The World Café: Progress through Conversations that Matter

The World Café is a powerful social tool for engaging people in conversations that matter, offering an effective antidote to the fast-paced fragmentation and lack of connection in today’s world. Based on the understanding that conversation is the core process that drives personal, business, and organizational life, the World Café is more than a method, a process, or technique – it’s a way of thinking and being together sourced in a philosophy of conversational leadership.  The World Café setting allows for open dialogue through it 4 person per table format.  There are typically three “powerful questions that matter” that are facilitated.  After each question, participants switch to completely different tables to allow for cross-pollination of ideas.  The individual groups provide a summary of each question from their table for the entire group allowing for enhanced understanding and respect.

We explore contemporary areas from equal opportunity, equity, cultural, current events, police relations with suggested improvements/cooperation, and systemic issues to specific community based specific race relations concerns.  All with the goals of listening to learn, engaging in dialogue that will increase both understanding and respect, and offer solutions for action. Participants will experience a full, engaging, and productive dialogue that because of the format, creates a cross pollination of ideas and graphic representations of both the topics and recommendations for solutions going forward.  

The World Café is facilitated by Dr. John Fuller, Applied Development’s Director of DEIA.  

Following the Ferguson, MO shooting of Michael Brown in August 2018, Dr. Fuller created the first race relations dialogue format within the federal government using the World Café format. Dr. Fuller facilitated Race Relations World Café sessions in multiple nationwide locations with outstanding feedback from participants and hosts specifically with federal agencies among those to include the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, National Science Foundation, and the Department of Labor.  His engaging style creates a truly welcoming dialogue atmosphere for all participants.  

Duration recommended is 2.5 hours. 

Specific desired topic areas desired will be facilitated.

Optimum and suggested format:  In person with 20-35 participants.

Virtual or hybrid format can also be facilitated. 

Cost Per session:  In Person:

      Virtual/Hybrid: