The Knowledge Café Master Class is a one-day workshop designed to teach you how to design and run a Knowledge Café. I also have a half-day version of this workshop.
In our increasingly complex, fast paced, rapidly changing, ambiguous world, no single leader or individual can know everything or be smart enough alone to address the challenges that face us.
One of best ways to make sense of an issue or challenge and ultimately make better decisions is to bring a diversity of people together for a conversation in a Knowledge Café.
Who should attend?
This workshop is intended for almost anyone. Most people will benefit from it but it will be of particular interest to anyone looking to encourage and facilitate more purposeful, constructive and creative conversation in their teams or organisations.
These include:
- Managers
- Facilitators
- Project and Team Leaders
- Trainers
- Community of Practice Leaders
And professionals in:
- Change Management
- Human Resources
- Knowledge Management
- Learning and Development
- Organization Development
What will you learn?
- Understand the background and motivation behind the Knowledge Cafe
- Understand the fundamental principles that underpin the Knowledge Café
- Understand the principles of dialogue
- Learn how to design and run a Knowledge Café
- Learn how to pose powerful questions to trigger Café conversations
- Learn alternative methods of triggering the Café conversation
- Learn how to effectively facilitate the small group and whole group conversations that form part of the Knowledge Café
- Learn how to capture outcomes without unduly interfering with the flow of conversation
- Understand how to adapt the Knowledge Café for different purposes
- Learn tips and techniques for better facilitating the Café
- Experience an actual Knowledge Café
The Agenda
This is a guide to the day’s agenda. It is adapted in real time on the day to focus on the elements that the participants have most interest.
The workshop normally starts at 9:30 and closes at 16:30.
- Registration and refreshments
- Introduction
- The Role of Conversation in Business
- The importance of dialogue
- Principles of dialogue
- The Knowledge Café Process
- Background, rationale, principles and outcomes
- The process itself
- COFFEE break
- Run an actual Knowledge Café
- Set the theme and question
- Small group conversations, followed by a whole group conversation
- LUNCH break
- Review of the morning
- Tips and Techniques
- The process in more depth
- Language and cultural issues
- Capturing outcomes
- Adapting the Knowledge Cafe
- Applications of the Café
- World Café, Open Space Technology and other formats
- COFFEE break
- Café Style Review of the Day
- Close of workshop
Logistics
I have certain requirements regarding the number of people I can take and the room and its layout that you can find fully documented here.
We are a group of knowledge managers in Switzerland who were curious about understanding what Knowledge Cafés are and how we can use them. Thanks to the Skat Foundation we were able to invite David to run a Knowledge Café masterclass for us in Switzerland.
Knowledge Café masterclass, Bern University of Applied Sciences, June 2015 We learnt that the Knowledge Café is a fairly easy process that allows people to engage in meaningful conversations. It nurtures deeper understanding of complex and challenging issues. These are good conditions for wise decisions.
Inspired by David’s vision and infectious enthusiasm, we spent a wonderful day learning and practicing.
Claudia Michel
Bern University of Applied SciencesBertha Camacho
Skat ConsultingNadia Von Holzen
Swiss Agency for Development and CooperationJune 2015
