World Café – Auf einen Blick
| What is a World Café? | A World Café is a facilitation method where participants engage in structured yet informal table conversations, rotating between tables with a host to generate diverse perspectives. |
| What are the steps of the World Café? | The steps of the World Café involve setting a clear purpose and guiding question, seating participants at tables, having the table host facilitate discussion and summarize ideas in each round, and finally sharing insights with the whole group. |
| What are the advantages of the World Café? | The World Café method encourages open conversations and collaborative learning by providing a welcoming, inclusive space where participants rotate between tables and rounds and connect diverse individuals. |
| What are the challenges of the World Café? | One challenge is ensuring each table host is well prepared to record and convey key points while also managing room dynamics, time, noise, and participant numbers to keep conversations flowing smoothly during larger events. |
| Which tips are useful for a World Café? | In effective practice, it is important to define a clear purpose, make assumptions explicit, select the right question for the topic, and provide a comfortable environment with enough time and simple materials, such as pens and tablecloths, to support creative exchange. |
Definition: What Is a World Café?
A World Café is a facilitation method for groups that involves structured dialogue at tables. Participants discuss specific questions in changing small groups and record their ideas visually, sometimes supported by an artist who captures themes graphically. This conversational process takes place in a relaxed place and strengthens collective knowledge and shared understanding across the world.
How Does The World Café Work?
A World Café works by combining structured dialogue with an informal, collaborative environment. Preparing a session involves defining a guiding question, inviting a diverse group of participants, arranging the space, assigning facilitators, conducting discussion rounds with rotation, collecting and documenting results, and evaluating outcomes for follow-up.
Preparation:
- Define the guiding question: Select a central topic and formulate a clear question. This helps participants focus and supports productive conversations.
- Invite participants: Identify relevant people, individuals, or community members and ensure they are clearly invited. Diversity increases the variety of ideas.
- Design the space: Arrange a room with tables for four to six people. Each table should include paper, pens, and possibly tablecloths to support visual recording.
- Assign facilitators: Appoint a main moderator and a host for each table. The table host supports the process, encourages dialogue, and keeps the group engaged.
Implementation:
- Introduction: The moderator explains the purpose, process, and questions, setting the tone for open talk.
- First discussion round: Participants begin to discuss at their table, while the host stays seated.
- Rotation and deepening: After each round, participants move to another table, build on previous ideas, and deepen the discussion. This series of rounds encourages cross-table learning.
- Collection of results: At the end, tables share key insights with the full group to build a shared picture of the issue.
Evaluation:
- Summarize results: Collect all notes, sketches, and records from the tables.
- Documentation: Compile results into a document and make them provided to all participants.
- Analysis and follow-up: Identify patterns, number recurring themes, and plan next steps for future events.
- Gather feedback: Feedback is important to improve future world cafe formats.
Suitability of The World Café Method
The World Café is a flexible method used across organizations, communities, educational institutions, conferences, NGOs, and research to foster dialogue, shared knowledge, and engagement.
The World Café can be applied in a variety of contexts:
- Organizations and companies: To build shared knowledge, reduce cost of meetings, and develop solutions.
- Community and citizen groups: To strengthen community, dialogue, and participation.
- Educational institutions: To connect people and support interdisciplinary learning.
- Conferences and workshops: To create engagement at large events.
- NGOs: To collect input and explore complex issues.
- Research and development: To explore assumptions and future-oriented topics.
Overview of The Advantages of The Method
The World Café focuses on dialogue and collective problem-solving by bringing participants together in a structured yet informal process, creating value on multiple levels:
- Open conversations and active listening
- Diverse perspectives and variety of viewpoints
- Collective knowledge and shared insights
- Networking among people and groups
- Clear structure despite an informal environment
- High engagement and ownership of outcomes
- Visual record of results
- Adaptability across contexts
8 Tips For a Successful World Café
A successful World Café requires careful planning and implementation to maximize the exchange of ideas and generate valuable results. Below are eight key tips to help you design the method effectively:
- Define clear questions and purpose
- Create a welcoming space
- Mix groups intentionally
- Ensure skilled hosts
- Plan documentation and follow-up
- Manage time carefully
- Gather feedback
- Use digital or visual tools where added value exists
Frequently asked questions and answers
A World Café is a participatory method for facilitating group discussions in which participants engage in conversations in changing small groups at different tables, focusing on predefined questions and capturing their thoughts in writing. This structured yet informal exchange fosters collective knowledge and creative problem-solving.
A World Café works by having participants discuss predefined questions in small groups at different tables. After a set period of time, participants rotate to other tables, build on the discussions and ideas of previous groups, and deepen the conversations. The results are documented on tablecloths or posters to create a shared pool of knowledge.
A World Café typically lasts between two and four hours, depending on the number of discussion rounds and the depth of the topics. Each discussion round usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes, with sufficient time allocated for the introduction, table rotations, and a final synthesis.
Sources:
- Benedek, M., Beaty, R.E., Schacter, D.L. et al. The role of memory in creative ideation. Nat Rev Psychol 2, 246–257 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-023-00158-z
- Maaravi, Y., Heller, B., Shoham, Y. et al. Ideation in the digital age: literature review and integrative model for electronic brainstorming. Rev Manag Sci 15, 1431–1464 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-020-00400-5
