Conversation Cafe

How this method works

A conversation structure for exploring a deep question together without rushing to a conclusion. It suits emotionally charged topics, events within an organisation, and changes that people do not yet understand in the same way. Put one speaking object on each table. During the first two rounds, only the person holding it speaks. During open conversation, use it as a signal to prevent people from talking over each other. Follow six agreements: suspend judgment, respect others, seek understanding, invite different opinions, speak candidly, and do not speak for too long. Each table finishes with insights to retain. Do not use it to assign responsibility for a task, decide winners and losers in a debate, or work in conditions where speaking cannot be kept safe.

Phase schedule

Minutes are cumulative from the start of the base plan, not a live timer. Read scaling for any additional time. Phase controls do not advance automatically.

1. Set the question and agreements0–10 minutes from the start (10 minutes)

   Action: Set. Participation: Groups of 4–7.

   Recording not separately specified for this phase

2. Go around the circle10–22 minutes from the start (12 minutes)

   Action: Go around. Participation: Groups of 4–7.

   Recording not separately specified for this phase

3. Explore the question22–50 minutes from the start (28 minutes)

   Action: Talk. Participation: Groups of 4–7.

   Shared record

4. Offer a closing reflection50–56 minutes from the start (6 minutes)

   Action: Reflect. Participation: Groups of 4–7.

   Recording not separately specified for this phase

5. Share insights56–60 minutes from the start (4 minutes)

   Action: Share. Participation: Everyone.

   Shared record

Facilitation steps

1. For 10 minutes, set one shared question and sit in groups of four to seven. Read the instructions for the speaking object and the six agreements, and choose one facilitator for each table.
2. For 12 minutes, complete two rounds in which only the person holding the object speaks. In the first, each person briefly shares a first impression; in the second, each shares what they think after listening.
3. For 28 minutes, explore the question in open conversation, using the object as a signal to prevent overlapping speech.
4. For 6 minutes, go around the circle again, with each person briefly sharing an insight or question they are taking away.
5. For 4 minutes, return to the whole group. Each table writes just one insight that may help others on the shared sheet.

If something changes

Preparation

Materials

• One object per table to indicate who is speaking, such as a stone, stick or piece of cloth
• One A5 table card listing the six agreements per table
• One A3 sheet per table for insights
• One pen per participant

Room and setup

• One table per group, with 4–7 chairs in a circle
• Place the speaking object in the centre of each table where everyone can see it
• Recording is optional; do not require a verbatim record of people's statements

Adjust for people and time

With fewer than 4 people, it is difficult to circulate different perspectives; use a one-to-one conversation instead. Divide the participant count by 7 and round up to determine the number of tables, then distribute people into groups of 4–7 with sizes differing by no more than one. Above 13 people, assign a facilitator at each table and limit whole-group sharing to one item per table. Retain the option of handing over a written contribution without speaking. Online, each person holds an object and names the person they are passing to. With 21 or more people, split the activity into separate sessions of no more than 20 people each.

Manuscript's recorded references

These translate the original manuscript's source and rights claims. They remain separate from any current-page notice below; they do not establish new verification.

• Liberating Structures Fieldbook (2026) — Henri Lipmanowicz; Keith McCandless; Nancy White

  https://www.liberatingstructures.com/conversation-cafe

  Adaptation under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes made

• Creative Commons License — Liberating Structures

  https://www.liberatingstructures.com/cc-license

  CC BY-SA 4.0 statement

• CC BY-SA 4.0

  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

  Licence text

Diagram, print, and video language

Original Japanese guide, diagram, and print view. Their labels and print text have not been translated; an English print edition is not provided here.

English video-library navigation. Original Japanese audio, subtitles and transcripts remain labelled Japanese resources. Their translations are separate later work. No remote player is embedded here.

The manual English phase controls are a navigation aid, not a live facilitation timer. Interactive diagram motion remains pending.

Editorial provenance

Stable method ID

conversation-cafe

Japanese source status

Japanese source: field-tested status

Source path

src/content/methods/conversation-cafe.yaml

Source SHA-256

d434343b95a3b85f6889527b9b092f56804c3ced341136601ae1ee165e718648

English text path

design-lab/drafts/english-site-20261015/batches/M-001-local-draft/methods/conversation-cafe.json

English text SHA-256

b2bc181d43302f28e88d1d331aa30c3062db749eb1b9d52106fabf5764d2a0c6

Historical fixed-text English acceptance record

local-draft-not-independently-reviewed

Historical fixed-source recorded publication hold

LS source-version/licence/icon reconciliation before publication

Original Japanese asset identifiers (not rendered here)

• main: conversation-cafe-main.svg
• print: conversation-cafe-print.svg
• thumb: conversation-cafe-thumb.svg

Japanese source status and logs are provenance only. They do not mean this English text or interface was field-tested. Historical fixed-text acceptance and hold records remain specific to their recorded versions; displaying them neither asserts current acceptance nor resolves source-specific restrictions.