Method guide · Work with a structured grid
Integration and Autonomy Balance
Find actions that strengthen necessary consistency and local discretion together.
- People
- 4–32
- Base procedure time
- 70 minutes
- Recording
- Shared record
Purpose: Make a decision.
English guide
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How this method works
A method for finding actions that strengthen necessary consistency and local discretion at the same time. First check the activities concerned, affected perspectives, current authority, and safety responsibilities. Put necessary consistency and necessary discretion in separate columns; do not turn them into judgements of people's or job roles' superiority, or a contest between central and local teams. In the third column, develop observable actions that strengthen both without reducing either. Do not ask one person to speak for an entire group. If an affected perspective is absent, return the idea for checking as a candidate proposal. Refer matters of authority, law, employment, safety, and professional judgement to the appropriate formal checks. This description is an original adaptation of the 2026 Liberating Structures method page under CC BY-SA 4.0. Do not use it where authority or safety responsibilities are unresolved.
Phase schedule
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- Focus on the tension between consistency and discretion0–5 minutes from the start (5 minutes)
Action: Focus. Participation: Groups of 2–4.
Shared record
- List the activities and their effects5–15 minutes from the start (10 minutes)
Action: List. Participation: Groups of 2–4.
Shared record
- Separate necessary consistency from necessary discretion15–30 minutes from the start (15 minutes)
Action: Separate. Participation: Groups of 2–4.
Shared record
- Combine actions that strengthen both30–50 minutes from the start (20 minutes)
Action: Combine. Participation: Groups of 2–4.
Shared record
- Choose a promising proposal and identify checks50–70 minutes from the start (20 minutes)
Action: Check. Participation: Groups of 2–4.
Shared record
Facilitation steps
- For 5 minutes, describe in one sentence an activity that needs both central consistency and local discretion.
- For 10 minutes, list activities, affected perspectives, current authority, and safety responsibilities one item at a time.
- For 15 minutes, put necessary consistency and necessary discretion in separate columns, without ranking people or job roles.
- For 20 minutes, develop observable actions in the third column that strengthen both without reducing either.
- For 10 minutes, check absent perspectives and the authority needed, then select one promising candidate proposal.
- For 10 minutes, before trying it, write the formally authorised decision-maker, professional sources to check with, a check deadline, and an observation method on the check sheet.
If something changes
If
A priority proposal emerges while even one affected perspective, such as central teams, local teams, or service users, is absent.
Then
Do not decide; return it to candidate status and record how and by when to check with the absent perspective.
If
At least one statement treats a role or perspective as uniform and asks one person to speak for the entire group.
Then
Remove personal names and claims of representation, and rewrite it in terms of observed activities, necessary consistency, and necessary discretion.
If
At least one proposal would change authority, safety responsibilities, law, employment matters, or professional judgements.
Then
Do not decide to implement it; move it to items to verify and record the formally authorised decision-maker, professional sources to check with, and a check deadline.
Preparation
Materials
- An original 3-column sheet for necessary consistency, necessary discretion, and actions that strengthen both (1 per group)
- Cards for activities, affected perspectives, and evidence (6 per person)
- A check sheet for authority, safety responsibilities, and professional sources to check with (1 per group)
- Anonymous proposal and pass cards (1 set per person)
- Thick pens (1 per person)
Room and setup
- Do not turn necessary consistency and necessary discretion into judgements of people's or job roles' superiority. First display the activities concerned, affected perspectives, and current authority.
- Do not ask one person to speak for a whole group. Allow anonymous proposals and passing, and refer matters of authority, safety, law, employment, and professional judgement to a separate formal check.
Adjust for people and time
With 4 participants, work as one group. With 5–32, divide the total by 4 and round up to determine the number of groups. Distribute people so group sizes differ by no more than 1 person; each group of 2–4 develops a 3-column proposal. Bring back activities, consistency, discretion, and sources to check with, not personal names. Do not combine proposals when an affected perspective is absent. With 33 or more participants, run separate sessions.
Safety and non-applicable situations
Do not rank people or roles, or ask one person to speak for a whole group. Retain proposals as candidates when affected perspectives are absent. Refer authority, law, employment, safety, and professional judgement to formal checks. Do not use the method where authority or safety responsibilities are unresolved.
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: Five Structural Elements; Steps and Time Allocation; Attribution
https://www.liberatingstructures.com/integrated-autonomy
Adaptation under CC-BY-SA-4.0; changes made
- Conditions of CC-BY-SA-4.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
CC-BY-SA-4.0
Current-page licence notice
This explanation is an adaptation for Taiwa no Fumen based on the official Liberating Structures page linked below. The manuscript's recorded references are listed separately from the web page checked on 17 October 2026.
Changes: the Japanese explanation and facilitation plan have been edited for Taiwa no Fumen. The English edition translates that Japanese manuscript; it is not a verbatim translation of the official page.
The LS-adapted text on this page, including this site's editorial and translation contributions, is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. When reusing it, credit the creators, identify the source and licence, indicate changes, and follow the licence's ShareAlike terms when sharing adaptations.
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Credits on the checked source page
- Developed by: Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless
Source page checked on 2026-10-17: Integrated ~ Autonomy.
Source lineage
- Original repertoire (2013): Henri Lipmanowicz, Keith McCandless
- 2026 Fieldbook: Keith McCandless, Nancy White
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International · Legal code · Official source policy
This material-specific notice does not itself establish publication clearance. Preserved manuscript references above remain separate from the current page's credits and licence evidence.
Diagram, print, and video language
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