Lean Coffee (Minimal)

Lean Coffee is a structured method for facilitating meetings and discussions. It is based on Lean Manufacturing and Agile software development principles, which focus on continuous improvement and efficiency. The template is designed to help groups work together to identify and prioritize essential topics and then have focused discussions on those topics to achieve specific goals.

Topics can include anything within our industry and can take the form of the below

• Opinions/Views

• Challenges

• Suggestions

• Questions

• Insight

The template consists of three main parts: a pre-meeting preparation phase, the meeting itself, and a post-meeting follow-up phase. In the preparation phase, participants are encouraged to come to the meeting with specific topics they would like to discuss.

During the meeting, participants are given a set amount of time (usually 8-10 minutes) to discuss each topic. After the time is up, participants vote on which topics they would like to continue discussing, and the most popular topics are given more time. This process is repeated until all topics have been discussed or the meeting time is up.

The post-meeting follow-up phase is where the group discusses what was accomplished during the meeting, what next steps need to be taken, and how the group will measure progress. This is also the time to discuss any issues or challenges during the meeting and how they will be addressed.

Lean Coffee benefits any group that needs to have focused discussions on important topics. It can be used in various settings, such as business meetings, project planning, and brainstorming sessions. It is beneficial for teams or organizations trying to improve their productivity and efficiency or for groups working on complex or challenging problems.

Overall, Lean Coffee is a simple and effective way to structure meetings and discussions, helping to ensure that everyone's time is used effectively and that important topics are given the attention they deserve. It helps to achieve specific goals and helps to keep the team focused on the most important tasks.

Guidelines

• Be constructive, no one likes one-way complaints

• Don't make it personal, don't take it personally.

• Listen with an open mind, and remember that everyone's experience is valid

• Write clearly and concisely

• Build on the ideas of others

• Stay focused on the topic

• Feel free to be a fly on the wall