February 15 World Cafe, Session I - Experience the Method.
March 15 World Cafe Session II - Discuss the Process.
WHAT IS THE WORLD CAFÉ ALL ABOUT? It is a facilitation model.
Tens of thousands of people have participated in a World Café experience on 6 continents and 60 countries! From local governments to the Mexican Government and corporate leaders.
It is a methodology for hosting large group dialogue. It draws on 7 design principles that ensure it stays simple, effective, and remains a flexible format.
It can be modified to meet a variety of needs relating to context, numbers, purpose, location and other circumstances can be factored into each event.
Design Principles:
1. Set the Context
2. Create Hospitable Space
3. Explore Questions that Matter
4. Encourage Everyone’s Contribution
5. Connect Diverse Perspectives
6. Listen together for Patterns and Insights
7. Share Collective Discoveries
The World Cafe’s Purpose: to bring together professionals in learning and development, training, HR, organizational development, leadership, etc --- who see the value of leveraging collective intelligence, diversity of experiences and thought for examining and/or solving --- questions that matter.
This methodology has been used for examining and/or solving for critical issues, strategic questions, and planning, addressing road blocks, surfacing new ideas, etc.
Today you are meant to have two hats on... We want to give you the World Café Experience first, then go over principles and model at the March event.
Value-Based-Outcomes are a reality for this methodology. World Café conversations can be expected to generate “actionable knowledge” meaning whatever emerges can be expected to be put into practice.
One great example of how World Café is leveraged into action: A training company back in 2003 found itself in financial trouble. They were NOT going to make their projected budget and their reality they were facing was to cut headcount in order to stay afloat. They have no preconceived notions of how to generate revenue in such a short period of time, so they brought in a group of about 30 staff people and held a World Café to figure out what to do with openness and transparency. The objective of the café was to generate new revenue producing programs with the goal of raising $175,000 short term.
Team generated new-net revenue producing programs and came up with approximately $188,000. One out of the box idea came to light and nobody had ever heard of the methodology except a couple of people on staff we’re familiar with it. This idea also got approved along with other key ideas. Immediately all of the ideas were put into practice and ended the fiscal year in the black by $276,000. And not job cuts!
For more information, please click the link below:
www.TheWorldCafe.com
This session will be led by Samantha Tassone, President GrowthFuel.
