Glossary
/
Lean Coffee
arrow_back
All courses

What is a Lean Coffee Meeting?

Lean Coffee

Lean Coffee is an agenda-less meeting where participants gather and build the agenda together democratically before they begin talking.
Definition
Daniel Wirtz
Daniel Wirtz
Co-Founder, Facilitator School
Last updated
June 14, 2024

A Lean Coffee meeting is an innovative and democratic approach to organize a discussion without a predefined agenda. It starts off with participants proposing topics they are interested in. Then, everyone votes on each topic to prioritize the speaking order based on collective interest.

This format ensures that the topics discussed are relevant to the group and everyone's voice is heard. The discussion is time-boxed, allowing for a focused conversation within a brief and efficient timeframe. This type of meeting is not only engaging, but also encourages participation, as it gives every participant equal opportunity to contribute ideas and influence the agenda.

Learn more about

Lean Coffee

What is the purpose of Lean Coffee?

expand_more

The primary purpose of Lean Coffee is to energize and optimize meetings by focusing on topics that are of genuine interest to the participants. It democratizes meetings by allowing every member to contribute to the agenda and ensures that the discussion remains relevant and engaging for everyone involved.

How do you facilitate a Lean Coffee?

expand_more

Facilitating a Lean Coffee involves a few key steps.

  1. First, gather your group and provide sticky notes and pens for everyone.
  2. Participants write down topics they're interested in discussing on the sticky notes.
  3. Place all notes on a board and let everyone vote on their preferred topics.
  4. Organize the topics by vote count, and discuss each in turn, using timeboxing to keep the meeting on track.
  5. As a facilitator, guide the discussion, keeping it focused and productive while ensuring everyone has the opportunity to contribute.

What tools do you need for running Lean Coffee?

expand_more

The tools required for running a Lean Coffee are simple and accessible. You’ll need sticky notes, pens, and a large surface like a whiteboard or a wall to stick the notes on. For virtual meetings, digital tools like Miro or Trello can be used to replicate this setup online, allowing remote participants to contribute and vote on discussion topics.

What are the use cases for Lean Coffee?

expand_more

Lean Coffee is versatile and can be used in various settings such as corporate meetings, workshops, team-building sessions, and more. It's particularly effective in environments where participant engagement and equal voice are crucial. This method also works well for brainstorming sessions, retrospective meetings, and as a format for community meetups where the participants might have diverse interests.

Why does Lean Coffee empower people to engage more?

expand_more

Lean Coffee empowers engagement by involving participants in choosing the discussion topics. This method gives each person a voice, enhancing their commitment to the session. Timeboxed discussions ensure that conversations remain energetic and focused, which encourages more participation and prevents common meeting frustrations like topic drift or dominance by more vocal attendees.

Where does Lean Coffee come from?

expand_more

Lean Coffee was developed in Seattle in 2009 by Jim Benson and Jeremy Lightsmith as a method to meet productively without a set agenda. It combines principles from Lean Thinking and Agile methods, focusing on delivering value efficiently. The Lean Coffee format quickly spread globally as an effective way to manage open-ended discussion in both business and community settings.

We use cookies to enhance your experience, analyze site traffic and deliver personalized content. Read our Cookie Policy.
Reject
Accept