The decision has already been made — what follows is just a sales pitch.
Recognize this situation? Below are the Liberating Structures that change it — a concrete example, and the reason this one fits here. New to Liberating Structures? Here's what it is.
For example: Management asks for "input" on a reorganization. Halfway through the session it becomes clear the new structure has already been approved by the board — the session was meant to get the team "used to it" in advance, not to change anything.
Liberating Structures for this situation:
Wicked Questions
Wicked Questions can't undo the decision here — that's not what this structure is for. What it can do: make the tension itself nameable. Each participant writes down two truths that hold at once — for example "we're here to give input" and "the decision is already made" — then turns that into a Wicked Question using the fixed template "How can we be ___ while at the same time being ___?"
That doesn't change the outcome, but it does keep the tension from staying completely unspoken. You know you've got a good Wicked Question by the reaction: if the group lets out an "argh!", they recognize themselves in the paradox — and there's at least some honesty about what this session is, and isn't.
No certification, no lengthy prep — read the steps and try it at your next meeting.
Keep exploring
Browse the full list of 43 structures, or get support if this situation is too complex to facilitate yourself.