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Wise crowds

Wise Crowds enables individuals to receive real-time, peer-based consultation and support from a group. 
What Is Made Possible
  • Instant peer consulting: Individuals (called “clients”) can present a challenge and receive immediate, thoughtful input from a group of peers acting as consultants.
  • Collective intelligence in action: The structure taps into the expertise, creativity, and experience of everyone in the group - often producing insights that surpass those of a single expert.
  • Scalable support: Wise Crowds works in small groups or with large gatherings, making it flexible for everything from team retrospectives to large-scale events.
  • Deeper self-awareness: Clients gain clarity and new perspectives on their challenges, while consultants sharpen their listening and inquiry skills.
  • Culture of mutual support: It normalizes asking for help and builds trust and transparency, strengthening relationships across the group.
  • Cumulative learning: As participants rotate roles (client, consultant, observer) they benefit from multiple perspectives and repeated practice.

  • Time needed

    60 minutes 

  • Preparation

    1. Miro Board (online) or paper (F2F)
    2. Split into smaller groups (4-6 people) - prepare the rooms online in Teams

  • How to start

    1. Ask each participant when his or her turn comes to be the “client” to briefly describe his or her challenge and ask others for help.
    2. Ask the other participants to act as a group of “consultants” whose task it is to help the “client” clarify his or her challenge and to offer advice or recommendations.

  • Step-by-step and timing

    1. Each person requesting a consult (the client) gets fifteen minutes broken down as follows:
      • The client presents the challenge and request for help. (2 min).
      • The consultants ask the client clarifying questions. (3 min).
      • The client turns his or her back to the consultants and gets ready to take notes
      • The consultants ask questions and offer advice, and recommendations, working as a team, while the client has his or her back turned. (8 min).
      • The client provides feedback to the consultants: what was useful and what he or she takes away. (2 min).

  • Hints

    1. Invite a very diverse crowd to help (not only the experts and leaders)
    2. Avoid having some participants choosing not to be clients: everybody has at least one challenge!
    3. If the first round is weak, try a second round

  • Examples of use

    1. Refine skills in giving, receiving, and asking for help
    2. Tap the intelligence of a whole group without time-consuming up and sideways presentations
    3. Practice listening without defending

  • Link with other Liberating Structures

    Link with:

    9 Whys

    Appreciative interviews

    Heard, seen, respected

    Helping Heuristics

    Troika consulting

    What I need from you

     

  • Link to Liberating Structures page

    Wise crowds

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