A structured meeting without an agenda is called a Lean Coffee. The process and methodology provide an opportunity to gain insights into one or several current topics.
The method consists of three phases:
1. Collecting topics
During topic collection, all participants should have the opportunity to independently write down topics that are relevant to them. The collected topics can be clustered.
2. Prioritizing topics
You vote on which topics to discuss, for example by assigning points to the ones that seem most important to you.
3. Discussing topics
You talk about a topic for a set amount of time (usually 10 minutes). When the time is up, you decide—e.g., by consent—what topic to discuss next. This could also be the same topic again if there is still a need to continue.
A Kanban board with the columns “to discuss,” “in discussion,” and “discussed” often supports Lean Coffee sessions. If tasks arise from the conversations, you can also create a fourth column as a task list.
You can find further information on the website of the Agility Lab.
Contact
Hanna Dewes
Research Associate