Do you know about World Café?
Most people haven’t and I think it’s one of the most unintentionally, best kept secrets in the realm of team building, community organizing and organizational development. It’s a powerhouse of a tool and all it takes is a few sheets of easel pad paper; some
markers, crayons, colored pencils; a host/facilitator; and willing participants. The setup for a World Café session I led last year at The Chattery for some non-profit leaders is pictured below ✨💡🚀
World Café is built on the assumption that people already have within them the creativity to confront even the most difficult of challenges; that the answers we need are available to us; and that we are wiser together than we are alone.
This builds on the Creative Community Model, which I’m trained in, and dive into here.
The World Café is based on a set of ideas and practices that remind us of the power in simply having conversations with one another, where the goal is to address challenges, conflict or new ideas through a hosted dialogue that engages all of our senses. The concept? Simple. The setting and design? Wildly unique.
Imagine walking into a room with immaculate ambience…flowers on the tables, music playing, soft lighting and tasty refreshments. It may look and feel like you’re sitting down for a meal but instead, the butcher (or easel pad) paper on the table stares back at you with a hanging question. It’s your wisdom that’s desired. And that full feeling in your belly comes not from a plate of food, but that unique sense of satisfaction when ideas and connections are firing off around the room. It is unlike any other experience I have ever seen and one of my favorites to facilitate. Truly, we all leave with a harvest…whether it’s a nagging operational challenge sorted, a community issue in question, answered…or new connections made with people we may not have dined with otherwise. The shift is palpable. And the impact is invaluable.
Learn more about the World Café method here – https://lnkd.in/ee5QT65H