Conversation café

Conversation Café is designed to help large groups make sense of complex or emotional events and lay the groundwork for new strategies. Its purpose is to:

Foster calm, meaningful dialogue with less debate and more listening.
Create a safe space using a circle format, shared agreements, and a talking object.
Encourage shared understanding through rounds of respectful conversation.
Reveal collective insight as participants coalesce around a “consensual hunch.”
Unlock new possibilities for action by surfacing shared meaning and direction.

Time needed
35-60 minutes

Preparation

Offline format	Online format
Prepare talking object (rubber duck, ball, stone, talking stick etc.)	Prepare online virtual whiteboard template (for example Miro)
Split into medium groups (5-7 people)	Prepare split into medium groups (5-7 people)
Flip chart for each group	Prepare six Conversation Café agreements and place them in visible place on the virtual whiteboard
Prepare six Conversation Café agreements and place them in visible place

Set the stage

Define the Topic/Question: Choose a single, open-ended, compelling question or topic that encourages personal reflection and diverse perspectives. It should be something people genuinely want to talk about. Examples:
- "What does 'community' truly mean to you?"
- "How do we cultivate resilience in challenging times?"
- "What are your hopes and fears for the future of our organization?"
- "What's the role of empathy in our work?"
Explain the Purpose: Explain that the goal is not to reach a consensus or solve a problem, but to listen, share, and understand different perspectives.
Read the six Conversation Café agreements (see files for download)
Split participants into the groups (5-7 people)

Offline format	Online format
Distribute the talking objects art	Talking objects here are replaced by raised hand
Ask for volunteer as the host at each table	Ask for volunteer as the host at each room

NOTE: The host is a full participant whose role is to gently intervene only when a participant visibly fails to observe one of the six agreements, most frequently talking on and on

Step-by-step and timing

	Offline format	Online format
Explain the steps	There will be four rounds of conversation at every table, two first rounds using a talking object, the third one as open conversation, and a final round with the talking object.	There will be four rounds of conversation in every room, two first rounds using a hand rising, the third one as open conversation, and a final round with the hand raising
Agreements	Distribute the talking objects and read the six Conversation Café agreements	Explain Hand raising mechanism and read the six Conversation Café agreements
I Round (7 min)	With the talking object: each person shares what he or she is thinking, feeling, or doing about the theme or topic As a facilitator: Announce the start. Keep track of time for each speaker	With hand raising: each person shares what he or she is thinking, feeling, or doing about the theme or topic As a facilitator: Announce the start. Set the timer for each speaker
II Round (7 min)	With the talking object: each person shares thoughts and feelings after having listened to everybody at the table As a facilitator: Keep time. Remind people to build on what they heard.	With the hand raising: each person shares thoughts and feelings after having listened to everybody at the table As a facilitator: Keep time. Remind people to build on what they heard.
III Round (20-40 min)	Open conversation (option to use talking object) As a facilitator: Keep time. Gently remind groups of the "no debating" rule and to ensure everyone gets a chance to speak.	Open conversation (option to use hand raising) As a facilitator: Keep time. Gently remind groups of the "no debating" rule and to ensure everyone gets a chance to speak.
IV Round (5-10 min)	With the talking object:Identify 1-2 key insights, patterns, or 'ahas' that emerged from your conversation. What was the 'gist' or core takeaway for your group?" As a facilitator: Ensure groups focus on synthesizing, not starting a new debate.	With hand raising: Identify 1-2 key insights, patterns, or 'ahas' that emerged from your conversation. What was the 'gist' or core takeaway for your group?" As a facilitator: Ensure groups focus on synthesizing, not starting a new debate.

As a facilitator

Hints
1. Always use the talking object (offline format) or hand raising (online format) - they make the difference

2. Craft a Powerful Invitation - The theme or question should be open-ended and profound. Avoid questions with simple yes/no answers. The more emotionally resonant the question, the deeper the conversation will be. Examples of good invitations:
- "What is a personal experience you've had with our company culture, and what did it tell you about our values?"
- "What are you feeling right now about the proposed changes, and what are your hopes and fears for the future?"
- "What are the good, the surprising, and the ugly aspects of our current way of working?"
3. Focus on the Agreements, Not the Content - Your primary job is to be the guardian of the process. Read the six Conversation Cafe agreements out loud and clearly before the session begins

4. In each group, ask for a volunteer to be the "host." The host is a full participant, not a separate facilitator. Equip the hosts with simple phrases they can use, such as, "I'm sorry, I'm just watching the time, so we can make sure everyone gets a turn," or "Let's hold off on the discussion until the open conversation round."

5. Strictly Manage the Timeboxes - The tight timeboxes for the first two rounds (usually 1 minute per person) are intentional. They force participants to be concise and get to the heart of their thoughts without rambling.

6. If there is a problem, ask: “Are we following our agreements?”
Examples of use
1. Discussing a Difficult Organizational Change
- Scenario: A company is merging with another, and employees are anxious about their jobs, roles, and the future culture. The invitation could be, "What are your hopes and fears about the upcoming merger, and what do you believe is most important to preserve from our current culture?"
- The Outcome: This structure creates a safe space for sharing concerns and perspectives, fostering empathy and resilience. It reveals key insights that support change management.
2. Deepening Team Cohesion and Trust
- Scenario: A project team has been working together for a while but feels disconnected. There's a lot of task-oriented communication, but not much human connection. The invitation could be something like, "Tell a story about a time on our team when you felt most proud of our work, and what did that moment teach you about our strengths?" or "What are your personal values that guide your work, and how do they show up on our team?"
- The Outcome: Sharing personal experiences builds trust, deepens connections, and strengthens collaboration and psychological safety.
3. Strategic Planning and Visioning
- Scenario: A leadership team or an organization needs to re-evaluate its purpose and future vision. The invitation could be, "What is our organization's 'soul,' and what does our past tell us about what we must protect and what we must evolve for the future?"
- The Outcome: This structure reconnects the group with their core purpose and values, laying a strong foundation for a shared vision before action planning.
Link with other Liberating Structures
For deepening conversation use:
1. Wicked questions
String together with:
Link to Liberating Structures page
Conversation café
Link to virtual whiteboard template (Miro)

Conversation café

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