In a company, there is often a need to achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and within a limited timeframe. For example, one might want to gain a team’s buy-in on one or more projects while also benefiting from their collective intelligence on those same projects. This was the challenge I faced when I helped facilitate a European executive committee meeting. Here’s what we did.
During a 2-day seminar held in the Paris region for the European executive committee of a major French group, one of the goals was to secure the participants’ commitment on a number of topics, and then have them work on the associated action plans. This was particularly important because these same participants would then be responsible for deploying the topics within their respective areas. Therefore, we needed an efficient workshop that would allow each person to commit and contribute to the definition of the action plan in a short amount of time.
We chose a workshop format known as the World Café. In the first step, the group identified 4 priority topics out of the 9 proposed. Each topic was assigned to a discussion table. Each table was covered with paper and equipped with a flipchart. A facilitator was also present at each table.
Participants were then divided into 4 groups. Each group began with a different topic during the 45-minute first round. Then, they rotated to a new table, picking up from where the previous group left off and continued the work for 30 minutes. The facilitator at each table summarized the previous discussions, key points, and open questions for the incoming group. In the third round, participants changed tables again and worked for 20 minutes. Finally, the last round lasted 15 minutes, during which the final group at each table presented the final action plan, co-constructed by all participants. Each round was shorter than the previous one, as the goal was to build upon, refine, and amend the work already done—whereas the first round was dedicated to laying the groundwork. The time constraint also helped prevent endless discussions.
Because everyone was able to contribute to each topic—regardless of how closely it related to their individual responsibilities—engagement levels were high. The immediate feedback collected at the end of the workshop indicated a high level of satisfaction. Participants also appreciated being directly involved in defining the action plans, being able to take ownership of them, and the dynamic nature of the workshop.
The World Café is a very effective workshop format when the goal is to leverage collective intelligence on multiple topics within a short timeframe. It promotes teamwork within and between groups, as each group builds on the work of the others. It allows participants to become active contributors to the outcome, which in turn drives strong engagement.
