The World Café Meets Project Planning

by Ann McCloskey, 2009

The World Café is emerging as a dynamic way of connecting people and enabling them to share ideas and seek deeper meaning. The World Café creates an hospitable environment by bringing people together in a more intimate space in order to encourage real dialogue then moving the participants amongst the groups to share ideas and concepts. This methodology is being used around the world to help create a greater sense of shared community.

The purpose of this intervention was to translate the World Café methodology into a work place tool without losing the essence of the process. A recent technology project planning meeting set to the tune of the World Café was the vehicle used to test this concept translation.

A few basic principles of the World Café noted at www.theworldcafe.com should be maintained throughout the process in order to maintain the underlying essence of the method.

*Clarify the Context
*Create Hospitable Space
*Explore Questions That Matter
*Connect Diverse Perspectives
*Encourage Each Person's Contribution
*Listen Together for Patterns, Insights and Deeper Questions
*Share Collective Discoveries

The following approach using the above principles was used to develop the technology project planning meeting for a major national bank. The meeting included 50 people from across the country. The group members were selected to represent a wide range of regions, positions, and divisions throughout the organization. Participants ranged from high-level managers to entry level staff.

The space used for the exercise was not as intimate as some World Cafés and consisted of 10 tables of 5 places each. Each table was equipped with crayons, scented markers, children's modeling clay and various small toys. The intent of the modeling clay and toys was to stimulate the tactile sensations and help tap into the creative part of the brain. Each table top was covered with butcher paper. Two flip charts were placed at the front of the room.

Each participant was asked prior to the meeting to scan the business environment and bring ideas of how technology could improve the business process or create new approaches to old business challenges. The facilitator explained the process in detail at the beginning of the meeting. The members at each table were to discuss their project ideas. Participants were encouraged to use the markers, toys, and clay to help communicate the essence of their project. The group would come to a consensus after approximately 30 minutes as to which idea would "hold the table".

Holding the table meant that the idea had the greatest level of support amongst the members of the table. The person whose idea it was would stay at the table and the remaining members would move to new tables. The process would repeat in a similar fashion. It was important for the facilitator to "walk the room" during the second and third rounds to ensure that discussions continued around all ideas and didn't automatically default to the idea that had previously won the table. Once an idea had held a table for three rounds, the presenter or owner of the idea would open the project to the floor. Members of the meeting were then free to share ideas and ask questions related to the project. The originator of the idea would put an outline of the project on the flip chart and post it on the wall if a general consensus was reached at this point. The originator of the idea was allowed go to the Big Prize table and select a prize as an additional incentive. The big prize table consisted of large toys and games such as Twister, Super Soakers, etc. The final objective of the meeting was reached when the top eight projects had been outlined and prizes had been awarded.

The use of the World Café technology created a higher overall energy level throughout the meeting. Several new break-through ideas were identified and fleshed out. Several projects were consolidated or new and more innovative projects were put in place by creating a forum for many ideas to be shared. Very few people became entrenched in owning a particular idea because of the pace of the meeting and an environment of true information sharing was created.

Ann McCloskey is Senior Vice President Strategic Development for Wells Fargo Foothill, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo Company. She has over 15 years of strategy, re-engineering, project management and change management experience. She received her MSOD from Pepperdine University.