Planning Cafés

Hosts: Robert Benn, Laurie Benn, Melanie Davids

Hosting Organization/Sponsor: A diversity of clients

Who were the Cafés For? A diversity of participants including children, youth, multicultural groups, First Nations, managers, governing bodies, special needs education institutions and more

Purpose: To consolidate group thinking using a highly democratic process that encourages consensus. Focusing the thinking at the end of a day of planning, and capture that thinking using a visually facilitated harvest.

Number of People Attending (approx): 9 to 80

Questions Used:
We use one main question for 2.5 rounds and then a focusing question for the last half of the third round.
Examples:

• Over the next year, what Key Actions do we need to take together to continue integrating “Inspiring Education” initiatives into the “Horizon way”?
• What should our new seniors’ centre have? provide? inspire? be known for? - then - What were the Common Themes, and Out-of-the-Box or Passionate ideas?
• What would a positive future for school attendance include?
• Looking back over today's conversations and visual records what Actions do we need to take? - then focus - What Key Actions do we need to take over the next three years?

Impact: The World Cafe process continues to be a key to getting people talking together which eventually gets them working together, deciding together and enjoying doing it. We evaluate 95% of the processes we run with our clients and feedback is overwhelming positive.