Method · Discussion and ideas

Lean Coffee: how to run it

A meeting with no agenda until it starts: everybody writes topics, the group votes, and you talk about the most popular ones in short, timed rounds.

50 minutes5 stepsDiscussion and ideas
Other methods

When it helps

Use it when a group has lots to talk about and no obvious order — a team catch-up, a community of practice, a meetup — and you want the agenda to come from the people in the room rather than whoever booked it. It works well with five to fifteen people.

When to use something else

Skip it when there is one decision to make or a fixed set of items that must be covered, such as a board meeting. Very large groups need splitting into tables first.

How to run it, step by step

  1. Everyone writes topics5 min
    • One topic per sticky note or card, a few words each. Anyone can add as many as they like.
  2. Each person briefly explains theirs5 min
    • A sentence each, so everyone knows what the notes mean before voting.
  3. Dot vote3 min
    • Everyone gets two or three votes to put on the topics they most want to discuss.
  4. Talk, most votes first35 min
    • Set a timer for about eight minutes per topic. When it rings, everyone shows a thumb: up to keep going for another few minutes, down to move on.
  5. Close2 min
    • Note what was decided or learned under each topic, and any actions with names.

What comes out — an example

Made up, to show the shape.

Topics voted top. Onboarding new hires remotely (6 votes); our test suite is too slow (5); conference budget (3).

Onboarding. Agreed a buddy for every new starter from next month — Priya drafts the checklist.

Test suite. Extended once by thumbs; Omar times each part and reports next week.

Not reached. Conference budget — carried to the next session.

Where it comes from

Lean Coffee was started in Seattle in 2009 by Jim Benson and Jeremy Lightsmith, as a way to hold meetings that set their own agenda.

Questions

What is Lean Coffee?

A structured but agenda-less meeting: participants propose topics, vote on them, and discuss them in order of votes, in short timeboxes with a quick vote on whether to continue each one.

How long is each topic in Lean Coffee?

Commonly five to eight minutes, with the group voting by thumbs whether to extend or move on.

Can Lean Coffee work online?

Yes — use a shared board for the topic cards and the voting, and keep the same timeboxes.

Other methods

Fishbowl discussionA few people talk in an inner circle while everyone else listens from around them; listeners can step in by taking an empty chair, so a large group can hold one real conversation.1-2-4-AllEveryone thinks alone, then in pairs, then in fours, then the whole group shares — so every person contributes and the best ideas rise in about twelve minutes.Silent meetingEveryone reads a shared document and writes their questions and comments in it during the meeting, in silence — then talks only about what still needs talking about.Nominal group techniquePeople generate ideas alone and in writing, share them one at a time round the group, discuss them briefly, then rank them privately — so the best ideas win, not the loudest voices.Round robinGo round the group in order and give everyone the same short turn to speak — so every voice is heard once before anyone speaks twice.Six Thinking HatsThe group looks at one question from six angles in turn — facts, feelings, risks, benefits, new ideas and process — so everyone thinks the same way at the same time instead of arguing.

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