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| Criterion | ![]() Facilitation Lean Coffee | ![]() Decision Making Cynefin Workshop | ![]() Facilitation Fishbowl Discussion | ![]() Facilitation World Café |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | When a group without a fixed agenda needs to get into useful conversations quickly, Lean Coffee structures the start around interests rather than a presentation. The group itself negotiates which topics get time first and which wait. | When problems are unclear, chaotic, or only seemingly familiar, standard recipes fall short. A Cynefin Workshop sorts situations by the nature of their problem and connects them with matching action logic. | When a controversial topic needs depth and discipline at the same time, Fishbowl Discussion makes the structure of the conversation transparent. The format keeps the core small enough for real dialogue and open enough for controlled turnover. | When a group needs to connect many viewpoints in a short time, World Café creates a calm alternation between closeness and rotation. It sets thinking in motion without forcing the conversation into full-plenary rigidity. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 60-180 min | 45-90 min | 60-180 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 | 4-20 | 8-80 | 12-100+ |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized Topics, Discussion Notes, Action Items | Cynefin Map, Domain-specific Actions, Sensemaking Notes | Discussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up Questions | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions |
Tagsno overlap | FacilitationAutonomyDialogue | ComplexitySensemakingDecision | FacilitationDialogueLarge group | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking |



