Seven Principles for Harnessing the Power of Conversation
by Janice Molloy
Where are new ideas born? While some develop through formal processes and innovation think tanks, throughout history, many of the most transformative notions have arisen from informal conversations over a glass of wine or cup of coffee in a café, living room, or neighborhood pub. In this way, sewing circles and "committees of correspondence" played a role in the birth of the American Republic, and debates that took place in cafés and salons helped spawn the French Revolution.
A methodology known as the World Café captures the best qualities of these kinds of "conversations that matter." Over the course of several hours, people move between groups, cross-pollinate ideas, and discover new insights into the questions or issues that are most important in their life, work, or community. As a process, the World Café can evoke and make visible the collective intelligence of any group, thus increasing people's capacity for effective action in pursuit of common aims.
The World Café website includes many articles and other resources about the process. Now, two short videos provide an overview of the World Café and the seven principles that guide the experience. Hosted by Samantha Tan, who has spoken at the Pegasus Conference a number of times, the videos serve as an excellent introduction to an important and useful tool.
Watch these videos and tell us your experience with the World Café and other conversational methodologies. When are they useful? Under what circumstances should they be avoided?
Janice Molloy is content director of Pegasus Communications, managing editor of The Systems Thinker newsletter, and program director of the annual Systems Thinking in Action conference.