Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or your own local model: paste this prompt and your AI will co-facilitate this exercise with you.

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: 55bcde1e0a611d9aec32aeb5c0e398c4746df02a1b2f9218d167a2ccad2fa831

# Aristotle's Cafe

Participants write anonymous open-ended questions, vote on a starting topic, and hold a facilitator-guided dialogue where there are no right or wrong answers.

**Time:** 45 minutes. Playmeo lists this in the 30 to 60 minute band. 45 minutes provides time for prompt generation, voting, full conversation, and closing reflection.
**People:** 6 to 15. Single circle of 6 to 15 participants per facilitator

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Examine a participant-selected question from multiple perspectives through structured open dialogue.
**Use it when:** Use during debriefs or reflection sessions when a group needs to explore ambiguous themes or team experiences without seeking an immediate consensus.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the session requires quick tactical decisions, concrete action plans, or resolution of a direct interpersonal conflict.

## Materials and tools

- One slip of blank paper per participant
- One pen or pencil per participant
- One collection basket, box, or hat
- One flip chart or whiteboard with dry-erase marker (optional, to list questions for voting)

## Before participants arrive

1. Arrange chairs in an open circle with no tables between participants if possible.
2. Place paper slips and pens on each seat.

## Say this to open

Welcome to Aristotle's Cafe. We are going to explore questions that matter to you. In a moment, each of you will write an open-ended question on a slip of paper without your name. An open question cannot be answered with a simple yes or no; it invites interpretation, such as 'What makes work feel meaningful?' or 'How do we know when a risk is worth taking?' We will collect them, vote on one to start, and explore the ideas together without judging any view as right or wrong. Please silence your phones so we can focus on each other.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce and write questions (5 minutes)

Deliver the opening script. Ask everyone to write one anonymous, open-ended question on their slip of paper. Anyone who prefers not to write a question may leave their slip blank or fold it empty.

### 2. Collect and select question (7 minutes)

Collect all folded slips into the basket. Read each legible question aloud to the circle once. If helpful, jot a short keyword for each on the whiteboard. Conduct a show-of-hands vote where each person votes once for the question they want to explore first. Resolve ties by flipping a coin or choosing the first tied question read.

### 3. Facilitate open dialogue (28 minutes)

Announce the winning question. Invite anyone to offer the first thought. Guide the circle by asking follow-up questions based strictly on what participants share. Do not give personal opinions or evaluate comments. Remind people that diverse viewpoints are welcome and that disagreement is natural. Allow pauses of silence. If the initial question runs its course before 25 minutes, select the runner-up question from the vote and continue.

### 4. Reflect and close (5 minutes)

Bring the dialogue to a gentle stop. Invite up to three participants to share one observation about how the group explored the question together. Conclude on time.


## Debrief questions

- What idea did you hear today that surprised you or made you see the topic differently?
- How did the conversation shift once we stepped away from trying to find a single right answer?

**Finished output:** A participant-selected core question explored from multiple angles, concluded with shared group observations.

## Remote

Use video conferencing with digital polling or chat. Participants submit anonymous questions via a shared form, direct message to a co-host, or anonymous online document. The host reads the questions aloud and runs a poll to choose the starting prompt. Dialogue proceeds using the raise-hand tool or unmuting in turn, with the facilitator keeping queue order.

## Hybrid

Remote participants submit questions into an online form while in-person participants write on paper slips. The facilitator pools both sets, reads them aloud, and uses a shared digital poll visible on room screens and remote displays to conduct the vote. During discussion, alternate speaking turns between in-room and online hands.

## Access and participation choices

- Writing a question is optional; participants may submit a blank slip.
- Speaking during the dialogue is voluntary; participants may listen throughout without being called on.
- A participant may pass on any direct follow-up inquiry without explanation.

## If the session gets stuck

**Participants look to the facilitator for answers or validation.**

Reflect questions back to the circle with phrases like, 'How do others in the room see that?' or remain silent to allow another voice to enter.

**Submitted questions are closed, factual, or simple yes/no queries.**

When reading the prompt, ask the author or group permission to reframe it slightly: 'Could we explore this as: What factors influence whether...?'

**One or two talkative participants dominate the conversation.**

Gently interrupt during a natural pause: 'Let us pause there and make space for anyone who has not spoken yet to share their view.'


## Terms used here

- Open-ended question: A prompt that cannot be answered with a simple yes, no, or factual statement, requiring explanation or personal interpretation.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo activity catalog under the title 'Aristotle's Cafe', where the text lists 'Activity by hassanghiassi'.

Retained core Playmeo instructions: anonymous open-ended questions on paper, group reading, voting, facilitator staying neutral, and no right/wrong answers. UWT added exact stage timings summing to 45 minutes, clear group size boundaries (6 to 15 per circle), opening script with a concrete example, remote and hybrid adaptations, and specific access options.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/debriefing-activities/aristotles-cafe)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/debriefing-activities/aristotles-cafe/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/group-discussion-method-of-facilitated-sharing-aristotle-s-cafe/