Knowledge Café: Sharing Actionable Insights One idea, lesson learned or insight taken away from a Café

More often than not, in a Café, the outcomes are what the participants take away in their heads. But frequently, something more is needed. Sharing actionable insights is one option. 

The host or speaker usually does not summarize at the end of a Knowledge Café and does not attempt to reach a consensus, which detracts from the conversations.

If some conclusion is required and there is sufficient time, one simple and efficient way is to ask the participants to share one of their actionable insights with the rest of the group at the end of the Café when people are sitting in a Café Circle.

Actionable Insights

As the Café Host, at the start of the Café, tell people that you would like them to each note (in their heads) at least one actionable insight that arises from their conversations.

An actionable insight is a thought, a lesson, or an idea, preferably something they can follow up on within a few days.

Then, as host, at the end of the Café, after the circle conversation, choose someone sitting opposite you, ideally, someone whom you know will have something to say and won’t mind going first to share and ask them to share just one of their actionable insights.

Then, move around the circle clockwise, asking each person to share. Also, share something yourself.

Tell people it is acceptable to say “pass” if they have nothing to say. They are not being held to anything.

Capture

You can capture actionable insights if needed. There are many ways in which you can do this, but two of the easiest are as follows:

1. Ask people to write their insights on a 4 x 2 index card and collect them.
2. Ask people to write their ideas on Post-it notes and post them on a board in the room for everyone to see at the end of the Café. The advantage is that you can collect the post-its, but everyone can take the time to look at them and even capture them in a photo with their mobile phones.

Time Keeping

To keep to time, ask everyone to keep their actionable insight to a single sentence or two. Better still, if you ask them to write it on a card or a post-it note, then ask them to read it. This helps prevent some of the most long-winded members of the group from eating up the available time.

A Pledge

Sometimes, it makes sense to take a slightly harder line and ask for a pledge rather than an actionable insight. A pledge has a much more committed tone than an actionable insight.

In this case, you can ask people to write their pledge on an index card.

Write the pledge on one side of the card as a single sentence plus their name; on the reverse side, write a fuller description.

These cards can be collected, and you can follow up on the pledges. For example, you can ask people to report back on the progress of their pledges a few weeks later.

But once again, one of the principles of the Café is that no one is made to do anything they don’t want to do.

So make it clear that they can pass and that although you would like them to take their pledge seriously, there will be no comeback and no shame if they do not follow through on the promise. On reflection, the following day, they may decide the pledge was unrealistic and could not be kept, or they might just be too busy to keep it.

But you would like them to be honest about the outcome of their pledge if they are asked to report back later.

Sharing actionable insights is an excellent way to close a Knowledge Café, as it allows the host, the speaker, and the participants to understand what people are taking away.