Purpose-To-Practice

Purpose

Purpose-To-Practice (P2P) helps a group design the five essential elements of a resilient, self-organising initiative: Purpose, Principles, Participants, Structure, and Practices. By working through these sequentially, the group builds an initiative that is grounded, coherent, and ready for action. Use it when launching a new team, project, network, or movement that needs a shared operating framework.

At a glance

• Group size: 8–40 people
• Duration: 120 minutes
• Difficulty: Advanced
• Facilitation style: Structured
• Setting: Indoor / Remote-friendly

How to run

1. Purpose (20 min): Use 1-2-4-All to answer: "Why is this work needed? What will be different because of it?" Craft a shared purpose statement.
2. Principles (20 min): Ask: "What rules must we follow to achieve this purpose?" Use Min Specs thinking to identify 3–5 non-negotiable principles.
3. Participants (15 min): Ask: "Who must be involved? Who can contribute? Who will be affected?" Map the stakeholder landscape.
4. Structure (25 min): Ask: "How will we organise? What roles, decision rights, and coordination mechanisms are needed?" Design the minimal viable structure.
5. Practices (25 min): Ask: "What will we actually do? What habits, rituals, and metrics will keep us aligned?" Define concrete practices.
6. Integration and next steps (15 min): Review all five elements for coherence. Assign immediate actions.

Materials needed

• Five flip charts (one per element)
• Sticky notes and markers
• Printed P2P template
• Timer

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Rushing through Purpose — everything else depends on it. Spend the time needed.
• Over-designing Structure before Practices are clear — structure should serve practices, not the other way around.
• Treating it as a one-time exercise — revisit and revise as the initiative evolves.

Inclusion & accessibility

• The use of 1-2-4-All within each element ensures broad participation.
• Make all five flip charts visible throughout so the group can see the emerging whole.
• For remote: use a shared digital template (Miro or equivalent) with five sections.
• Build in breaks during this long session.

Variations

• P2P Sprint: Compress to 90 minutes for an experienced group with a clear mandate.
• P2P with Ecocycle: After the initial design, use Ecocycle Planning to audit existing practices.
• P2P retrospective: Apply P2P after a project to assess what was designed well and what drifted.

When NOT to use this

Avoid P2P when the group does not have the authority or mandate to actually shape the initiative — designing purpose and structure without power to implement creates frustration.

Source & further reading

Developed by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless as part of Liberating Structures. See liberatingstructures.com.