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| Criterion |  Facilitation Lean Coffee |  Facilitation Dot Voting |  Facilitation Nominal Group Technique |  Facilitation Fishbowl Discussion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 a workshop has produced too many options and the group needs to condense quickly, dot voting makes preferences visible in a short time. It bundles individual votes into a solid signal for the next selection. | When loud voices could dominate a round, Nominal Group Technique protects individual thinking time from group effects. It collects ideas separately first and only then enables shared weighting. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Low | Low | Medium | Medium |
Timedifferent | 30-90 min | 5-15 min | 60-120 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 3-20 | 3-20 | 5-12 | 8-80 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Prioritized Topics, Discussion Notes, Action Items | Ranked list, Consensus signal, Shortlist | Ranked Ideas, Clarified Options, Group Priority | Discussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up Questions |
Tags1 shared | FacilitationAutonomyDialogue | FacilitationVotingConsensusPrioritization | FacilitationPrioritizationVotingInclusion | FacilitationDialogueLarge group |