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Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: d07a2a1704313f0d741829a69ea9ca02ac5cfe8ceb7d8934f393ec63b1c22f98

# Conversation Cafe

Small groups hold a structured four-round dialogue about a challenging question using a talking object. Participants alternate between disciplined one-minute rounds, an open dialogue, and a final round of personal takeaways.

**Time:** 55 minutes. Liberating Structures specifies 35 to 60 minutes. 55 minutes allows full one-minute speaking turns for groups up to 7 plus an 8-minute whole-room debrief.
**People:** 4 to 24. Tables or small circles of 4 to 7 people, each with a volunteer table host. If participant totals leave a remainder, form groups of 4 or 5 rather than groups of 8.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Build shared understanding and surface diverse perspectives on a complex issue without slipping into debate.
**Use it when:** Use after a major organizational change, a confusing disruption, or when exploring a sensitive topic where people hold strong, varied opinions.
**Skip it when:** Skip when a group needs immediate tactical decisions, rapid task prioritization, or technical troubleshooting.

## Materials and tools

- One physical talking object per group (such as a smooth stone, small block, or marker)
- One printed agreements card per table or displayed slide
- Optional blank flip-chart paper and markers per table for doodling or noting insights

## Before participants arrive

1. Arrange chairs in circles around small tables (4 to 7 chairs per group).
2. Place one talking object and one agreements reference sheet on each table.
3. Draft a clear central question and post it where all participants can see it.

## Say this to open

Welcome. Today we will explore a central question together using the Conversation Cafe method. We will meet in small groups for four structured rounds. In rounds one, two, and four, only the person holding the talking object may speak. In round three, conversation opens up. At each table, please pick a volunteer host. The host takes part fully and gently reminds everyone to honor our agreements.

## How to run it

### 1. Set up groups, roles, and agreements (5 minutes)

Divide participants into groups of 4 to 7. For totals between 4 and 24, split evenly (for example, 13 becomes groups of 5 and 4 and 4; 24 becomes four groups of 6). State the central question. Ask each table to choose a volunteer host. Review the six core agreements: suspend judgment, listen to understand, speak your personal truth, honor silence, respect confidentiality, and keep turns concise. Host checks that everyone sees the talking object.

### 2. Round 1: First thoughts with talking object (7 minutes)

Pass the talking object around the circle. Each participant takes up to one minute to share what they are thinking, feeling, or doing regarding the central question. No responses or interruptions allowed. Participants may pass the object in silence if they choose.

### 3. Round 2: Deeper thoughts after listening (7 minutes)

Pass the talking object a second time. Each person speaks for up to one minute, sharing new thoughts, shifts, or questions that arose while listening to others during Round 1. Listeners remain quiet until the object reaches them.

### 4. Round 3: Open dialogue (20 minutes)

Open the table to unstructured conversation for 20 minutes. Participants can respond directly to each other, ask questions, or sit in shared silence. If anyone monopolizes time or voices clash, anyone can place the talking object back in center or pass it to restore order.

### 5. Round 4: Final takeaways and table wrap-up (8 minutes)

Reintroduce the talking object for a final cycle. Each person takes up to one minute to share their key takeaway or parting reflection from the conversation. Close the small groups when the object returns to the start.

### 6. Plenary debrief and closing (8 minutes)

Call the whole room together. Invite two or three voluntary reflections from across the tables using the debrief questions. Remind everyone that table disclosures remain confidential.


## Debrief questions

- Which insight from your table was most unexpected?
- What became clearer about our central topic as the rounds progressed?
- How did holding the talking object change how you listened compared to ordinary meetings?

**Finished output:** Shared table reflections and individual notes on the central question, with voluntary contributions noted on table flip-chart paper.

## Remote

Create breakout rooms of 4 to 7 people. In rounds one, two, and four, designate a fixed speaking order in the chat instead of a physical talking object. A participant speaks, then types the name of the next speaker. Round three runs as open microphone dialogue with hands raised if cross-talk occurs.

## Hybrid

Do not blend remote and in-person participants at the same physical table. Form fully in-person tables in the room and separate all-remote breakout rooms online. The main facilitator broadcasts time transitions simultaneously to both settings.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may hold the talking object for a moment of quiet reflection and pass it without speaking.
- Table doodles or written notes on flip charts are strictly optional and can remain private.
- Provide printed copies of the conversation agreements and the central question at each table for visual support.

## If the session gets stuck

**A participant speaks for several minutes during Round 1 or Round 2, cutting into others' time.**

The table host signals time gently by raising a hand or tapping the table, saying: Let us make sure everyone has room for their minute.

**Group slips into a heated debate or defensive argument during Round 3.**

Remind the group of the agreement to listen to understand rather than convince. The table host brings the talking object back into active use.


## Terms used here

- Talking object: A small item passed from person to person; only the person holding it may speak.
- Table host: A regular participant at the table who gently reminds peers to follow the agreements and keep time.

## Participant material: Conversation Cafe Agreements

1. Suspend judgment: notice assumptions and stay curious.
2. Listen to understand: focus on the speaker rather than planning your reply.
3. Speak your personal truth: share your own thoughts and experiences briefly.
4. Honor silence: allow pauses between speakers to absorb what was said.
5. Respect confidentiality: leave personal stories at the table.
6. Be brief: share the airtime so all voices fit the allotted rounds.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Liberating Structures by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless, who cite Vicki Robin and Susan Partnow as co-developers of the original Conversation Cafe method.

Retained the four-round sequence (round 1 initial thoughts, round 2 reflections, round 3 open talk, round 4 takeaways), volunteer host role, and use of talking objects from Liberating Structures evidence. UWT adapted the subgroup size from 5 to 7 to 4 to 7 to handle varied room totals, added explicit subgroup sizing math, included an explicit 8-minute whole-room debrief step, adjusted round durations so up to 7 people can complete their 1-minute turns comfortably, and provided printable agreement cards and hybrid guidance.

[Liberating Structures](http://www.liberatingstructures.com/17-conversation-cafe/)

[Liberating Structures](https://www.liberatingstructures.com/17-conversation-cafe/)

[SessionLab](https://www.sessionlab.com/methods/conversation-cafe-ubczzl)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/conversation-caf/