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| Criterion |  Facilitation World Café |  Facilitation Lean Coffee |  Innovation Brainstorming |  Facilitation Fishbowl Discussion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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 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 team faces an open question with many obvious directions, the method first creates breadth instead of premature commitment. It separates idea flow from evaluation and makes lines of thought visible, creating a pool for selection and further development. | 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 | Medium | Low | Low | Medium |
Timedifferent | 60-180 min | 30-90 min | 30-60 min | 45-90 min |
Participantsdifferent | 12-100+ | 3-20 | 4-12 | 8-80 |
Formatsame | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop | Workshop |
Outputdifferent | Table Notes, Emergent Themes, Shared Questions | Prioritized Topics, Discussion Notes, Action Items | Idea pool, Theme clusters, Shortlist | Discussion Insights, Observed Tensions, Follow-up Questions |
Tagsno overlap | FacilitationDialogueLarge groupSensemaking | FacilitationAutonomyDialogue | BrainstormingIdeationCreativityWorkshopDivergence | FacilitationDialogueLarge group |