Whoever asks for help always gets the same kind of help — regardless of what's needed.
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.
Troika Consulting practices the right order: understand first, advise only after.
For example: A colleague shares a challenge she's stuck on. Within ten seconds she gets three ready-made solutions — nobody first asked whether she actually wanted advice, or just someone to ask questions.
Liberating Structures for this situation:
Helping Heuristics
Helping Heuristics makes the type of help itself explicit and practices four forms in sequence: first just attentive listening with the single question "what else?", then guided discovery through follow-up questions, then careful advice via "would it be possible that...?", and only last an exchange of ideas as equals.
An observer notices at each round when the person accepts or blocks an offer. That makes it visible that "jumping straight to solutions" is just one of four possible kinds of help — and often not the one that was asked for.
Troika Consulting
Troika Consulting then structurally practices the most commonly requested form: the client shares their challenge, two consultants first ask only clarifying questions — no solutions — and only afterward, while the client listens silently, do they give advice.
That order — understand first, advise only after — prevents exactly the reflex of offering a ready-made solution before the question is properly understood.
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.