18F

18F - Lean Coffee

Lean Coffee is a meeting format that democratizes discussion. Participants write topics, vote to prioritize, and discuss in timeboxes. This ensures meetings address what matters to attendees. The format promotes equal participation and focused meetings. It works for retrospectives, brainstorming, and knowledge sharing.

Duration
1 hour
Group Size
6-15
Category
18F
Difficulty
Easy
Give everyone equal opportunity to surface ideas and vote on agenda topics. Attendees become co-owners of the meeting agenda.
Tangible outcomes include democratically prioritized topics and engaged group discussion.
Lean Coffee works well for community meetings and team meetings when you need to provide a forum for attendees to raise issues of interest. Be sure to set expectations clearly before beginning. I've found that sometimes the initial voting can take longer than expected, so factor that into your overall timing.

  1. Give participants two minutes to write discussion topics on sticky notes (one idea per note).

  2. Have participants review the topics and vote for the ones they are most interested in.

  3. Decide the time to spend on each topic.

  4. Start with the topic that received the most votes.

  5. At the end of the time, participants vote:

Thumbs up: Continue the discussion for a shorter time.
 Thumbs down: Move to the next topic.

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For Facilitators

  • Review participant profiles and expectations
  • Prepare all materials and supplies
  • Test technology and room setup

For Participants

  • Complete pre-session survey
  • Review background materials
  • Prepare examples or case studies

Unlock Pre-Work Requirements

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  • Sticky notes

  • Markers

  • Timer

  • Flip chart

  • Voting dots

Unlock Materials Required

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