Purpose
The method helps clarify group contributions, selection, and decisions concretely. It makes individual contributions visible in a final selection. The result is captured as prioritized topics, discussion notes, and action items.
Facilitation
Lean Coffee
Turns group contributions, selection, and decisions into a tangible result by collecting topics, clustering and voting on them, and documenting actions.
Which topics this group brings today deserve discussion time, and which insights or actions follow from them?
LowWorkshop30-90 min
How it works
The team follows the steps: collect topics, cluster and vote on topics, discuss top topic in a timebox, decide whether to continue or stop, and document actions. Each step is captured visibly. At the end, prioritized topics, discussion notes, and action items are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Visual orientation
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
Flow
- 1Collect topics
- 2Cluster and vote on topics
- 3Discuss top topic in a timebox
- 4Decide continue or stop
- 5Document actions
The runsheet guides execution with 4 phases, timeboxes, 5 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetIdeal for
- Community meetings
- Retrospectives
- Peer learning
Not good for
- Decisions with strict governance
- Meetings with a fixed agenda
Deep dive
In detail
Lean Coffee follows a clear working logic: collect topics, cluster and vote on topics, discuss top topic in a timebox, decide whether to continue or stop, and document actions. This turns the method into a visible thinking process instead of only a discussion. Participants move step by step from raw material, observations, or options toward a shared structure. As a result, prioritized topics, discussion notes, and action items are available for decisions, learning, and planning.
Facilitation
Prepare a clear guiding question, the right information, and a visible workspace. Plan for 30-90 min with 3-20 people and use the format in a facilitated workshop. The facilitation stays lightweight; short timeboxes, visible intermediate results, and a parking lot for open questions help.
Output artifacts
Prioritized TopicsDiscussion NotesAction Items
Artifact templates
Lean Coffee Working TemplateCompact working template for Lean Coffee with topics, votes, timeboxes, and outcomes.agenda
Lean Coffee Working TemplateCompact working template for Lean Coffee with topics, votes, timeboxes, and outcomes.
agendalean-coffee-working-template.md
Compact working template for Lean Coffee with topics, votes, timeboxes, and outcomes.
Lean Coffee Working Template
Goal
Run a self-organized discussion with visible topic selection and timeboxing.
Context
When and for what do we use this method?
Input
Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?
Working area
- Topic pool:
- Votes:
- Timeboxes:
- Decisions to continue or stop:
- Action items:
Output artifacts
- Prioritized topics:
- Discussion notes:
- Action list:
Open questions
- ...
Next step
Owner, date, and success signal.
When to choose differently
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
Barcamp
Statt Lean Coffee, wenn ihr ein offenes Konferenzformat braucht, in dem Teilnehmende Inhalte selbst setzen.
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Statt Lean Coffee, wenn ihr ein offenes Konferenzformat braucht, in dem Teilnehmende Inhalte selbst setzen.
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