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Idea Generation Brain Storming

Support Materials for Mad Tea and 10x10

Mad Tea is a LS in development. We are searching for a sharper statement of what is made possible by Mad Tea and we might glean some insights by looking across these materials. 10x10 is a riff of Mad Tea. As we use these structures, we improvise and evolve new sets of questions. This page is to share our questions/invitations as emergent and possibly useful riffs and variations. There may be other nascent LS with similar needs. So think of this as some collective Improv Prototyping as well! Feel free to add yours, comment on others and PLAY!

References to Base Information:
Mad Tea http://www.liberatingstructures.com/mad-tea/
10x10: Inspired by MQ Patten’s work on Developmental Evaluation (http://aea365.org/blog/michael-quinn-patton-on-developmental-evaluation-applying-complexity-concepts-to-enhance-innovation-and-use/)
Evolving & developing Mad Tea (there is a discussion going on about the meta-structure/dramaturgy/sequence of the questions:
https://trello.com/c/6shG4SKG/162-mad-tea-party

Original Mad Tea Sequence?
What first inspired me in this work is…
Something we must learn to live with is…
An uncertainty we must creatively adapt to is…
What I find challenging in our current situation is…
Before we make our next move, we cannot neglect to...
Something we should stop doing (or divest) is…
What I hope can happen for us in this work is…
A big opportunity I see for us is…
If we do nothing, the worst thing that can happen for us is…
A courageous conversation we are not having is…
An action or practice helping us move forward is…
A project that gives me confidence we are transforming is…
Something we need to research is…
A bold idea I recommend is…
A question that is emerging for me is…
When all is said and done, I want to...
Something I plan to do is...

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Random Good Open Sentences
A crack in the sidewalk means…
An experience when I was overwhelmed was…
In my life I am responsible for…
In my work I have the freedom to…

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Inspired by Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies and Salvador Dali’s Absurdism
An outrageous idea I have is…
A voice I need to stop listening to is...
The world can never have enough of…
An extravagance I can accentuate is...
A self-indulgence I can be more disciplined with is...
Something I can make more definite is...
A garden that needs tending is...
Something we can make more sensual is...
An extreme we can go towards is...
An extreme we should pull back from is...
Something we are searching for is...
Something we have found is...
A bridge we should build is...
A bridge we should burn is...
Some advice we should accept is…
My body is telling me we are...
We can make our work dirtier by...
A vital connection we should cut is...
If we do nothing, the worst that can happen is...
A silence that needs breaking is...
We will be finished when...
Something we should repeat again and again is...
An old idea worth revisiting is...

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Inspired by David Byrne & the Tom Tom Club
In this wild, wild life we are...
When I stay up late, I am thinking about...
Once in a lifetime you should...
A house that needs burning down is...
The road to nowhere is leading us...
Take me to the river called...
Artists are only good for...
A memory that can't wait is...
The genius of love is that it...
Don't say no to...
On, on, on, on we go forward towards...
It's time to bounce when...
I confess that...

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Pixies Sequence
(references LS in development, Talking with Pixies, http://www.liberatingstructures.com/storage/articles-nascent-ls/Talking%20with%20Pixies%202.4.pptx and http://goo.gl/forms/oyBsPgFOQY)
My worthy-yet-elusive goals are…
I undermine my own progress by…
I make progress by…
What’s important for me to hold onto is…
I am resisting counterproductive forces by...
What is true about my commitments is…
A paradoxical reality I must face up to is...
When all is said and done, I am committed to...
The worst thing anyone could say about me is…
The best thing people could say about me is…
A myth that needs turning is...
My hope is that people see me as…
I threshold I need to cross is…
I can make my work more dynamic by…
I am haunted by the memory of...
The most productive harm I can do is…

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Inspired by Joanna Macy and included in Griefwalking (http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/1272828/27455047/1487271946207/GriefWalking+3.pdf?token=YOikydru6uW0BRFQ13DZi8Bg%2FZY%3D)
Yes it is true that…
It is hard because…
I will always remember/never forget…
If I could let go it would be possible to…

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Liquid Courage sequence (a derivative of Impromptu Networking) (http://www.liberatingstructures.com/2-impromptu-networking/)
If only…
It/they make me…
I have to…
...that’s just the way it is.
When all is said and done, I want…

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Liquid Courage TRIZ sequence
If only I could stop...
Trying to stop makes me...
In order to stop, I must...
It will be stopped when...
When I stop it will be possible to...

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Bob Dylan Song Title Sequence
What takes my breath away is…
I shall be released from…
Don’t think twice it’s alright because…
If I gotta serve somebody I want it to be…
I want shelter from the storm called…
I am all tangled up in…
Most of the time, I…
...is gonna make me lonesome when they go.
A simple twist of fate would make it possible to…
All I really want to do is…
When the deal goes down I will…
To be forever young we should stop…
Some productive trouble I have in mind is…
Beyond the horizon is…

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DaAD Sequence (reference http://www.liberatingstructures.com/10-discovery-action-dialogue/ ? )
I hope to get...from today's session.
I know a team is dysfunctional when....
I contribute to this dysfunction by....
Working on ineffective teams makes me....
...often prevents teams from working well together.
A team I worked on that overcame these challenges was....
A practice or behavior we implemented was....

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Lynda Barry memory questions: http://thenearsightedmonkey.tumblr.com/post/17248396240/dear-my-great-what-it-is-class-re-stories
Pick any noun (cars, candy, toy, etc)
Invite everyone to write down 10 of those objects they remember
Select one that is particularly sharp
Write three separate memories about that object
Select one that is particularly sharp
Answer the following questions about that memory:
What time of day (or night) does it seem to be?
Where is the light coming from?
What time of day is it?
Where are you?
What is the season?
What’s the temperature like?
What does the air smell like?
About how old are you?
Is there anyone else there with you?
What are you doing?
What are some of the sounds? What can you hear?
Why are you there?
What are some of the objects around you? What are some of the things you can see when you look around?
What’s directly in front of you?
If you turn to your right, what’s in that direction?
To your left?
Behind you?
Below and around your feet?
Above your head? What do you see?
There’s something else missing, what is it?
Read back through your lists. Circle the 3 most unusual words.
Start composing the first 2 sentences of a story and include those 3 words...

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Liberating Learning Ideas:
What takes my breath away is….
Higher ed can use a little more….
Learning is liberated when….
I don’t need permission to….
All I want is….
A conversation that scares me is….
What gives me courage is….
If we do nothing, the worst thing that can happen is….
Some productive trouble I have in mind is….
I can’t wait to….

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Greg’s positivity slant
The best part is…
If only I could I would…
The surprising outcome would be…
What would help the most is…
At the end of the day…

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Udo & Hamburg LS Workshop Courageous Decisions Sequence
Questions we used for our "Making courageous decisions" user group meeting:
I find it particularly easy to make decisions when…
I feel the strong need to postpone a decision when…
Decisions take courage when...
My last really courageous decision was…
An area where I ought to make a courageous decision is…

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Kaospilots 10x10 punctuating before a Appreciative Interview
My character has been most challenged by/when….
I have noticed that I progress in my practice and learning when I…
I have found most joy in learning when I…
This year, I have discovered that work in groups is much easier and more effective, when I….
From my experience this semester, I am surprised to learn that I am capable of…
This year, I have shown courage by/when…
From my experience this semester, I am surprised to learn that I struggle with…
When I get annoyed in meetings/class, I must confess that I sometimes…
As a first year student, I have been most confused about…
From this year, I am very proud of…

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Kaospilots 10x10 punctuating before a TRIZ
I could practice my toughness by…
In order to avoid getting discouraged with my practice, I should…
In order to become a more effective project leader, I should focus on…
My current practice could use more…
My current practice has a bit too much…
In order for my practice to progress, I need to stop…
I feel more inspired and curious about exploring my sense of direction when I…
If I could stop comparing myself to others, my practice would…
My relationship with the methods would feel even easier and more natural if I were to…
With regards to my practice and learning, I am grateful for…

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Journaling prompts to bring some self-reflection into your day
Something unexpected that happened today was ...
I don't like that I'm feeling X about Y ...
An amazing thought I had today ...
What I wish I'd done differently today ...
A thought I couldn't get rid of today ...
A person I'm thinking about today ...
Today I was grateful for ...
I am liable for…
I am reliably…
An inalienable attribute of myself is…
In my work I have the freedom to...
In my life I am responsible for...
When all is said and done I want...
In (x time - 6 months? 5 years?) I hope to remember about today...
As a result of today I'm more curious about...
A thought or feeling I couldn't shake today is...
Don't worry, it's alright because...
Something from today I want to repeat over and over again is...
A corner I'm turning...
Up around the bend is...
Just over the horizon I can see...
Something that come into focus today was...
A question I am asking myself...
The shoe that’s about to drop is...
A voice that needs silencing...
A voice that needs a microphone...
When i listen, the quiet voice is saying...
A dangerous thought I had today...

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Mad tea I used as opening to a workshop
The best thing about the job I do is..
I find it really frustrating when..
If I was in charge I would…
What matters to me is…
My best source of support is….
I find the most difficult patients/colleagues are…..
The best thing that has happened to me at work in the last 12 month is….
The thing that I find most scary at work is….
What embarrasses me most about the place I work……
What makes me proud of where I work is……
What I hope to get out of today is…

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Mindfulness and compassion @ work is needed because…
What first inspired me in this work is...
A compassionate practice I bring to work is…
My heart opens whenever I...
Dogma I have cast aside is…
I know I am being mindless when…
A time I abandoned reason for love is…
My worldly expertise became utterly useless when…
A time when my desires and attachments to things vanished is…
I glimpsed that everything is connected when…
A truly awesome experience that rearranged reality for me is…
I lose track of time and myself when…
A surprise that unfolded in this Mad Tea is…

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With a bow to Bill Withers, The Byrd's, Cyndi Lauper, the Eurythmics, Michael Jackson, Ozzy Osborne et al
Something we should just let be is...
Something we should make happen...
Someplace we should go wandering...
I am numb to...
A song we should play over and and over again...
Someone I would follow...
I can no longer grasp...
When I slip...
Something we are ready for...
I would like someone to lead me towards...
I can always lean on...
When people lean on me it feels...
It is time for/to...
Something I want to turn, turn, turn is...
A change that's comin'...
I need to embrace...
An idea that's become for me rigid… It
The water surrounding us is...
We need to keep our eyes open for...
We keep spinning our wheels on...
A call/signal that needs heeding...
We are being changed by...
Something that was never under our control...
Something we thought was under our command...
When I woke I up this morning, I had... In my eyes.
The strangers that visited me in my dreams were...
A weird feeling I've had recently...
A ride/trip I want to go on...
Something I recently did wrong was...
A circle I'm caught up in...
I have trouble hearing...
When I'm lost, I look for...
Someone I trust to catch me is...
In the darkness, I'm usually thinking about...
I try to escape time by...
After some time, I think I will...
Something/one we should let in...
I wonder who made/thought of/discovered/invented...
Someone/thing we can't live without...
We're good enough because...
An expectation I need to let go of...
I feel a rush when...
A superstition that guides me...
When time is standing still for me, it usually means...
I've had enough of...
The Bell is tolling for...
Something polluting our minds is...
I never wanna miss...
I am paranoid about...
A fire that needs tending/fueling...
All I really wanna do is...
When I scream it is usually about...
I often forget the name of...
A dream I have that's never gonna happen...
Who am I to disagree with...
Hold your head up because...
We are movin on from...
Some of them want to... (That one's a little weird and sinister)
Everybody's looking for...
We should be dancing to...
A fever we ought to catch...
We need to get closer to...
We should stay far from...
We can never stop...
When the reaper comes, I will...
There's no need to fear the reaper because...
When the beat drops, I will...
Something we should just stop trying to find...
My favorite thing to share with others...
Imagine what it's like to...
When I feel the heat it's time to...

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Direct from The Rolling Stones, so a little more raw than cooked. Remix and wild it up. I am becoming a fan of the compound Mad Teas...
let me tell you how...
i am the...
of all the things ive lost, the thing i miss most is...
when the dogs bark it means...
hey you, get off of my...
this could be the last time...
this is the first time...
tomorrow will bring the same...
i cant seem to get any...
we'll never again...
i can believe that...
i have no sympathy for...
please allow me to introduce myself, i am a...
something/one ive washed my hands of...
when i see it is time for a change i usually...
i shouted out...
i have a taste for...
tell me, what is puzzling you...
our nature is to...
something confusing i can tell you is...
something/one on my side...
i never got my money back for...
the game is designed to...
i always go running back to...
i live on...
when i sit at home imagining the world, what comes to mind...
an episodic absurdity i experience...
time flies like a...
i am so very proud of...
i hate myself when...
don't hang around...
i have a heart of...
i still wonder why...
when all by myself, i am usually...
something in me that will never be broken...
something different about (us, LS, any other topic) is...
The breakdown I am waiting for is...
I can't hide that...
If I stop and look around, I see...
Here it goes, did you know...
I sit and watch...
The smiling faces I see around me make me feel...
I want to hear...
All I hear is the sound of...
I want to paint all the doors...
I've never learned to hold back...
Some facts I need to face...
I could not foresee...
I march to the beat of...
I am under the thumb of...
Let's spend some time...
I once got pushed around by...
The difference in... is that it...
I've started changing my ways with...
It's down to me to...
In the shadows of my mind are...
It doesn't matter if... goes away.
I don't question why...
A way I've learned to be is...
Goodbye...
A dream that's slipped away...
A dream that I have almost caught...
Lose your dreams and you will...
An unkind person in my life is...
A generous gift I was once given...
You can't always get/have...
I have learned at the feet of...
If you try sometimes, you might find...
One time I went down to...
The last time I was standing in line, I noticed...
Today, I saw...
I am practiced at the art of...
I could tell by... that you are...
I need to be rescued from...
I need one more shot at...
We should tell every child that...
When it's time to fade away, I hope that...
We are just a... away from...
A fight worth getting bruised over is...
The time is right/ripe for...
You can't say we never tried to...
It's time we said goodbye to...
The best we can hope for...
It's ok, it's only...
I like it when...
There's nothing that comes close to...
Ain't it good to...
Hey you, why don't you tell me to...
I'm a fool for...
I'm finished waiting on/for...
I must admit that...
The awful truth is that...
When music plays, I...
I hide my pain by...
I think Mad Tea has made me cross...
I usually disappear on myself when...
Can you help me find...
I seem to have lost...
I get warmth from...
Don't stop believing...
An edge I'm sharpening is...
With or without... I'll be fine.
I still haven't found...
If we give our all, it would be possible to...
I can't stand...
I can't wait for...
My hands are tired from...
When there's nothing left to lose, we should...
As seen from above, we look like...
Viewed from below, we resemble...
There's no going back to...
We have the liberty to...

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From Marijke after a design session to select topics:
One thing that makes me so excited about my topic is…
What all of us are going to miss out on because we didn’t pick my topic is..
The ways my topic differs from the chosen one are…
The tiny bits or bigger parts that are connected in some way by both topics are…
One way how working on the chosen topic can benefit the understanding of my topic is…
One way the chosen topic is close to me, to the people around me or to the things I’m working on is…
One thing that excites me about the chosen topic is…
While working on this topic we should be mindful about…
One way this group, in this moment, in this meeting, can benefit from working on this topic is…

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From Bern 2018 LS Workshop:
What I really do not want to think about today is...
What I really do not want to think about today is...
It would be awesome to get to know someone here that…
A topic that concerns me at the moment is...
One of my many strengths is...
What bores me the most about my work is...
The most rewarding moment in my professional life this year was...
The most important values for me are...
When I first heard of Liberating Structures I thought...
A Liberating Structure I have already made experiences with is...
My goal for this workshop is...

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From Hamburg December 2018 Workshop:
A tiny, microcosmic detail that stood out to me was...
A metacosmic idea that I came to over the past two days was...
I learned that the kind of help I like to get is...
The kind of help that I like to give is...
A metaphor I have for Liberating Structures is...
For me, the most essential ingredient to make a Liberating Structure successful is...
A commitment I need to let go of is...
Facing my fear helped me to...
Tonight I think I will dream of...
A new strategy I see for myself is...
Next week I will use a Liberating Structure for...
Someone I knew before coming here was...
Someone I met here who inspired me was...
Someone I will invite (right now) into a conversation after this workshop is...

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From The Hague December 2018 Workshop:
I know I am making a difference when...
I lose track of time and myself when…
The people I serve and care about deeply are...
When I understand my role and purpose in a group, it is possible to...
I get distracted by…
What happens when I assume everyone shares my purpose is…
When a purpose is imposed on me, I…
What people might say if I neglected my highest purpose is…
A competing commitment with my deepest purpose is…
What people might say if I more vigorously pursued my highest purpose is…
What I hope can happen for the people I serve is...
To be more purposeful, one thing I will start doing is...

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Inspired by this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UewdiBh_52U&feature=youtu.be
When I’m annoyed I have a tendency to…
When I feel hurt I…
When I am tired I…
Around money, I can be a bit difficult because…
I guess I worry quite a bit about…
I suppose I might be a bit of a handful around… because…
A disgusting indulgence I have...
An indulgence I find disgusting in others...
I am desperate for...
Don't come to me about...
I don't care for...
I have no discipline around...
I've given up on...
No one should ever try to get me to...
I really want someone to provoke me into…
A small secret I am sharing with you is...

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For a team’s sprint retrospective
The way I like my eggs is… (warm up)
Something that went well this sprint was...
Something that went less well was…
Something that puzzled me was…
Something I am grateful for is…
Or
My current mindset is best described as …
Something I saw happening during the sprint that I am happy about is …
Something I saw happening during the sprint that I think we should improve on is …


last updated september 2019