Lead Better Meetings: A Liberating Structures Workshop

Lead Better Meetings: A Liberating Structures Workshop

A full-day immersion into the tools and techniques that make meetings more engaging, collaborative, and effective.

By The Team Together

Date and time

Thursday, July 17 · 1 - 4:30pm EDT

Location

American Underground

201 West Main Street Durham, NC 27701

Refund Policy

Refunds up to 7 days before event

Agenda

Why Liberating Structures Work


What these tools are, why they build trust, spark participation, and work across every kind of team in any industry from grassroots nonprofits to Fortune 500 companies.

1-2-4-All: Liberating Structures Foundation


The oh-so-simple, surprisingly powerful activity that will shift how you run every meeting unlocking everyone’s voice and ideas from the smallest to the largest groups.

Appreciative Interviews: Building on What Works


This activity reveals real stories of success so you can build on what’s already working (and spark fresh possibilities).

TRIZ: Stop Doing What’s Not Working


Uncover the habits and patterns that quietly hold people back. This structure helps groups name what’s not working, and take real steps to stop doing it.

Lunch

Troika Consulting: Peer Coaching That Actually Works


No need to hire out—this structure helps your group tap into each other’s wisdom. It builds trust, strengthens networks, and surfaces fresh thinking fast. People leave with clear next steps and inspi...

15% Solutions: Spring Into Action


Identify practical, doable next steps, so action isn’t delayed or overcomplicated. A simple way to get unstuck and start moving forward.

What, So What, Now What?: Group Sense-Making in Real Time


Perfect for post-mortems, debriefs, and reflections. This structure helps groups move from scattered observations to shared insight, and toward clear, collective action.

Applying Liberating Structures to Your Own Work


Make a plan for how you’ll use Liberating Structures in your own work—and hear how others are applying them too. Get inspired, swap ideas, and connect with people you can keep learning alongside.

About this event

  • Event lasts 3 hours 30 minutes

📅 Date: July 17th, 2025
🕒 Time: 1pm - 4:30 pm
📍 Location: American Underground in Durham, NC
🍽 Food: Snacks coffee included


Tired of running or sitting through boring meetings?


They go fine. No major disasters. But it feels like people are just going through the motions.

It’s always the same few people who speak up.
The introverts tend to stay quiet, but you know there are untapped ideas left in the room.

You ask, “Any questions?” and hear crickets. A few polite nods. You’re pretty sure people are multitasking, replying to emails while half-listening.

You’re left wondering if anything actually landed. Or if it will stick at all.

Liberating Structures changes that.

These simple yet powerful activities unlock participation, build trust, and get people talking.

They shift meetings from

😐 “Why are we here?” → 🙌 “I’m so glad I showed up.”

Join us for a full-day immersion to experience the difference.

In just one day, you’ll not only feel what it’s like to be in a meeting where everyone’s voice matters, but you'll walk away knowing how to use 4+ structures to make that kind of participation possible in your own work.


What Are Liberating Structures?

Liberating Structures are a set of 33+ easy-to-learn activities that shake up the usual ways groups work together. These aren’t theoretical frameworks. They’re simple, flexible activities you can start using immediately to shift the energy in any room. They help teams generate ideas, make decisions, and solve problems in ways that involve everyone.

They were created in the early 2000s and have been evolving ever since. The roots run deep in complexity science, organizational development, and even improv. They've been tested across settings and industries, from team meetings to strategy offsites, and classrooms to boardrooms.

Plus they scale. Whether you’re working with 5 people or 500, in healthcare, education, government, philanthropy, or business, these tools are built to flex, adapt, and invite productive trust-filled conversations.


What You’ll Experience

In this full-day, in-person immersion, you’ll:

Experience some of the most powerful Liberating Structures firsthand and see how they make space for every voice, not just the loudest in the room
Practice with others in real-time and get behind-the-scenes facilitation tips
Explore how to apply Liberating Structures in your own life and work, in sessions with 5 or 500 participants
Learn the core design elements that make Liberating Structures effective across organizations, sectors, and industry


Who This Is For

🔹 Team Leaders & Managers looking to make weekly meetings more interactive, focused, and worth everyone’s time
🔹 Facilitators & Consultants wanting new tools to add to their toolkit and fresh ways to energize group sessions
🔹 Nonprofit & Community Organizers trying to lead more inclusive, participatory conversations that build buy-in and shared ownership
🔹 Educators & Trainers seeking engaging formats that move beyond lectures and get people talking, thinking, and doing
🔹 Event & Program Managers planning conferences or events and needing flexible structures that scale
🔹 New(er) Leaders ready to step into the role of guide or facilitator and build confidence running the room


What You’ll Leave With

✨ A tested series of Liberating Structures you can run in sequence
✨ Clear guidance on how to lead 6+ structures with confidence, clarity, and ease
✨ Insight into when to use each structure, and why they work so well
✨ A resource guidebook with templates, cheat sheets, and expert facilitation tips
✨ A renewed sense of what’s possible when you design for participation, not presentation


About the Facilitators

We’re Annie Grace and Shannon Varcoe, the team behind The Team Together, a facilitation agency trusted by Fortune 500s, nonprofits, startups, and universities.

With 25+ years of combined experience, they design and lead highly participatory experiences that surface priorities, build buy-in, and help teams have the real conversations that move work forward. Whether it’s an executive off-site, a strategy sprint, or a leadership cohort—online or in person—we help people talk with, not at each other.

We also co-founded Women Facilitating, a growing community for women who well, facilitate. Through events, resources, and conversation, we’re championing facilitation as a core leadership skill, and helping more women see themselves in this work.

We use Liberating Structures in nearly every session we run and figured it’s time we let others in on the best-kept secret that powers our facilitation practice!


Discounts + Scholarships

Money shouldn’t be the thing that keeps you from joining .If you’re working at a nonprofit, in between jobs, or just can’t swing the full price right now, fill out this quick form to request a discount or scholarship. We’re offering a limited number and will reach out soon with next steps.


Don't Just Take Our Word For It

"I facilitated TRIZ [a core Liberating Structure] for a client yesterday and it went AMAZINGLY WELL!! I 100% would've been too nervous to try it if it hadn't been for the [Liberating Structures workshop] where I got to experience it and the behind the scenes instruction from you." - Tes (Co-Founder of Gather Better, guiding purpose-driven orgs to gather better)


"They not only taught us Liberating Structures but shared so many pro tips as they modeled them." - Ashley W. (Project Manager Fortune 500 Company)


"Annie and Shannon are superb facilitators in their own right--watching them at work is a delight and its own form of learning. " - John F. (Executive Director of Colorado-based nonprofit)

Frequently asked questions

I’ve used Liberating Structures before, will this still be useful?

Absolutely. This isn’t a lecture or a dry run-through of the structures. You’ll see a string of structures in action as a participant and pick up new ways to remix, combine, and adapt them to your own groups. We’ll also share tips and tricks from real-life sessions we’ve facilitated.

I’m not a professional facilitator, is this for me?

Yes! Liberating Structures are accessible, inviting, and designed so that anyone can use them—not just “professional facilitators.” If you lead meetings, host discussions, run projects, teach, manage teams, or just want better group conversations...you’re in the right place!

Will there be food?

We got you. Coffee, snacks, and lunch are all included. We have a strict no-hangry participants rule in our workshops.

Do I need to bring anything?

Just yourself, your curiosity, and maybe your favorite pen. We’ll provide everything else, including materials, worksheets, and plenty of snacks & beverages. Come in clothes you feel comfortable in, as we’ll be moving around a bit (but no acrobatics, promise).

What if I can’t afford the full price but still want to attend?

Money shouldn’t be the thing that keeps you from joining. If you work at a nonprofit, are in between jobs, or can’t swing the full price, fill out this form to request a discount or scholarship: https://forms.gle/wa7nwmEmyd47iGLC6. Limited spots available.

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$430