Chapter: Knowledge Café Applications


Café conversation

This “us and them” problem is exacerbated by our reliance on impersonal communications technologies.

One of a leader’s greatest challenges these days is getting people to actually talk to each other; one-on-one meetings and old-fashioned brainstorming are vital to the success of any growing business.

Improving the flow of information is just one part of the communications challenge; getting employees to actually listen to each other is much more difficult.

A big part of the problem is that the only word that gets more play than “they” is “I.”

Credit: Richard Branson

In this chapter, I explain how you can adapt the Knowledge Café for a variety of purposes.

If you wish to read some stories of how organizations have used or adapted the primary Café process to their own ends then go to the Conversational Stories chapter.


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Introduction: Knowledge Café Applications The Knowledge Café is as much a state of mind as it is a fixed process

Conference Café ** Reading Group Café What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close The Knowledge Café is as much a state of mind as a fixed process. It is a way of viewing the world through a  conversational lens. It is about looking at any Continue reading Introduction: Knowledge Café Applications The Knowledge Café is as much a state of mind as it is a fixed process

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Reading Group Café A reading group, reading circle or book discussion club

Introduction: Knowledge Café Applications Engagement Café What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close A powerful application of the Knowledge Café uses the process as the backbone of a reading group, reading circle, or book discussion club. Book discussion clubs are limited to 12 to 16 Continue reading Reading Group Café A reading group, reading circle or book discussion club

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Engagement Café Conversation is king. Content is just something to talk about.

Reading Group Café Marketing Café ** What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close An Engagement Café is a form of Knowledge Café designed to help people engage with an issue such as a new policy or procedure in the context of their organization. The problem Continue reading Engagement Café Conversation is king. Content is just something to talk about.

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Sales Café Ditch the pitch - create sales conversations

Marketing Café ** Future Café What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close One of the fundamental philosophies underpinning Conversational Leadership is the need to stop talking at people and to start to talk with them. We need to give fewer presentations and convene more conversations. This Continue reading Sales Café Ditch the pitch – create sales conversations

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Collective Sense-making Café ** Only a community of minds can show us the truth

Scenario Café ** Focus Group Café What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Collective Sense-making [Status: stub] Tags: collective sensemaking (8)POST NAVIGATION Scenario Café ** Focus Group Café What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close Continue reading Collective Sense-making Café ** Only a community of minds can show us the truth

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Focus Group Café An improvement on traditional focus groups?

Collective Sense-making Café ** Ideation Café What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close There are several ways to obtain people’s opinions and feedback. Surveys, interviews, and focus groups are three of the most common. The Focus Group Café is another possibility. Surveys The first method Continue reading Focus Group Café An improvement on traditional focus groups?

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Ideation Café A conversation to solve problems or generate ideas

Focus Group Café Idea Campaign Café What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close An Ideation Café is a conversational method used to generate ideas to address a particular issue, problem, or opportunity. It is an adaptation of the Knowledge Café and avoids some of the criticisms of Continue reading Ideation Café A conversation to solve problems or generate ideas

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Decision Making Café Using the Knowledge Café to make better decisions

Idea Campaign Café Question Storming Café ** What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close The Knowledge Café is not about decision-making but can be combined with other decision-making processes to help make better decisions. How often have you taken part in a meeting to decide Continue reading Decision Making Café Using the Knowledge Café to make better decisions

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Question Storming Café ** Questions can be more powerful than answers at times

Decision Making Café Conference Café ** What’s the Vibe? Please be patient as this may take up to a minute to load… Close The purpose of a Questionstorming Café is not to come up with ideas but to generate questions. Designing a Café to come up with lots of powerful questions around a problem, a Continue reading Question Storming Café ** Questions can be more powerful than answers at times