The biggest conversations

What’s a good way to start to make something happen? Conversations work for me. Yes, we could have a conversation, but what if there’s say, over 80 of us together in one room? Surely that could never work…

Yes. It. Can.

If you’ve never used it before, the World Café method is a fantastic flexible way to allow great big conversations to happen. Small groups gather and converse at tables, discussing the important questions. The groups are encouraged to note down their conversations, insights, and doodles on paper tablecloths. Every ten minutes or so the group briefly convenes to capture the essence of the conversation before separating into new groups and continuing.

As people share insights between the tables a sense of the whole becomes more accessible. World café can be a great way to:

Clarify purpose and strategic intent

Explore critical issues and questions

Engage all key stakeholders

Skillfully use collaborative social technologies

Guide collective intelligence toward effective action

And perhaps most importantly, a World Café is a great way to meet and get to know people.

At the 2012 Stop Doing Dumb Things unconference on June 27th 2012 you will once again have the chance to play with the World Café method. It’s a lively and involving way of sharing and we hope that all the unconference guests will have a lot of fun playing.

I’m really looking forward to the conversation, I hope you are too?

Author: Doug Shaw

Artist and Consultant. Embracing uncertainty, sketching myself into existence. Helping people do things differently, through an artistic lens.

13 thoughts on “The biggest conversations”

  1. The old ones are the best! It’s one of my faves – cant wait! Strangely enough every time I used it with groups very few have head if it, but they all loved it! Creates so much energy too! Way to go!

    1. MrAirmiles – you are a true enthusiast I love your point about the energy it creates too – thanks!

        1. Hello Dom and thanks for swinging by. Yes – it should be a lot of fun and hopefully a bit chaotic and useful too. Look forward to seeing you there!

  2. Hi Doug, your world cafe´ sounds really inspiring! Can´t wait to see it in action on the 2nd HR Unconference – 5 May 2011 – I will be there! See you soon!

    1. Hiya Klothilde – inspiring eh that is something to live up to. Would you like to help me make it inspiring? I enjoyed following you in the Pecha Kucha zone last time would be good to team up again 🙂

  3. Have heard of the World Cafe before, alas not had a chance to see it truly in action. Looking forward to this Doug.

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