About Lean Coffee

The Origins of Lean Coffee

Lean Coffee is a structured agenda-less meeting format, which originated in Seattle in 2009. It was created by Jim Benson and Jeremy Lightsmith, two Lean coaches who sought an informal way to discuss Lean techniques in knowledge work.

The founders wanted to create a group that could explore Lean concepts without the burden of traditional organisational structures. They aimed for a format that relied solely on people showing up with a desire to learn and create, eschewing steering committees, predetermined speakers, and other cumbersome elements.

Expansion and Evolution

The format quickly gained popularity due to its simplicity and effectiveness. It allows participants to propose topics, vote on them, and discuss the most popular ones in a time-boxed manner. This democratic approach ensures that meetings are tailored to the attendees' interests and needs, making them more engaging and productive.

Since its inception, Lean Coffee has spread globally, with meetings held both in-person and online. Its flexibility and focus on participant-driven discussions have made it a valuable tool in various contexts, from agile retrospectives to company-wide meetings.

Sustainability Lean Coffee

We are applying this format for sustainability centric discussion; the empower one another through applying a collaborative mindset for a Greener Future.

Sustainability initiatives present a unique blend of challenges and opportunities. While some mirror common issues across various domains (e.g. team dynamics, stakeholder engagement, and delivery obstacles), the sustainability sector is distinctively dynamic. It's characterised by rapid technological advancements, evolving supplier landscapes, and shifting regulatory frameworks.

Our Sustainability Lean Coffee community harnesses the power of collective wisdom. Through structured, collaborative discussions, we aim to help one another:

• Overcome sustainability challenges

• Accelerate progress in green initiatives

• Foster innovative thinking

Key Features:

• Lean Coffee Structure: Ensures focused, productive discussions

• Diverse Expertise: Brings together varied perspectives and experiences

By enabling sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship, we're not just addressing today's issues —we're pioneering solutions for a greener tomorrow.

Join our community to:

• Share your sustainability challenges

• Gain insights from peers

• Contribute to cutting-edge green solutions

• Network with like-minded professionals

Be part of this transformative wave as we collaboratively shape a more sustainable future. Your voice and ideas matter in our collective journey towards a greener world.

How Lean Coffee Flows

As people arrive they write any topics they are interested in discussing by writing them on notes in our online Kanban board. 

Topics can be anything of interest, or a problem you would like to solve, which relates  to sustainability. They could, for example, be related to design, project management, organisation transformation, leadership, financial or legislative problems.

When you arrive you will be asked to enter topics of interest to you in a queue and then we will collaboratively determine the priority.

We discuss each topic for 5 minutes, then vote whether to continue or move to the next topic. This keeps the discussion productive and enables us to not find ourselves stuck and going nowhere. 

Our Purpose

To Network, Share, Support and Collaborate with one another.

Our Principles

We:

• create a dynamic agenda

• follow Chatham House rules

• use time boxes and voting to democratically keep the conversation flowing

• strive for inclusion and a voice for all

Guidance

• try to allow a pause after someone finishes talking to ensure they have really finished

• put your hand up if you are having trouble getting a turn

• be mindful of letting others have a turn to talk