6 Liberating Structures Templates: Ready-Made Workshop Agendas (2026)

Liberating Structures sound great – until you stand in front of your first workshop and ask yourself: which method fits? How much time do I need? And how does it work exactly? That's exactly where ready-made templates help: they show you step by step how to apply proven Liberating Structures without long guesswork.

In this article I present 6 essential Liberating Structures – with concrete use cases, rough flows and direct links to ready-made workshop templates you can use immediately.

Why Liberating Structures – and Why Templates?

Liberating Structures (LS) are moderation methods that replace classic workshop formats like brainstorming or open discussion – while actively involving all participants. Instead of the loudest person winning, LS create structured participation, real collaboration and often surprisingly good results.

Liberating Structures are part of a bigger picture. To understand the basic framework, we recommend our complete guide to running great workshops.

The problem: the 33 official Liberating Structures can feel overwhelming at first. Where to start? Which one fits my occasion? And how do I plan it timewise?

That's exactly why templates exist: they take the planning work off your hands, show proven flows, and stay flexibly adaptable. You can get going right away, instead of wading through documentation first.

If you want to dive deeper into the theory and background of Liberating Structures, I recommend the more comprehensive Liberating Structures practical guide.

The 6 Most Useful Liberating Structures – With Ready-Made Templates

1-2-4-All: Develop Ideas and Include Everyone

What is it?
1-2-4-All is the classic of Liberating Structures. The method uses a simple sequence: each person first thinks alone about a question, then exchanges in pairs, then in groups of four – and at the end the most important insights are shared in plenum.

When to use it?

• At the start of a workshop, to bring everyone onto the same topic
• When you want to make sure quieter people are heard too
• For brainstorming, problem definition or ideation

Rough flow:

1. Silent reflection (1 min)
2. Exchange in pairs (2 min)
3. Exchange in groups of four (4 min)
4. Share key points in plenum (5 min)

15% Solutions: Find Immediately Actionable Steps

What is it?
15% Solutions is based on a simple question: what can I do right now myself, without waiting for approval, budget or others? This method helps teams move from discussion into action – even when not all problems seem solvable.

When to use it?

• When teams get lost in problems and need to regain agency
• At the end of retrospectives or strategy workshops
• During change processes, to take the first small steps

Rough flow:

1. Think alone: what can I do right now with my means? (5 min)
2. Share and sharpen in pairs or threes (5 min)
3. Collect and commit concrete actions in plenum (10 min)

25/10 Crowd Sourcing: Let the Team Prioritise the Best Ideas

What is it?
25/10 Crowd Sourcing is an elegant method to filter the best ideas out of many – without endless discussions. Each person writes a bold idea on a card, the cards circulate, everyone rates silently, and at the end the collective intelligence wins.

When to use it?

• When you have many ideas and need to set priorities
• For innovation workshops, strategy sessions or retrospectives
• When you want democratic decisions without dominant voices

Rough flow:

1. Each person writes one bold idea (5 min)
2. Cards circulate, each person rates silently with 1–5 points (10 min)
3. Tally points, make top ideas visible (5 min)
4. Briefly discuss the top 3–5 ideas (10 min)

TRIZ: Tackle Problems from a New Angle

What is it?
TRIZ (from the Russian for "theory of inventive problem solving") flips the perspective: instead of asking how to solve the problem, TRIZ asks what you could do to worsen it. The often absurd answers reveal hidden patterns – and the opposite becomes the solution.

When to use it?

• When classic brainstorming doesn't help
• For stuck problems or difficult challenges
• For retrospectives with humour and lightness

Rough flow:

1. Name the problem (2 min)
2. Flip the question: how could we make it even worse? (5 min)
3. Collect absurd ideas, laughter allowed (10 min)
4. Draw inverse conclusions: what is the opposite? (10 min)
5. Derive concrete measures (5 min)

Troika Consulting: Peer Coaching in Threesomes

What is it?
Troika Consulting is a structured peer coaching format: one person brings a challenge, two others give ideas – but without interrupting the person or advising them directly. The clear structure ensures that people really listen and fresh perspectives emerge.

When to use it?

• When individuals have concrete challenges (e.g. in leadership workshops)
• For coaching formats, team development or peer learning
• When classic brainstorming becomes too unstructured

Rough flow:

1. Form threesomes (1 min)
2. Person A presents the challenge (2 min)
3. Persons B and C give ideas, A only listens (4 min)
4. Person A reflects on what was helpful (2 min)
5. Rotate roles until everyone has had a turn

What, So What, Now What?: Reflect on Experiences and Derive Consequences

What is it?
What, So What, Now What? is a structured reflection method in three steps: first everyone collects observations (What?), then they jointly interpret the meaning (So What?) and finally derive concrete consequences (Now What?). Perfect for learning from experience.

When to use it?

• After a sprint, project or event for reflection
• In retrospectives, to move from "what was?" to "what do we do now?"
• When teams need to learn from experience instead of just discussing it

Rough flow:

1. What? Gather observations – what happened? (10 min)
2. So What? Recognise patterns – why is this important? (10 min)
3. Now What? Derive consequences – what do we do now? (10 min)

Best Practices: How to Use Liberating Structures Successfully

1. Start small
You don't need to know all 33 Liberating Structures. Start with 1-2-4-All or 15% Solutions – both are easy to moderate and work in almost any context.

2. Hold the time strictly
Liberating Structures live from clear timeboxes. Use a timer and stick to it – even if participants aren't quite done. That creates focus and energy.

3. Explain the method – but briefly
Explain the flow in 1–2 sentences, but avoid long lectures. The structure often explains itself in the doing.

4. Adapt templates, don't follow them slavishly
Templates are starting points. Adjust times, group sizes and questions to your context – but keep the basic structure.

5. Combine multiple structures
The magic often happens when you use 2–3 Liberating Structures in sequence (so-called strings). For example: TRIZ → 1-2-4-All → 15% Solutions for a problem-solving workshop.

Quick-Reference: The 6 Templates at a Glance

Template	Best for	Typical duration	Group size
1-2-4-All	Ideation, all voices	10–15 min	5–50
15% Solutions	Action commitment	20–30 min	any
25/10 Crowd Sourcing	Democratic prioritisation	30–45 min	8–30
TRIZ	Stuck problems	25–35 min	4–20
Troika Consulting	Peer coaching	30–45 min	multiples of 3
What, So What, Now What?	Reflection	30–40 min	4–20

Conclusion: From Theory to Practice – in 12 Minutes

Liberating Structures are not rocket science – but they need structure, clear time planning and a bit of courage to let go of the familiar. With ready-made templates you can get going right away, without reading all the documentation first or calculating timings yourself.

In particular What, So What, Now What? also works wonderfully in agile retrospectives – and when energy runs out in between, take a look at our 15 energizers for workshops.

My tip: choose one of the 6 methods, open the template and try it in your next workshop. You'll notice: the energy in the room changes immediately – because suddenly everyone is involved, not just the loudest.

And if you want to dive deeper, read the comprehensive practical guide – with background knowledge, facilitation tips and examples from the field.

Liberating Structures Templates and Sessionplan

All six templates above are available on Sessionplan.de – free, browser-based, no signup. Each template loads directly into the planner with pre-set timeboxes, the LS structure, and a moderation guide. You can customise the agenda however you like and run it in Live Mode when the session starts.

The combination of ready-made LS templates and a visual workshop timeline is what turns a method collection into a real facilitation workflow: from the first string design to the live session in the room.

Good luck with your next workshop!