World Café
-30 participants in groups of 4-5 at round tables During the rounds of discussion, encourage participants to link ideas from one round to the next.
How to run it
- -30 participants in groups of 4-5 at round tables
- During the rounds of discussion, encourage participants to link ideas from one round to the next.
- Spend the first few minutes talking about the last conversation. The “host” can present ideas left at the table, and the “ambassadors” should talk about what they’ve brought from their respective places.
- Leave evidence. Draw key ideas out on the table. For the next group to appreciate the previous conversation, they will need some artifacts to respond to and build on.
- Connect diverse viewpoints and respect contributions. If needed, use a “talking stick” or button to manage each other’s input.
- Look for patterns. By the second and third rounds, themes and larger patterns will emerge in the discussion. Encourage participants to look for these and make them evident by drawing or writing them toward the middle of the tables.
- After the last round, it’s time for a town hall discussion to synthesize what the groups have discovered. Referring back to the questions that matter, ask what the answers were at the different tables, and how they are connected.
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Prompts to use +
-30 participants in groups of 4-5 at round tables
During the rounds of discussion, encourage participants to link ideas from one round to the next.
Spend the first few minutes talking about the last conversation. The “host” can present ideas left at the table, and the “ambassadors” should talk about what they’ve brought from their respective places.
Leave evidence. Draw key ideas out on the table. For the next group to appreciate the previous conversation, they will need some artifacts to respond to and build on.
Connect diverse viewpoints and respect contributions. If needed, use a “talking stick” or button to manage each other’s input.
Look for patterns. By the second and third rounds, themes and larger patterns will emerge in the discussion. Encourage participants to look for these and make them evident by drawing or writing them toward the middle of the tables.
Run this with your AI assistant +
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Adapt this exercise for my exact room. Exercise: World Café. Readiness: Publishable Draft. Core moves: -30 participants in groups of 4-5 at round tables; During the rounds of discussion, encourage participants to link ideas from one round to the next.; Spend the first few minutes talking about the last conversation. The “host” can present ideas left at the table, and the “ambassadors” should talk about what they’ve brought from their respective places.; Leave evidence. Draw key ideas out on the table. For the next group to appreciate the previous conversation, they will need some artifacts to respond to and build on.. Return a concise facilitator script with timing, wording, safety notes, and remote/in-person adjustments.
Origin unverified
- Where we observed it: The strongest current observations come from Gamestorming; aggregators are listed as additional observations, not origin proof. (1 source observed, including Gamestorming.)
- What that means: we track where an exercise has been observed in public sources. We do not claim to know who created it, or how popular it is.
- No efficacy claims: appearing in this library is not a claim that the exercise is proven effective. Facilitator judgment and context decide whether it works for a given room.
- Corrections: if you have evidence of an earlier or more accurate source, read our methodology and trust boundary and tell us.