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World Café
...tables bustling full of people, buzz in the air – people laughing and chatting, subtle and tasteful music mingling in with the aroma of freshly brewed Café Sumatra, relaxed and flowing conversation on areas that are important to you...
Any one would think that you were sitting in your local Starbucks or retro coffee shop – instead you are sitting in the meeting room of your organisation and these ‘crazy’ consultants have come and turned a room, which in your opinion is generally dull and uninspiring, into an area which is bustling of life, full of creative ideas and communication, flowing from people you have not heard contribution from all year!
What is happening? You are involved in The World Café experience.
A methodology which has been designed to draw the best from a café
experience and apply it in a ‘formal’ setting. Releasing the power of
connecting informal social networks (that’s OD jargon for
relationships!) with the formal hierarchal structure.
The World Café is a very simple process which can have a significant
impact on your organisation. Organisations we have noticed that are
ready for this tend to have a reasonably open culture, and confident,
secure leadership. We have found organisations that take the risk
to engage in this process can deepen engagement and get real, long term
benefits from the process.
Conversation as a path to large-scale change
Reaching out in ever widening circles, members of small groups spread their insights to larger constituencies, carrying the seed ideas for new conversations, creative possibilities and collective action.
FIVE KEY PRINCIPLES
- Create hospitable space
- Explore
- Connect diverse people and perspectives
- Listen together for patterns, insights and deeper questions
- Make collective knowledge available to the group
Graphic from systems thinker Vol 12, No 5. (c) Pegasus
In LifeTree, we have used World Café (also known as Knowledge Café) sessions in a number of different contexts across the sectors we work in - the private, public and not for profit sectors. While each outcome has been different, they have all inspired conversation, connected relationships and have often been a launching pad for significant development.
An example of how LifeTree have used the approach in one organisation was focused on communication of vision in a time of significant change. The Café connected different departments, improving communication and developing understanding of differing perspectives. It also generated creativity and stimulated ideas, helping people connect to the bigger picture – and to develop links to best meet the organisational mission.
The non-hierarchal and interactive nature of the Café is very helpful for breaking down barriers between senior managers and staff – and gives managers an ideal opportunity to listen to and hear staff views and issues. The Café is brilliant in encouraging learning on a practical level.
It is a truly interactive experience which encourages the contribution of all involved, valuing everyone’s contribution, facilitating listening, reflection and learning.
Outcomes you can expect to achieve from using the café methodology:
- People feeling listened to and heard
- In depth data as to how the organisation is ‘feeling’ at that particular time
- Creative and innovative ideas
- Communication on questions that matter
- Connection between departments and individuals
- Sharing and learning new information
World Café can also be used in some depth. Joe was a participant in a Society for Organisational Learning (SoL) meeting of just over 20 people in Åre, Northern Sweden in May 2002 where he was introduced to the concept. The three day meeting focused on relationships in organisations – how work really gets done – and the event was framed as an overall café session.
The data from Café Sessions is often confidential, so we are unable to share in detail from the many sessions we have facilitated, however Joe did lead a Café session for the SoL community in Scotland. This was a very interesting session where two artists captured the conversations artistically, and if you are interested in this you can download the pdf.
If you are interested in the methodology behind the World Café, you can find out more by following the links to the Café web site and the Pegasus web site. Also if you want to understand how this methodology can help you, please email or call us.
Related Website Links
World Café - www.theworldcafe.com
Society for Organisational Learning (SoL) website - click here.