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| Criterion |  Facilitation World Café |  Facilitation Alignment Mapping |  Facilitation Open Space Technology |  Facilitation Lean Coffee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Purposedifferent | 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. | When several people work toward one goal but hold different mental maps, Alignment Mapping makes the discrepancies visible. It arranges goals, assumptions, and priorities so shared direction becomes verifiable. | When a complex topic does not yet have a fitting agenda, Open Space Technology hands topic ownership back to the participants. The format suits questions that only move forward when real interest determines the order. | 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. |
Complexitydifferent | Medium | Medium | High | Low |
Timedifferent | 60-180 min | 1-2 h | 0.5-2 Tage | 30-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 12-100+ | 4-12 | 20-500+ | 3-20 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions | Alignment Map, Open Issues, Decision Questions | Session Marketplace, Proceedings, Action Topics | Prioritized Topics, Discussion Notes, Action Items |
Tags1 shared | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking | AlignmentStakeholdersStrategyFacilitation | FacilitationLarge groupAutonomy | FacilitationAutonomyDialogue |