Amplify Freedom and Responsibility with Liberating Structures - 15% Solutions

How it used to go

She had tried many times. Seriously tried.
Give more space. Steer less. Express trust.

And yet she ended each week with the same feeling: why does so little happen without me?
The team was capable. Experienced enough. Ideas too. But when things got tense, people looked at her. Waiting. Sometimes expectantly.

In meetings, many observations came to the table. Problems were identified. Improvements suggested. And almost always the conversation ended with the same sentence:

“We need to work this out further.”

Who exactly that “we” was remained unclear.
She recognized her own role in this. She often took over. Not from power, but from care. She wanted to maintain momentum. Help. Protect from hassle from above.

Slowly she began to see the effect. By carrying everything herself, she had unintentionally made the space for others smaller.
Not because she had no trust.
But because she always solved it.

A new structure

During a meeting where once again much was said and little was decided, she did something different than usual.
She said: “I’m not going to propose solutions today.”

That alone raised eyebrows.
Instead, she introduced 15% Solutions. She explained it briefly:

“I’m not looking for big plans or permission. Just this: what can you do yourself, within your influence?”

She wrote down one question:
“What is one step you can take, without needing anyone else?”

People were given some time to think. Some leaned back. Others started writing immediately.
Then they exchanged in small groups. Not to convince each other, but to sharpen their ideas.

Is this really mine?
Can I do this tomorrow?

She noticed that she wanted to intervene. Add to ideas. Improve.
She didn’t do it.

What was liberated

What became visible was action space.
Not grand. No strategic breakthroughs. But concrete steps that suddenly came closer. A conversation someone could have. An appointment that could be different. An experiment that felt small enough to try.

The conversation changed in tone. Less abstract. Less dependent. People spoke not about what “should be”, but about what they themselves were going to do.

Something unexpected emerged: energy.
Not loud. But determined.

She saw people sit up straight. As if something was being returned that they had unconsciously surrendered.

What shifted

In the weeks that followed, the pattern began to tilt.
People came back to their 15%. Shared what they had tried. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. But the conversation was no longer about permission, but about learning.

After other teams heard about the success of this simple adjustment, they wanted to use it too. In a joint quarterly reflection with all teams, she taught everyone to use 15% Solutions and also added What I Need From You (WINFY).

“What do we need from other teams — and what do they specifically ask of us?”

With 1-2-4-All she had each team share at the end of each session which small steps really made a difference. This made visible which initiatives deserved follow-up.

Slowly a new habit emerged. Not waiting until something was picked up, but starting yourself — and taking each other seriously in this. And making needs specific and expressing them to each other.

The culture shifted from asking for space to taking and carrying space.
And her role changed along with it. Less solving. More following. And occasionally adjusting where needed.