Older adults in health. Choice of table host?

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Permalink Reply by david isaacs on January 22, 2014 at 10:44am

Hi Linda, here's a few comments on your questions.

1. consider treating older adults the same as any other group. what's important is that you offer an inquiry that has meaning to them.. example.. what stories can we tell that helps us avoid falling? also, have some of the people that you're inviting be co-designers of the world cafe with you. designing what the questions are, how the cafe will be set up etc.

2. minimum number of people for a world cafe is 12. there is no maximum. people have designed world cafe for over 1000 people. ideal number of people at a table is 4... 5 will work.. 6 is too many.

3. there are no recommendations for a table host. the table host is NOT a facilitator at the table. he or she is selected at the END of each round ... not at the beginning. and each round should have a different host. every person at the table is encouraged to listen to the conversation in each round as if he or she would be selected to be the host for the next round of conversation. the role of the host is just to briefly welcome new people to the table for each round and ask them to briefly share their learnings/ stories from the round before. Having a host selected in advance for one two or three rounds will result in that person controlling the conversation.

Linda, suggest to take a look at the World Cafe book.. has a lot of suggestions about how to run a world cafe. ... which is now available in 11 languages including 2 chinese editions. there is also a lot of information about running World Cafe on this website and online community.

also, under ""people" .. do an "advanced search" ... for Australia ..or for your city in Australia. there are skilled practitioners present in the community that you can contact

Best wishes

David Isaacs

good luck.. trust yourself and learn with the wonderful folks you'll be bringing together.

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Permalink Reply by Linda Khong on January 23, 2014 at 4:58am

Thank you for your great advice and insight. Much appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Kerrie Duff on April 9, 2014 at 10:09pm

Hi Linda, Just wondering how it went?

I was interested to to read David's suggestion of choosing facilitator at end of each round and I like that idea. Only ever had one person staying at the table before, as others move on, and seen the potential for unintended direction giving exists though not always -it depends on teh experience of the facilitator I guess.

I am new to TWC discussions, having found this site via a course I am doing online re citizen centred leadership, though have participated in the format quite a few times over the years.

Am based in Perth too if you'd like to meet for a coffee some time. Originally from Melbourne.

Cheers,

Kerrie

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Permalink Reply by Linda Khong on June 7, 2014 at 4:27am

Sure Kerrie. I am in the process of planning it up now. my mobile 0407088150

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Permalink Reply by Linda Khong on October 16, 2014 at 5:23pm

Hi David,

I am going to be running the World Cafe Forum for Falls Prevention in 2 weeks' time. There are concepts that have been modified due to circumstances.

1/ We have decided to nominate a table host for each question ahead instead.

2/ With risk management of older people not falling at the forum with their cups of tea/coffee, we have decided to let the participants 'stay' at their table and table hosts move instead.

3/ I have questions but I feel they are too 'pointed' and should be more conversational. Can someone help? In the meantime, like you suggested I am going to pilot and consult my older people co-designers.

Help!

Attachments:

• What questions do we ask_16OCt2014.docx, 25 KB

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