Lean Coffee is a micro-methodology that advances the learning organization, self-organized collaboration, and meeting efficiency in digital transformation. Jim Benson and Jeremy Lightsmith created Lean Coffee. While “Lean” is derived from Lean Management and stands for the avoidance of any waste, the idea of “Coffee” ensures implementation in a more relaxed atmosphere.
With Lean Coffee, a meeting takes place in a fixed structure, with the content determined by the participants themselves. Typically, three to 15 people participate in Lean Coffee so that each participant can actively engage.
In digital transformation, Lean Coffee can be used for the following purposes:
- During the regular interdisciplinary exchange
- Within a team or project for knowledge exchange, as a discussion platform or for gathering opinions (weekly or monthly)
- For regular exchange within a specific group of people, e.g. Agile Coaches, Product Owners etc.
- As a tool in a retrospective
- For knowledge transfer or knowledge building (event-related)Participation in Lean Coffee is always voluntary. The implementation is simple and requires only a very small amount of preparation and follow-up. The Lean Coffee follows a strict timeboxing and for this reason needs a person for timeboxing. This person should actively participate in the discussions. The appointment starts and ends on time.
