Mad Tea
Mad Tea is a Liberating Structure in which participants complete a rapid series of open sentences about a shared challenge, each with a new partner. In the room, people stand in two concentric circles of facing pairs and rotate after every sentence, which needs at least twelve people; in the online version, called Calm Tea, which works from six, everyone types a completion into the chat and sends it at the same moment. It was developed by Henri Lipmanowicz, Nancy White and Keith McCandless and brings out many perspectives in a few minutes while raising the energy in the room.
Facilitation script
- 1
Give the invitation and say what the sentences are about.
1 min - 2
Form the two concentric circles of facing pairs.
2 min - 3
Explain the rhythm: complete, swap, bell, step right. Demonstrate one move.
2 min - 4
Run about eight sentence stems, roughly a minute and a half each, with a bell for each rotation.
12 min - 5
Plenary reflection: what differed, what was similar, what seems possible now.
5 min
Tips
The sentence stems carry the exercise, so write them for this group and this challenge and order them from easy and appreciative towards the more demanding ones.
Keep time strictly; the short turns are what stop people from preparing polished answers.
Expect the room to get loud and plan for it by showing each stem large enough to read from anywhere.
Common pitfalls
Generic sentence stems that could be used with any group, which produce small talk instead of anything about the challenge
Letting turns run long because conversations are going well, so the pace drops and only half the stems are used
Unequal circles or unclear rotation, which leaves people without a partner and costs minutes of reshuffling
Skipping the plenary reflection, so the energy is raised but nothing people heard is carried into the next activity
In Calm Tea, people sending answers before the signal, which lets early posts anchor the rest and removes the effect of simultaneous reveal
Variations
Calm Tea is the online and quieter form and works from six people: everyone mutes, a stem is shown, people type their completion in the chat and press Enter only on the facilitator's signal, then read what appeared before the next stem. Plan up to six stems at 30 to 40 seconds each. Calm Tea can also be used in the room when movement is not possible, with people writing on cards and holding them up together. For uneven numbers in the circle format, the facilitator steps in or one pair becomes a trio. A short run of four or five stems works as a check-out at the end of a meeting.
Where it fits
When to use it
A large group has just arrived and you want everyone to have spoken to several people within the first quarter of an hour
Energy has dropped after lunch or a long input and the next block needs people awake and on topic
You want quick, unfiltered reactions to a shared challenge before a more analytical session
A meeting needs a closing round that is livelier than going around the circle
An online group is too big for everyone to speak and the chat can carry all voices at once
When not to use it
Fewer than twelve people in the room; the circles do not rotate properly, so use Impromptu Networking or the Calm Tea form
The topic needs depth and time to think; 30-second turns will only skim it, and a Conversation Café fits better
The room has no clear floor space or participants cannot stand and move comfortably; use Calm Tea with cards instead
The subject is painful or confidential, where fast answers to a stranger feel exposing
The acoustics are poor or several participants have hearing difficulties, since many pairs talking at once makes listening hard
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Mad Tea?▾
Mad Tea is a Liberating Structure in which participants stand in two concentric circles and complete a quick series of open sentences, each with a new partner. It takes 20 to 25 minutes and is used to surface many perspectives on a shared challenge while energising the group. The online form, in which answers are typed into the chat and sent together, is called Calm Tea.
How many people do you need for Mad Tea?▾
The circle version needs at least twelve people so that the rotation gives everyone several different partners. There is no upper limit as long as the space allows two circles or several sets of circles. The online Calm Tea version works from six people.
What kind of sentences are used?▾
Open sentence stems that participants finish in their own words, related to the group's challenge. A good set mixes appreciative stems, stems that name difficulties and stems that point towards action, and moves from easy to more demanding. Up to twelve are used in the room and up to six online.
What is the difference between Mad Tea and Impromptu Networking?▾
Both mix people in short paired exchanges. Impromptu Networking uses one question over three longer rounds with freely chosen partners. Mad Tea uses many sentence stems, turns of about 30 seconds and a fixed rotation in two circles, which makes it faster and louder and covers more angles with less depth.
How does Calm Tea work in a video call?▾
Everyone mutes and the facilitator shows one sentence stem. People type their completion into the chat but wait to press Enter until the facilitator gives the signal, so all answers appear together. The group reads for a moment and the next stem follows; after the last one, a few people share what they noticed.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Liberating Structures (Henri Lipmanowicz, Nancy White, Keith McCandless).