Generative Relationships STAR

How this method works

A method for examining what a relationship produces through four axes and choosing a first step to change it. Each person places points on a chart for diversity, the degree of mutual attunement, the degree of joint action, and the reasons for working together. Small groups read the differences between the points, consider the results their combination produces, and look for actions to strengthen an axis that needs attention. Rather than arguing over which assessment is right, use the differences themselves as material. The result is a shared view of the relationship and a record of who will try what and when. Do not use it for performance appraisal or personnel evaluation, to judge relationship problems without the people involved, or where people fear retaliation.

Phase schedule

Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.

1. Draw the star0–10 minutes from the start (10 minutes)

   Action: Draw. Participation: Everyone.

   Recording not separately specified for this phase

2. Assess four axes10–30 minutes from the start (20 minutes)

   Action: Assess. Participation: Individually.

   Individual record

3. Read the differences30–50 minutes from the start (20 minutes)

   Action: Read. Participation: Groups of 4–7.

   Shared record

4. Interpret the combination50–75 minutes from the start (25 minutes)

   Action: Interpret. Participation: Groups of 4–7.

   Shared record

5. Choose a first step75–90 minutes from the start (15 minutes)

   Action: Choose. Participation: Everyone.

   Shared record

Facilitation steps

1. For 10 minutes, read through the four axes: diversity, attunement, joint action, and reasons for working together. Confirm which team is being considered and that individual performance evaluation is outside this session's scope.
2. For 20 minutes, each person marks a point on each of the four axes for diversity, attunement, joint action, and reasons for working together, then briefly writes their reasons.
3. For 20 minutes, in groups of 4–7, place everyone's points on the shared relationship chart and take turns reading out where they are similar and where they are far apart.
4. For 25 minutes, consider what results the current combination of points is producing, select one axis needing attention, and suggest improvements.
5. For 15 minutes, agree as a whole group on at least one action to try first, and record who will take it, the deadline, and how you will reflect on it.

If something changes

Preparation

Materials

• One A4 four-axis relationship chart per person
• One A3 four-axis relationship chart for sharing per table
• Four round stickers per person for marking points
• One writing implement per person
• One flip chart for whole-group sharing

Room and setup

• One table per group, with room for 4–7 people to gather around a shared relationship chart
• Display the meaning of the four axes where everyone can see it
• Explain that the assessment is for understanding the current relationship, not ranking people

Adjust for people and time

With 4–7 people, use individual and shared charts at one table. With 8–40, also use 4–7 people per table, making group sizes differ by no more than 1 person. In whole-group sharing, each table reports only the one axis it selected. Even when comparing two departments, do not make their results compete; select actions separately from each department's chart. If participants need anonymity, do not collect their individual charts and limit sharing to what they communicate orally.

Manuscript's recorded references

These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.

• Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026) — Henri Lipmanowicz; Keith McCandless; Nancy White

  https://www.liberatingstructures.com/generative-relationships-star

  Adaptation under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes made

• Creative Commons License — Liberating Structures

  https://www.liberatingstructures.com/cc-license

  CC-BY-SA-4.0 notice

• CC BY-SA 4.0

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

  Licence text

Diagram, print, and video language

Original Japanese guide, diagram, and print view. Their labels and print text have not been translated; an English print edition is not provided here.

English video-library navigation. Original Japanese audio, subtitles and transcripts remain labelled Japanese resources. Their translations are separate later work. No remote player is embedded here.

The manual English phase controls are a navigation aid, not a live facilitation timer. Interactive diagram motion remains pending.

Editorial provenance

Stable method ID

generative-relationships-star

Japanese source status

Japanese source: field-tested status

Source path

src/content/methods/generative-relationships-star.yaml

Source SHA-256

9e041ac0b4c3266aa9494ac0af1ba180fba23a4aa16c7a323e2d6fb1a3406f0d

English text path

design-lab/drafts/english-site-20261015/batches/M-003-local-draft-20261017/methods/generative-relationships-star.json

English text SHA-256

aae7b7c32b11a7f850b706f786b13dc6f3ad7f519ad0c31fe2b42ff9ab9fa755

Historical fixed-text English acceptance record

local-draft-not-independently-reviewed

Historical fixed-source recorded publication hold

LS source-version/licence/icon reconciliation before publication

Original Japanese asset identifiers (not rendered here)

• main: generative-relationships-star-main.svg
• print: generative-relationships-star-print.svg
• thumb: generative-relationships-star-thumb.svg

Japanese source status and logs are provenance only. They do not mean this English text or interface was field-tested. Historical fixed-text acceptance and hold records remain specific to their recorded versions; displaying them neither asserts current acceptance nor resolves source-specific restrictions.