Overview

Why Liberating Structures? Because the old ways are failing us. We live in a high-stakes world where trust is eroding and complex problems feel impossible to solve. Yet, we cling to inherited meeting habits-presentations, managed discussions, and brainstorming-and wonder why the needle doesn't move. The Reality: Conventional structures are too slow for complexity, too exclusive for equity, and too rigid for innovation. The Solution: The Liberating Structures Fieldbook flips the script. Originally introduced in the 2014 foundational text, this ""remastered"" edition by Keith McCandless and Nancy White is an outcome of practitioners' global experience in diverse settings. By adjusting the ""micro-rules"" of interaction, you can: Include and Unleash Everyone: Ensure every voice shapes the future. Tackle Higher-Order Goals: Address deepest needs rather than short-term fixes. Restore Trust and Resolve: Recover the human imagination dormant in our groups. Whether you are a CEO, an educator, a healthcare worker, or a community organizer, this is the definitive field guide for turning dull meetings into transformative collaboration. You can stop accepting a world of over-control and under-engagement. It's time to start making progress on the things that actually matter.

Full Product Details

9798995779100

Table of Contents

Reviews

Liberating Structures completely changed our game. They are the most powerful way to build team safety, gather feedback, and co-create strategy. This book is a brilliant starting point for newcomers and a vital source of new ideas for experienced practitioners. Barry Overeem & Christiaan Verwijs, Co-founders of The Liberators This book elevates, democratizes, and empowers leadership. Beyond theory, it offers practical, actionable pathways for designing meetings where all voices are heard and innovation emerges. This is an essential guide for anyone serious about transforming how we work and lead together. Lynn Wooten, President, Simmons University When anyone asks me how to truly engage a group, my first recommendation is Liberating Structures. This book makes those patterns so accessible that I expect your next meeting to be world class. Aaron Dignan, author of Brave New Work The way we convene is the way we lead. This is the definitive field guide for turning dull meetings into energizing discovery-your essential roadmap for transformative collaboration. Arvind Singhal, Professor and LS practitioner of two decades This book invites us to elevate the ordinary into something deeply meaningful. Each tool is a powerful prompt to renew the trust and genuine connection our relationships deserve, transforming everyday interactions into rich, shared experiences. Michael Arena Author of Adaptive Space and Co-founder of Connected Commons As AI accelerates our access to knowledge, Liberating Structures is the modern tool to curate that knowledge into meaningful learning, innovation, and the human connections that truly matter. Daniel Russo, PhD Associate Professor of Computer Science, Aalborg University This is a masterclass in making the architecture of collaboration profoundly humane. They remind us that participation is not a luxury-it is the source of innovation, belonging, and shared purpose. A companion for anyone committed to shaping the future with others rather than for them. - Daniel J. Pesut, PhD, RN, Emeritus Professor and Nursing Leadership Expert

Author Information

Keith McCandless is the co-developer of Liberating Structures (LS) and a consultant dedicated to helping organizations shift from over-control and under-engagement toward inclusive, distributed leadership. Since co-authoring the foundational text, The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures (2014) with Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith has spent over a decade nurturing a global community of practice.With a background in the management of human services and complexity science, Keith's work spans every sector-from healthcare and education to global social movements and agile business strategy. He is a practitioner who believes the world changes through small, elegant shifts in the patterns of how we meet, plan, and act together. He lives in Seattle with his family and a devilishly alert whippet named Bootsy. Nancy White is an author, practitioner, and pioneer in the fields of online interaction, community facilitation, and network strategy. She is a co-author of Digital Habitats: Stewarding Technology for Communities, with Etienne Wenger and John Smith (2009). As a co-author on the Liberating Structures Fieldbook, Nancy brings decades of international experience helping groups navigate high-stakes complexity and transition toward distributed, collective leadership.Her extensive global portfolio spans premier philanthropic organizations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, alongside major international development agencies including FAO, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations. Known for her deep expertise in nurturing vibrant communities of practice and knowledge-sharing networks, Nancy works across diverse sectors-from agricultural research and public health to local non-profits and academic institutions. She is dedicated to making collaboration profoundly humane, inclusive, and actionable.

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