Lean coffee is a structured meeting format without a preset agenda, where participants collaboratively build topics for discussion. The process involves setting up a personal kanban, adding topics, and voting for discussions, all while maintaining a focused and productive environment. Additional tips and resources are provided for personalizing the format and ensuring effective follow-up actions.

1. Agendas are so 20th Century
Lean Coffee

2. Topics
● What is Lean Coffee?
● Ingredients
● Three Simple Steps
● A Little Practice
● Variations and Tips
● Resources

3. What is Lean
Coffee?
A Definition
“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.”
(“Lean Coffee website,” n.d.)

4. Ingredients
What You Need
● Sticky notes or note
cards
● Markers
● A timer
● A gathering place
● People

5. Three Simple
Steps
As Easy as 1, 2, 3
1. Set up a Personal
Kanban
2. Add topics for
discussion
3. Vote & discuss

6. Example of a Personal Kanban (Step 1).

7. Add Topics for
Discussion
Step 2
● 1 topic per sticky note
● 1-2 sentences per topic
● 1 minute to introduce a
topic

8. Vote &
Discuss
Step 3
● 2 votes per person
● Organize topics from
most votes to least
votes
● Move first topic from
To Do column to Doing
column
● Set timer for 5 minutes
● Creator of the topic
begins discussion

9. Vote &
Discuss
Step 3 (continued)
● When time is up,
determine if discussion
complete
● When discussion is
complete, move topic
to Done column
● Move next topic to
Doing column
● Repeat process

10. A Little
Practice

11. Three Simple
Steps
As Easy as 1, 2, 3
1. Set up a Personal
Kanban
2. Add a topic for
discussion
a. 1-2 sentences
3. Vote & discuss
a. 2 votes per person

12. Variations &
Tips
Personalize to Your Taste
● Select a theme before adding
topics.
● Vary the time per topic based
on number of topics or
available time.
● Add an “Actions” column to the
Personal Kanban board for
after-meeting follow-up.
● Before ending, have all
attendees state key take-aways
or action items for follow-up.
● Photograph the board and
topics to record the event and
action items.

13. Resources, part 1
● Lean Coffee website - http://leancoffee.org/
● Cities with Lean Coffee - http://leancoffee.org/cities-with-lean-coffee/
○ Columbus, OH Lean Coffee - http://www.meetup.com/Columbus-Lean-Coffee/
● Lean Coffee founders:
○ Jim Benson - https://twitter.com/ourfounder
○ Jeremy Lightsmith - https://twitter.com/lightsmith
● Personal Kanban - http://www.personalkanban.com/
● Democratize Meetings with Personal Kanban (article) - http://goo.
gl/pJouPD

14. Resources, part 2
● A Guide to Lean Coffee (SlideShare) - http://goo.gl/ooRQzG
● How to Run a Lean Coffee (YouTube) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=zhG-A-kRPAU
● Agile Coffee Podcast - http://agilecoffee.com/category/podcast/
● Lean Coffee Template on Google Drive - https://goo.gl/tT2EpS
● View this presentation online: https://goo.gl/AIXGlF

15. Image References, part 1
● Slide 1 - By Takkk (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 2 - By Dennis Gnad (Own work) GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via
Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 3 - By Ragesoss (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY 3.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 4 - By Ramesh NG (Flickr: Sticky Notes) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 5 & 11 - By Friedrich Haag (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 6 - By Jeff.lasovski (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

16. Image References, part 2
● Slide 7 - By Frettie (Own work (My own photo)) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or
CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 8 - By Robert Kaufmann (This image is from the FEMA Photo Library.) [Public domain], via
Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 9 - By Ilya (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via
Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 10 - By Tony Webster (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
● Slide 12 - By Javitorre (http://innokabi.com/ideas-de-negocio-7-pasos/) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http:
//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons