Want to shake up your team meetings and inspire everyone to speak up? Try a Lean Coffee meeting. This article will provide real-world guidance on how to run a Lean Coffee meeting for both in-person and virtual settings. This method runs effective, agenda-less sessions that create a psychologically safe environment by ensuring everyone has the opportunity to contribute in a structured, engaging format.
What is Lean Coffee?
Lean Coffee began in 2009 in Seattle, when Jim Benson and Jeremy Lightsmith wanted a way to discuss Lean techniques without the red tape of formal meetings. Their solution? Bring together a group, let everyone propose topics, and prioritize together. Lean Coffee has no preset agenda, which helps level the playing field and gives every participant a say. This simple format turns meetings into lively, psychologically safe spaces, encouraging fresh ideas and genuine engagement from all.
How Lean Coffee Increases Psychological Safety
Psychological safety—feeling free to share ideas, ask questions, and offer feedback without fear of judgment or repercussions—is essential to productive teams. Lean Coffee meetings naturally build psychological safety by:
Giving Equal Voice to All Participants: Lean Coffee’s open format means everyone gets to suggest topics, and voting ensures each voice carries weight.
Reducing Anxiety with Structure: Time-boxing and topic prioritization set a clear, shared framework, minimizing uncertainty and keeping the meeting on track.
Encouraging Open Expression: Time limits and structured voting allow for candid, respectful discussion, inviting everyone to speak up.
How to Run a Lean Coffee Meeting
1. Explain Lean Coffee to the Group
Start by giving participants an overview of Lean Coffee, emphasizing that everyone contributes to the agenda. Assign a facilitator to guide timing, keep track of discussion points, and record notes if needed.
2. Gather Topics
Invite everyone to propose topics for discussion. If your Lean Coffee meeting has a specific focus (like psychological safety), prompt participants to bring up relevant themes or concerns. Collect these topics in advance or during the meeting, allowing 3-5 minutes for brainstorming.
3. Group Similar Topics
Take a couple of minutes to identify and merge any duplicate or similar topics. This streamlines the list and helps the group stay focused.
4. Prioritize Topics by Voting
With everyone’s topics gathered, ask participants to vote on what they’d like to discuss most, usually giving them 3-5 votes each. Encourage them to spend votes on what feels most valuable, even if that means placing multiple votes on a single topic. Order the topics by votes to set the discussion lineup.
5. Start the Discussion
Set a timer (3-5 minutes) for the top-voted topic. The topic’s author or the facilitator can briefly introduce it. When the timer runs out, ask for a quick thumbs-up or thumbs-down to decide whether to continue the discussion or move to the next topic. If the group wants to continue, reset the timer and repeat until consensus indicates it’s time to move on.
6. Record Key Takeaways
Designate a note-taker to capture key points and action items, or let participants jot down their own notes as the meeting progresses.
7. Wrap Up and Reflect
Conclude with a brief wrap-up to review any agreed actions. Take a minute to gather feedback on the meeting process so the format can be even more effective next time.
Adapting Lean Coffee for Remote and Hybrid Teams
Lean Coffee works great in virtual and hybrid settings with a few tweaks to help the process run smoothly online.
Choose the Right Tools
Virtual Whiteboards: Use Miro and Mural to allow participants to add and vote on topics. Both platforms offer Lean Coffee meeting templates you can use rather than create a template from scratch.
Lean Coffee Table: This app is designed for Lean Coffee meetings and can simplify setup and participation in a remote setting.
Video Conferencing: Platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet are essential for face-to-face interaction and include useful engagement tools.
Set Up the Virtual Space
Create a Digital Board: Set up columns for “To Discuss,” “In Progress,” and “Discussed” on your virtual whiteboard.
Gather Topics: Invite participants to add topics before the meeting or during the initial phase, depending on what works best for your group.
Digital Voting and Timers
Use built-in voting and timer features, or a simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down in your video call to prioritize topics and manage time limits.
Encourage Participation
For larger teams, use breakout rooms for smaller group discussions to make sure everyone has a chance to speak. Use chat, polls, and reactions to keep the meeting interactive.
Record Notes and Actions
Use a shared Google Doc for collaborative note-taking, or assign a note-taker to capture key points and decisions.
Wrap Up and Gather Feedback
Summarize main points and action items at the end, and collect feedback to continuously improve future sessions.
Lean Coffee is a powerful approach to building psychological safety, leveling the playing field, and keeping meetings productive and engaging—whether in-person or online. Give it a try and watch your team’s collaboration and creativity thrive!
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