Liberating Structures: 1-2-4-ALL

Check out our video of this blog on YouTube! https://youtu.be/fwtAwgPRVbY

A really common issue we have found with online meetings and workshops is the ability to effectively get people properly engaged and generating ideas together. Too often its the usual suspects dominating the discussion and a sea of attendees with their videos off. A technique that works well (Face to Face) is Liberating Structures and in particular 1-2-4-ALL that with a small tweak using breakout rooms works even better remotely. Here are the steps :

* Each attendee silent brainstorm for one minute
* Pairs into breakout rooms for about 4 minutes
* Return everyone to the main room
* Put groups of 4 people into breakout rooms, for 4-6 minutes
* Ask for 2-3 maximum key points that they can align under
* When everyone returns each group shares 2-3 main points

This way everyone has a say, everyone gets to discuss. And you also have a consolidating understanding on what is important to the group and the group itself also has a better understanding on what has been discussed.

This is another technique that actually works better remotely than it does face to face. As moving people around in large groups, and the ability for people not to be distracted by other pairs or fours works far better in online breakout rooms.

You can use a virtual whiteboard for everyone to collaborate on which creates a really good artefact that you can give everyone as a takeaway after the event.

• Link to Liberating Structures
  https://www.liberatingstructures.com/1-1-2-4-all/