

64. bold idea
GDS
Write clearly!
first step
Write:

65. GDS
Now we’re going to shuffle the
cards and score them from 1-5
1 = uninspiring
3 = reasonable
5 = this is so good I would personally
invest my energy to make it
happen

66. GDS
Write the score on the back of
the card
Decide
your score
before
looking!

67. Shuffle time!

68. GDS
Add up your scores
Write on the front

69. Top scoring
ideas

70. Example uses

71. Troika
consulting
Get practical and
imaginative help from
colleagues immediately 25 min

72. GDS
In turn each person plays the client while
the others two act as consultants.
Three times:
1. Client explains problem [1 min]
2. Clarifying questions [2 mins]
3. Client turns their back around and
listens whilst the consultants discuss
problem [4 mins]
4. Client turns around and debriefs [1 min]

73. Get into
groups of
three

74. What is your challenge?
What would you like
help with?
Write it down!
GDS
1 min

75. Round 1

76. 1. Explain your challenge [1m]
2. Clarifying questions [1m]
3. Consultation [4m]
• Client turns their back and LISTENS
(no talking)
• Consultants discuss with each other
4. Debrief [1m]
• Turn back again, share reflections
GDS

77. Round 2

78. 1. Explain your challenge [1m]
2. Clarifying questions [1m]
3. Consultation [4m]
• Client turns their back and LISTENS
(no talking)
• Consultants discuss with each other
4. Debrief [1m]
• Turn back again, share reflections
GDS

79. Round 3

80. 1. Explain your challenge [1m]
2. Clarifying questions [1m]
3. Consultation [4m]
• Client turns their back and LISTENS
(no talking)
• Consultants discuss with each other
4. Debrief [1m]
• Turn back again, share reflections
GDS

81. Debrief

82. GDS
Why?
● Refine skills in asking for help
● Learn to formulate problems and
challenges clearly
● Refine listening and consulting
skills
● Build trust within a group through
mutual support

83. Conclusions

85. GDS
www.LiberatingStructures.com

86. GDS
Apps available
for both iOS
and Android

88. http://bit.ly/lsldnmay19
Thu 2 - Fri 3 May
Discount code
AGILEINTHECITY

89. GDS
References
• www.liberatingstructures.com
• The Surprising Power of Liberating
Structures, Keith McCandless, Henri
Lipmanowicz, 2014
• Edgeware: Insights From Complexity
Science For Health Care Leaders, Brenda
Zimmerman, 2008
• @LibStructLdn
• Immersion Workshop London 2-3 May —
http://bit.ly/lsldnmay19

90. GDS
We’re hiring!
https://jobs.jobvite.com/gds
• Delivery management
• Software engineering
• Technical architecture
• Operations engineers
• Product management

91. Thank you!
David Heath
@dgheath21
@LibStructLDN
www.LiberatingStructures.com
www.liberatingstructures.com
The Surprising Power of Liberating
Structures, Keith McCandless,
Henri Lipmanowicz, 2014
Edgeware: Insights From
Complexity Science For Health
Care Leaders, Brenda Zimmerman,
2008
Immersion Workshop London 2-3
May — http://bit.ly/lsldnmay19