World Café

What is the World Café method?

World Café

World Café is a method for knowledge sharing where groups of people discuss a topic at several small tables (like those in cafés) or virtual breakout rooms.

Definition

Daniel Wirtz

Co-Founder, Facilitator School

Last updated

June 14, 2024

The World Café method is a structured conversational process intended to facilitate open and intimate discussion, and link ideas within a larger group to access the collective intelligence in the room. Imagine a café's cozy atmosphere, where you share a table with strangers and dive deep into meaningful conversations. This is essentially what happens in a World Café setting but aimed towards generating useful knowledge and insights. Groups rotate among tables to spread ideas and ask new questions, creating a dynamic and interconnected environment.

These discussions are guided by predetermined questions to optimize focus and productivity, amplifying the collaborative spirit. This method is excellent for larger groups to explore a topic or solve a problem collaboratively. Each round is timed and as participants shift tables, they carry key ideas or themes to the next, weaving a continuous thread of insights. By the session's climax, a collective understanding that is greater than the sum of individual contributions takes form.

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World Café

Why should you use the World Café method?

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The World Café method is especially powerful when you need to explore complex topics or challenges in a group setting. It fosters open dialogue and enables a deeper dive into discussions, ensuring varied perspectives are heard and integrated. This approach helps uncover collective wisdom, making it ideal for generating breakthrough ideas and shared understanding. Utilizing this method can significantly enhance the quality of decisions and solutions by tapping into the diverse views of all participants.

How do you prepare a World Café?

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Preparing a World Café involves several key steps to ensure productive discussions:

Start by clarifying the purpose of the session and formulating engaging questions.
Arrange the venue similar to a café, with small tables, each seating four to five people. Each table should have a tablecloth and pens for notes. It's crucial to create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages open conversation.
Lastly, decide on how outcomes will be captured and shared, such as appointing table hosts who summarize discussions or using visual aids like posters.

How to facilitate the World Café method?

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To effectively facilitate a World Café, start by warmly welcoming participants and explaining the process clearly. During the session, your role as a facilitator includes timing each round, ensuring participants rotate correctly, and helping maintain focus on the discussion questions. Encourage participants to build on each other's ideas. Summarize key points between rounds to connect thoughts across groups, and finally help synthesize the overall insights at the session's end to provide closure and clear takeaways.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the World Café method?

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The World Café method offers significant advantages like engaging a diverse array of participants, enriching the conversation with multiple perspectives, and fostering a sense of shared community and understanding. However, it also has disadvantages such as potentially overwhelming quieter participants, the complexity of managing large groups, and the need for careful planning to ensure meaningful dialogue and productive outputs.