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Generative relationships

The STAR framework helps groups understand how they work together and identify concrete ways to improve their collaboration and performance. It empowers all members to diagnose relationship patterns and take collective action—without needing external facilitators.
What It Makes Possible:
  • Shared Insight: Everyone in the group contributes to diagnosing how generative (productive, creative, and resilient) their relationships are.
  • Self-Directed Change: The group identifies and commits to changes together, fostering ownership and accountability.
  • Progress Tracking: The STAR compass can be reused over time to evaluate improvements and guide ongoing development.
How It Works:
  • The STAR compass maps relationship dynamics across key dimensions.
  • It reveals where relationships are strong or strained.
  • It supports open dialogue and joint decision-making on how to evolve.

  • Time needed

    25 minutes

  • Preparation

    1. Miro Board (online) or paper (F2F) Split into smaller groups (4 people) - prepare the rooms online in TeamsPrepare STAR compass graphic for rooms/groups and one for whole group)

  • How to start

    1. Invite participants to assess their working group or team in terms of four attributes:
      • S (Separateness): How diverse are we as a group? Do we draw out our diverse perspectives among members?
      • T (Tuning): How well are we in tune with one another?
      • A (Action): How much do we act together?
      • R (Reason): How important is it that we work together? How clear is our purpose?

  • Step-by-step and timing

    1. Participants individually assess where the team is in regard to each of the four elements (5 mins)
    2. In small groups, participants place a dot along each compass point, then talk with their neighbors (1-2-4) about their placements, looking for consensus and differences (5 min)
    3. Small groups decide what type of results are generated by the pattern of interaction they have identified (e.g., high Tuning + no Action = we get along well but accomplish little, high Action + low Tuning = routine results with no innovation, high Tuning + high Separateness + high Action + low Reason = many false starts, etc.) (5 min)
    4. Brainstorm action steps to boost elements that need attention (5 min)
    5. Whole group assembles list of action steps and decides “What first steps can we take right now?” (5 min)

  • Hints

    1. Avoid making right or wrong judgments about where people assess the team
    2. Finish the activity with at least one specific action for each participant
    3. Make sure that who is going to do what by when is clear for all

  • Examples of use

    1. Improve the performance of a team and help become more self-managing and autonomous
    2. Step away from blaming individuals and move toward understanding their patterns of interaction

  • Link with other Liberating Structures

    Separateness:

    Conversation Café

    Shift and share

    What 3 debrief

    Tuning:

    Agree certainty matrix

    Heard, seen, respected

    Troika consulting

    Wise crowds

    Action:

    15% Solutions

    25/10 Crowd Sourcing

    Min specs

    Open space

    Reason:

    9 Whys

    What I need from you

    Next steps:

    1-2-4-All

  • Link to Liberating Structures page

    Generative relationships

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