Copyright Sam Saad 2008 The World cafe is flexible process for fostering collaborative dialogue, Sharing mutual knowledge, and discovering new opportunities.

Copyright Sam Saad 2008

The World cafe is flexible process for fostering collaborative dialogue,

Sharing mutual knowledge, and discovering new opportunities for

action

Overview

Beforehand....1. Should I use a World Cafe'?2. Set the Context

Purpose Participants Parameters

3. Invitations4. Room Set Up5. Supplies6. Finding and Framing

Questions Focusing Attention Connecting Ideas Moving Forward

During the Cafe...1. Upon Arrival2. Cafe Etiquette

Contribute Your thinking and experience

Listen To understand Connect Ideas Listen Together

3. Cafe Round Process4. Individual Table Hosts5. Dealing with Tension and

conflict6. Harvesting7. Making Collective

Knowledge Visible

Afterwards

1. Should I Use a World Café?

Especially useful for• Sharing knowledge, stimulatinginnovative thinking, building community,exploring possibilities around real-life keyIssues• Conducting in-depth conversation of keychallenges and opportunities• Engaging people meeting for the firsttime In authentic conversation• Deepening relationships, and mutualownership of outcomes In an existinggroup• Creating a meaningful interactionbetween a speaker and an audience• When a group is too large for a dialoguecircle, and you want all participants tohave the opportunity to contribute.• When you have adequate time (at least 90 min)

Not an optimal choice when• You are driving towards an alreadydetermined solution• You want to convey one way information• You are making detailed implementationplans and assignments• You have less than 9Omin• You are working with a highly polarised,explosive situation• You have a group smaller than twelve,where a traditional dialogue circle ismore appropriate

Before you begin, determine whether you should use a worldcafe for your situation


2. Set The Context

Clarify the context Why? Purpose

What is the purpose of bringing people together? Name it- in a way that reflects the anticipated outcome

Who? Participants Identify who needs to be included Remember, diversity of thought yields richer insights and

discoveries How? Parameters

Time: How long Cost: How much? Venue: Where?


3. Invitations

Include an initial question or theme that you believe is important to those you have invited-arousing curiosity.

Imply that participants will have fun, be engaged, and will learn new things

Make it informal, creative, personal and visually interesting

Guests should respond immediately knowing this is no ordinary meeting


4. Room Set Up

Remember the power of creating a welcoming environment Comfortable Safe Inviting

Room large enough for people to move aroundwithout disturbing seated participants Natural light and outdoor view is desirable(if no windows try bring in pot plants) Small round or square tables that can seat 4 or 5 people.Less than 4 often leads to lack of diversity of perspective, more than 5 canlimit amount of personal interaction Tables spread out in a slightly random fashion. Not in rows Snacks and beverages available on arrival Informal Table cloths. If not available try blank white paper for

participants to draw on Music playing when guests arrive


5. Optional Supplies

• 2 pieces of white flip chart paper on each table (or use whitetable paper cloth)• Large Mural or Chart for harvesting and posting collectiveinsights• Large white board for the work of the graphic recorder• A clear wine glass or mug filled with coloured markers on eachtable• One small vase with sprigs of fresh flowers• One small candle is appropriate• Additional cafe for the Host• Side table for coffee, tea water, drinks etc• Name tags• Chairs


6. Finding and Framing Questions


They need not seekimmediate action stepsproblem solving They invite inquiry anddiscovery rather thanadvocacy and advantage You know you have a goodquestion when new ideasand possibilities startsurfacing Test questions out withtrusted colleagues- try itwith different people not justthose who 'think' like you

Careful thought and attention to Question Creation can produce profound results

Single or series of related or progressive questions

Characteristics of powerful questions (Remember, this skill improves with practice)

Simple and clear Thought provoking Generates energy Focuses inquiry Surfaces assumptions Opens new possibility

Question Examples


Creating Forward MovementExamples:

If we were assured of success in introducing this program on health, what would it look like?

When it comes to dealing with these extra demands, what would have to happen for us to move forward on this?

Focusing AttentionExamples:

What do you think when I mention the words, "Reading Groups"?

How do you feel when its time to do your assessments?

What would a teacher from another school think if they walked into our assembly?

What is important to you about the way we run our award nights?

Connecting Ideas, and Finding Deeper InsightsExamples:

What have you heard or seen over the past few weeks discussions on programming options have made an impact on you, and why?

What do you sense is the key insight in all of this talk about playground duty“

What emerging themes are asking to be articulated?

7. Upon Arrival

As a host be available to welcome people as they arrive Direct them to refreshments As start time nears, invite them to their seats Explain the purpose of the cafe Go over logistics Briefly go over the process Go over your role Attend to any pre-activity apprehensions and questions


8. Café Etiquette

You may choose to draw participants‘ attention to a Cafe Etiquette Chart, or any other chart that clarifies expectation for the group

Avoid being heavy handed with 'shoulds‘ and 'shouldn't'- just encourage!


9. Café Round Process Typically, a World cafe consists of 3 rounds (20-30 min each). To start a round, introduce the question/so These may be displayed on

a board for the whole group, or on individual tables on cards/charts. It is important that people have the opportunity to constantly refer back to the question as a visual reference.

If participants want clarification of the question, respond accordingly, but avoid leading them in any particular direction towards an answer.

During each round, the participants respond to the question/s presented.

There is not set way to go about doing this. This usually takes form organically.

Encourage participants to doodle and draw on the paper table c1oth/ flip chart provided.

As time approaches the end of a round, give the participants ample warning

At the end of each round, ask each table to nominate a 'table host', who remains seated at that table. The others move to another table in a random fashion.


10. Individual Table Hosts


Talking Objects

Talking objects may be used if necessary. It may be passed around in order, or it may be picked up when people are ready to speak, returning it to the centre of the table when complete.

Talking objects are most useful when there is a perceived need for slowing a conversation down and deepening it.

The designated table host welcomes the new participants to the table, introduces herself and asks for introductions (if appropriate ).

The host usually begins by sharing the essence of what transpired previously. The travelers then add connections and ideas from their previous tables.

Remind the host to encourage everyone's contributions- even and especially if that contribution runs contrary to the emerging line of thought. to another table in a random fashion.

The individual host encourages speakers to speak to the centre of the table, and not to just one other person, which can create an atmosphere of exclusion.

Short but timely periods of silence may need to be encouraged to allow space for people to digest new Ideas, and for patterns to emerge and surface in 'language' form.

The Art of Table Hosting


It is NOT your role to ‘run’ or ‘lead’ the conversation. All participants including you are on equal footing. Keep one foot in the conversation (as a participant) and another outside the conversation (as an observer) to encourage Café

Etiquette. Why? As participants become engaged in the content of the conversation, it is often difficult to give attentive to contextual

factors that often arise. As table host, you are mindful of these other factors in play, and make appropriate contributions as the need arise.

Tips for Table Hosts If you find that the conversation is getting negative and bogged down, try saying…

‘What will it take for us to move forward on this?’ ‘Let’s pause and reflect for a moment- perhaps there’s something we are missing?’ ‘How might a child, teacher, parent, or other stake holder respond to what we are saying?’ ‘Lets place that in holding space for a moment, move our attention onto something else, and come back to it later with fresh

pairs of eyes?’ If you are feeling that the conversation is getting too abstract or general, try saying…

‘What are some examples of this?’ ‘What might this look like in your school?’

If you feel the conversation is being dominated by individuals, try saying …. ‘John, we haven’t heard your perspective yet.’ ‘Let’s speak to the centre of the table, rather than exclusively to another’ ‘Feel free to express yourself through drawing’

If you sense disagreement is creating confusion, try saying…. ‘Are you saying…?’ (Clarify through paraphrase) ‘Are you saying this applies to all schools or some schools?’ Are you saying this is impossible, or from your experience just

unlikely?’ (Clarify through qualification) ‘What is it about this that is important to you?’ (Clarify values)

If you sense the conversation is lacking direction or cohesion, ‘What is the underlying theme that’s trying to emerge here?’ ‘What connections can we uncover?’ ‘How can we build on that?’

11. Dealing with Tension and Conflict


What I heard you say that Iappreciate is..

What I heard you say thatchallenges my thinking is...

To better understand yourperspective I'll like to askyou is....

Cafes often surface differences of opinion and understanding, which is part of the ability of the cafe to generate new insights

Such differences can foster energy and excitement or ...

Anxiety and dissention In dealing with conversations

that get really stuck, encourage participants to use the following statement stems...

12. Harvesting

After the rounds are complete, all present engage in a whole group conversation to share collective discoveries.

These are NOT for formal reporting or analytical summaries, but a time for mutual reflection.

Before beginning the harvesting session, give participants a moment or two (quiet time is encouraged) to reflect and jot down notes, pictures etc.

Ask anyone in the room to share briefly a key idea, theme or core question that has real meaning for them personally.

Solicit additional ideas and insights, making sure you balance these with moments of silent reflection

It is often in those moments of deep silence that flashes of insights occur

These key ideas are recorded visually on a large chart/board


13. Making Collective Knowledge Visible

Here are some ideas on how make the emerging ideas more visible and more sustainable..

Graphic Recorder During the harvesting session, the Graphics Recorder graphically represents the essence of what is being

said

Table Cloth Gallery Tour Provide an opportunity for all participants to wander around and look at what has been recorded.

Table Cloth Mural Table clothes are placed side by side to make a large mural, and 'hung' on a wall where employees can

browse at their convenience during the following week back at work Post your Ideas

Each participant records one key insight on a post it note and sticks it on a board.

Create Idea Clusters Record ideas in related clusters to help the group build a useful framework for moving forward with the

new ideas.

Create a Story Create a flow map or story book which shows a progression that typifies the evolving journey for the

group


14. Afterwards Encourage participants to clear a space for themselves to reflect on

what was important and meaningful to them.

Key Ideas can be posted in a Holding Space in an appropriate common room.

A holding space is a designated visual space for the displaying of key words/phrases/pictures/symbols that help sustain the leraning that has been germinated.

The Holding Space acts as a physical metaphor to encourage people to create a mental holding space where ideas are suspended. Hanging.

Incubating ... In due time our unconscious mind processes these ideas in a way that emerges in a language form ..

....subsequently leading to a string of practical ideas on how to move forward on issues.


Copyright Sam Saad 2008 The World cafe is flexible process for fostering collaborative dialogue, Sharing mutual knowledge, and discovering new opportunities.

Documents

situation copyright

action slide

world cafe

tags chairs copyright

new possibility slide

new ideas

cafe etiquette

cafe round process