Liberating Structures
Panarchy
Understand how embedded systems interact, evolve, spread innovation and transform. Panarchy helps you see the full ecosystem of your challenge by surfacing connections across scales—from micro to macro—so you can identify leverage points and design interventions that work with (not against) the system’s natural rhythms.
Panarchy
What is made possible - What it unlocks
Panarchy opens up a systems view that reveals hidden interdependencies and feedback loops. Participants gain clarity on how small, fast cycles (like daily team habits) nest within slower, larger cycles (like organizational culture or market trends). This structure makes visible the adaptive cycles that drive change—and helps you spot where to intervene for maximum impact.
When to use it
- When you’re stuck in a pattern and need to see the bigger picture
- To map out how change ripples across different levels of a system
- When designing interventions that need to work at multiple scales
- To understand why some changes stick and others don’t
- When you want to anticipate unintended consequences
- To build adaptive capacity in teams or organizations
- When exploring resilience, transformation, or system collapse
- To connect strategic thinking with day-to-day practice
🛠️ The five design elements of Panarchy
Each Liberating Structure consists of five simple design elements to make participation possible for everyone. By shaping these elements with care, you move beyond rigid control or chaos and create space for people to contribute, listen, and co-create.
- 1. The Invitation
- 2. Setup & Materials
- 3. Participation Flow
- 4. Group Configuration
- 5. Sequence & Timing
How you frame the purpose or question that sets the focus and energy of the group.
Invite participants to identify what is contributing to the existence of a challenge at levels above and below them. Ask them also to specify different strategies and opportunities for change within each level and across multiple levels.
“What adaptive cycles are at play in our system? How do small, fast cycles connect to larger, slower ones? Where are we in each cycle—and what does that tell us about what’s possible right now?”
The arrangement of space and which tools or resources are needed to support interaction.
- A room with an unobstructed flat wall and open space for participants to stand comfortably in front of the wall
- A blank Panarchy chart handout (nested loops showing different scales/speeds)
- A large wall-poster or flip-chart version of the Panarchy chart (download free worksheet below)
- Post-it notes in multiple colors and markers for each participant
- Flip-chart pages for the Panarchy graphic
- Online: digital whiteboard with online version of the Panarchy chart
- Optional: images or examples of adaptive cycles (growth, conservation, release, reorganization)
Who gets a voice and how everyone is actively included in the process.
- Everyone involved in spreading a transformation or innovation effort is included
- Everyone has an equal opportunity to contribute
How people are arranged (alone, small groups, or all together) and how this shifts during the activity.
- Individuals, pairs, groups of 4, whole group: 1-2-4-All
The step-by-step flow of the activity and the time given to each step to keep energy and focus.
- Introduce the idea of the Panarchy (and the Ecocycle if needed). Show an example (download free worksheet below for supporting materials). (5 min)
- Invite participants to work individually to generate the set of system levels that influence the spread of their ideas/innovation in three steps.
- First step alone to make a list of factors by asking, “What are the smallest-to-the-largest factors influencing your/our chances for success?” Include micro (particles, individual people, teams), meso (organizations, networks), and macro (culture, politics, myths) factors that contribute to the existence of the challenge being addressed. (5 min)
- Second step in pairs to “translate” the factors into levels and create labels for each level (4–7 levels are sufficient). (10 min)
- Third step in groups of four to compare their levels and finalize their chart with Post-its. (10 min)
- If there are multiple groups of four, create a single chart, by inviting each group to place any levels not previously included on the larger chart. (10 min)
- Invite participants to work in groups of four to reflect on the following questions: “At which levels have attention and resources been invested so far? Which levels have been neglected? What do I/we know about the status and dynamics in play at the different levels?” (10 min)
- In the whole group, share reflections from a few groups. (5 min)
- Ask groups of two or four to explore one level in depth with the Ecocycle. Each group should pick one of the 4-7 levels. Distribute people with experience at the different levels to those groups. Ask, “At this level, what is going on right now and what actions are being taken for the challenge that our innovation addresses? Is the response to the challenge in an entrepreneurial (birth), bureaucratic/management (maturity), heretical (creative destruction), or renewal phase?” Create a rough draft of Ecocycle assessments for this level. (15 min)
- Collect the Ecocycle assessments from the groups. Each group presents the Ecocycle assessment of their level briefly. (10 min)
- In small groups, brainstorm a list of obstacles and opportunities in regard to efforts to spread ideas/innovations. Ask, “Looking up and down the levels, what opportunities and obstacles do you see for changes across the levels? What windows for new ideas are opening above? What resources are flowing downward from creative destruction unfolding above? What small-scale developments from below are disrupting the level above?” Encourage the groups to go wild and have fun. (15 min)
- Prioritize the opportunities and obstacles that emerge. (10 min)
- For each opportunity and obstacle on your list, create one first-action step using 1-2-4 by asking, “What action can you take immediately to influence levels above and below you?” And, “Who do you know that has influence in more than one level simultaneously?” (10 min)
- Share action steps with the whole group by placing Post-it notes on each level of the large Panarchy chart. (15 min)
- Invite the group to take a close look at the chart. Use What, So What, Now What? (W3) to make sense of and prioritize all of the possible next steps. (15 min)
- Revisit and update the Panarchy chart periodically as the group continues work to spread its innovation.
Total time: 145 minutes
Online version
Adapted for virtual use, with the same impact
Use the same steps as described above. Make sure to have a digital whiteboard ready with a large Panarchy template (use the free worksheet below for all supporting materials).
For every level in the Panarchy you prepare an empty Ecocycle template (again, use the free worksheet. You can find on the Ecocycle Planning page).
Use breakout rooms every time you work in smaller groups.
Total time: 160 minutes
Solo version
Adapted for individual use and personal development
- Review the Panarchy concept and look at an example chart showing nested system levels (like individual → team → organization → sector → society). Have a blank Panarchy worksheet ready with space for 4-7 nested loops. (5 min)
- Write down your challenge or innovation at the top of your page. Then list all the system levels that influence this challenge – from the smallest/fastest (daily habits, personal interactions) to the largest/slowest (cultural norms, policy frameworks, global trends). Aim for 4-7 distinct levels. (10 min)
- Sketch these levels as nested loops on your Panarchy chart, with the fastest/smallest cycles in the bottom and slowest/largest on the top. Label each level clearly. (5 min)
- Reflect on these questions and write your observations: On which levels have you (or others) invested attention and resources? Which levels have been neglected? What do you know about the status and dynamics at each level? (10 min)
- Choose one level to explore in depth. Using the Ecocycle framework, assess: What’s happening at this level right now regarding your challenge? Is the response in an entrepreneurial phase (birth), bureaucratic/management phase (maturity), heretical phase (creative destruction), or renewal phase? Make notes or sketch a rough Ecocycle for this level. (10 min)
- Repeat step 5 for 2-3 other key levels that seem most important to your challenge. (20-30 min)
- Step back and look at your full Panarchy map. Write down what you notice about cross-level dynamics: What windows for new ideas are opening at larger scales? What resources or energy might be flowing downward from creative destruction happening above? What small-scale developments from your level might be disrupting the level above? (15 min)
- Make two lists: opportunities and obstacles you see for creating change across these levels. Be playful and imaginative – include wild ideas. (10 min)
- Review your lists and mark the 3-5 opportunities or obstacles that feel most important or actionable right now. (5 min)
- For each priority item, write one concrete first action you could take to influence levels above or below you. Also note: Who do you know that has influence across multiple levels simultaneously? (10 min)
- Add your action steps to your Panarchy chart, placing each note at the relevant level. Step back and look at the whole picture. (5 min)
- Use What, So What, Now What? to make sense of your Panarchy map: What patterns do you see? Why does this matter? What will you do next? Prioritize your action steps. (15 min)
- Set a reminder to revisit and update your Panarchy chart regularly (monthly or quarterly) as you continue working on your challenge. (2 min)
Total time: ~120 minutes
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All Liberating Structures in 1 e-book
All Liberating Structures (44!) including explanations, visual step-by-step guide, and worksheets in a handy workbook for € 11,-
- Simple methods for big changes
- Have interactions that truly matter
- Build a culture of innovation step by step
- Involve and activate everyone in the group
Proven over decades
🧠 Why it works
Liberating Structures are not magic tricks—they work because they tap into how people naturally think, connect, and collaborate. Each structure is carefully designed to unlock participation, spark creativity, and build trust, using principles grounded in social science and human interaction.
Attribution: Adapted by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless from the work of professor Frances Westley (see, e.g., Gunderson and Holling, Panarchy: Understanding Transformations in Human and Natural Systems)
Systems Perspective
Panarchy reveals how nested systems interact across scales, helping you see the forest and the trees at once.
Temporal Awareness
By mapping fast and slow cycles, you understand timing—when to push, when to pause, when to pivot.
Adaptive Capacity
It builds resilience by showing where systems are vulnerable and where they're ripe for transformation.
Collective Sensemaking
Visualizing the whole system together creates shared understanding and reveals hidden interdependencies.
Riffs and Variations
Start with creative constraints to learn this structure and then... go liberate yourself and try some variations.
- Personal Development: Use Panarchy for individuals by asking, “What is contributing to the existence of your challenge at levels above and levels below you? What elements are perpetuating the challenge you are facing? What are the different speeds for effecting changes at each of the levels?”
- Crisis Edition: Focus only on release and reorganization phases—what’s breaking down and what’s emerging?
- Strategy Sprint: Use Panarchy to map your competitive landscape and identify where to play
- Team Health Check: Apply it to team dynamics—what cycles are supporting or draining energy?
- Policy Design: Map policy interventions across scales to anticipate ripple effects
- Future Scenarios: Combine with scenario planning to explore how different futures might unfold
Tips
Lessons learned from other facilitators.
- Start with a concrete example to ground the concept (e.g., forest fires, economic cycles)
- Use 1-2-4-All for all or most of the steps even if it feels like a chore: the objective is to identify ALL opportunities and obstacles at ALL levels! Let people sit with the complexity.
- Include people or perspectives from each level (the more participants, the better)
- Look to research when you are unfamiliar with dynamics at smaller and bigger scales
- Use visuals and metaphors—Panarchy can feel abstract at first
- Encourage participants to name cycles in their own language
- Look for “revolts” (fast cycles disrupting slow ones) and “remember” (slow cycles stabilizing fast ones)
Traps
Don't make the same mistakes.
- Overcomplicating the map with too many cycles—keep it focused
- Do not neglect history and its role in defining what is possible at each level.
- Treating Panarchy as purely analytical—it’s also about intuition and pattern recognition
- Forgetting that systems are always in motion—what’s true today may shift tomorrow
- Skipping the action step—insights without application don’t create change
Try it with…
The real power of Liberating Structures emerges when you combine them into "strings." Link different structures together to build on insights and create more powerful results. Here are some nice combinations:
- Critical Uncertainties – to explore how different cycles might evolve under uncertainty
- Ecocycle Planning – to decide what to birth, mature, release, or reorganize
- Integrated~Autonomy – to balance local action with system-wide coordination
- What, So What, Now What? (W3) – to debrief your Panarchy map and move to action
- 15% Solutions – to identify small moves within the adaptive cycles you’ve mapped
Field stories
To get to know Liberating Structures without having used them yourself, it helps to see familiar situations from real-life practice. Chances are that you or your team have faced one of these challenges before. Discover how to approach these kinds of situations in a fresh and engaging way.
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Download the PDF explanation incl. worksheet
Would you like a clear, well-designed visual explanation of Panarchy? It’s yours!
This download also includes an extra worksheet so you can run the structure fully by yourself: a poster with examples of a Panarchy (with nested Ecocycles)
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Panarchy
Understand how embedded systems interact, evolve, spread innovation and transform.
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