Lean Coffee - Meeting techniques used at the PROJECT GENERAL COMPANY, JAKARTA

Lean Coffee Lives Here at The PROJECT GENERAL COMPANY

WHAT IS LEAN COFFEE(tm)?

Lean Coffee is a structured, but agenda-less meeting. Participants gather, build an agenda, and begin talking. Conversations are directed and productive because the agenda for the meeting was democratically generated. There are currently dozens of Lean Coffees happening world-wide, including Seattle, San Francisco, Stockholm, Toronto, Boulder, New York City, Jakarta, and more.

WHERE DID LEAN COFFEE START?

Lean Coffee started in Seattle in 2009. Jim Benson and Jeremy Lightsmith wanted to start a group that would discuss Lean techniques in knowledge work – but didn’t want to start a whole new cumbersome organization with steering committees, speakers, and such. They wanted a group that did not rely on anything other than people showing up and wanting to learn or create.
Now, Seattle Lean Coffee happens every week, is very popular, and requires only that someone who has been there before shows up – and even then it’s just so they know where we stash the post-it notes.

HOW DOES LEAN COFFEE WORK?

The format for a Lean Coffee is very simple. This is intentional. It is meant to be the least structure necessary for a coherent and productive meeting. No more, no less.

1. Set up a Personal Kanban

In this Personal Kanban we have the items to discuss, what we are currently discussing, and the discussed columns. This provides a structure for the conversation. Next we populate it:

2. What to Discuss

People all get pads of post-it notes and a pen. They then start to add their topics for conversation into the “to discuss” column. These can be literally whatever people want to discuss or follow a theme. Right now, we want to encourage as many unique ideas as we can.

When the ideas start reach a certain point (an you’ll be the best judge of when that is), each topic gets a 1 to 2 sentence introduction. This way people know what to vote for.

Populated Kanban

3. Vote and Talk

 Each participant gets two votes. You can vote twice for the same thing or for two different topics. Simple put a dot on the sticky you are interested in. Tally the dots. Then you are ready to have a conversation. The power here is that you now have a list of topics everyone at the table is interested in and is motivated to discuss for real.

WHAT IF I WANT TO START A LEAN COFFEE?

Do it! It really is this simple.

ABOUT THE PROJECT GENERAL COMPANY
Contact the PROJECT GENERAL COMPANY, Jakarta.
pmo@project-general.com
www.project-general.com

About the Project General Company

The PROJECT GENERAL COMPANY manage projects using PMBOK, AGILE, ISO and Hybrid methodologies as an outsource and in-source provider of services and training. Portfolio, Program and Project. PMO Consultation. The Project General Company also trains project managers using PMBOK (PMP), AGILE, and ISO 21500 project management methodologies.

The PROJECT GENERAL COMPANY manages projects in Indonesia using PMBOK and AGILE. The PROJECT GENERAL COMPANY trains project managers for AGILE and PMP (PMBOK) Certification in Indonesia.