Weekly Wonder: Lightning Talks Format - Showcasing Multiple Teams in a Single Session

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Hi CUG members,

Welcome to this week’s edition of Weekly Wonder! Today, we’re exploring a high-energy format that can spotlight multiple teams without needing a full hour from each: Lightning Talks.

When done well, a single session of short talks can surface great practices, inspire new ideas, and help your CUG discover what other teams are working on - all without overwhelming your agenda or your speakers.

Here are five practical tips to help you design a Lightning Talks session that showcases multiple teams in one impactful CUG meeting.

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1. Clarify the Purpose and Theme for the Session

Before you start recruiting speakers, decide what you want this Lightning Talks session to do for your CUG.

Consider questions like:

• Are you showcasing in-flight projects across teams?

• Are you highlighting use cases for specific Atlassian products (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Jira Service Management)?

• Are you focusing on a theme, such as automation, collaboration, or reporting?

A clear theme helps:

• Potential speakers quickly understand whether they’re a fit.

• Attendees know what value they’ll get from the session.

• You prevent the talks from feeling like a random “show and tell.”

You might frame it as:

“In this Lightning Talks session, we’re spotlighting how three teams use Atlassian tools to streamline work, from intake to reporting.”

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2. Design a Tight, Repeatable Format (for Both Speakers and Attendees)

Lightning Talks work because they are short, predictable, and time-boxed. Define a structure and communicate it clearly.

For example:

• Session length: 45–60 minutes

• Speakers: 3–4 teams

• Talk length: 7–10 minutes each, with 3 minutes for Q&A or chat questions

• Flow:

  • 3–5 min intro (host sets context + theme)

  • Talk 1 (10–12 min)

  • Talk 2 (10–12 min)

  • Talk 3 (10–12 min)

  • Optional quick poll + wrap-up (5–10 min)

Share guardrails with speakers, such as:

• 1–2 slides on context/problem

• 2–3 slides on solution and workflow (screenshots or demo of Jira/Confluence/etc.)

• 1 slide on outcomes + tips for other teams

This repeatable skeleton makes it easier for teams to say “yes” because they know exactly what’s expected, and it helps your audience follow along as talks change.

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3. Make It Easy for Multiple Teams to Say “Yes” to Presenting

To reliably fill a multi-team session, remove friction for speakers and their managers.

You can:

• Run a simple call for speakers:

  • Share a short form or Confluence page where teams submit: topic title, Atlassian tools involved, and 2–3 bullet points on what others will learn.

• Offer lightweight coaching:

  • A 15-minute prep chat or async Loom review where you help them tighten their story and keep within time limits.

• Highlight benefits for teams:

  • Visibility for their work across the company

  • A chance to practice presenting in a low-stakes environment

  • Feedback and ideas from other teams using Atlassian tools

If you’re struggling to recruit speakers, try:

• Partnering with managers or product owners who have ongoing initiatives (migrations, new workflows, automation rollouts).

• Framing talks as “show how your team works” rather than “give a formal presentation.”

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4. Curate a Cohesive Flow Across Talks

Even in a short session, the order of talks can make the experience feel intentional rather than random.

Consider:

• Complexity arc: Start with a more foundational, “everyone can relate” talk, then move into more advanced or niche examples.

• Tool mix: If possible, balance talks across tools (e.g., one focus on Jira workflows, one on Confluence knowledge-sharing, one on automation or integrations).

• Audience relevance: Place the talk likely to resonate with the widest portion of your audience first to hook attention.

As host, connect the dots between talks:

• In your intro, state the common thread (“Today you’ll see three very different teams using Atlassian tools to solve similar problems: visibility, alignment, and scaling processes.”).

• Between talks, call out themes you’re seeing (“Notice how both Team A and Team B used dashboards to make work more transparent.”).

This curation helps the session feel like one cohesive learning experience rather than separate mini-meetings.

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5. Capture, Reuse, and Celebrate the Stories

The power of a Lightning Talks session doesn’t end when the call does. Turn those short talks into durable assets for your CUG and beyond.

After the session:

• Record and share (if permitted): Post the recording link, plus timestamps and talk titles, in your CUG Confluence space or communications channel.

• Create a simple recap page:

  • Session theme and date

  • 1–2 sentence summary of each talk

  • Speaker names/teams

  • Links to any shared Confluence pages, Jira boards, or templates

• Highlight wins:

  • Share short snippets in internal newsletters or Slack/Teams channels: “In last week’s CUG Lightning Talks, Team X showed how they reduced intake time by 30% using Jira forms.”

• Gather quick feedback:

  • One or two targeted questions: “Which talk was most useful?” “What topics would you like to see in future Lightning sessions?”

This not only recognizes the teams who presented, but also builds a reusable library of real-world examples that future CUG members and new hires can learn from.

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By thoughtfully designing a Lightning Talks format, you can spotlight multiple teams in a single session, lower the barrier to participation, and give your CUG a fast-paced way to share real work, not just theory. Over time, these short talks can spark collaborations, spread successful patterns, and help your organization get more value from Atlassian tools.

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Explore Related Resources

Here are some public resources you can share with your CUG members to deepen their learning:

• Atlassian Team Playbook – Plays you can adapt for meeting structure, retros, and cross-team collaboration

• Confluence Guide: How to run effective meetings – Tips and templates for structuring efficient, engaging sessions

• Jira Software Guides – Best practices for planning, tracking, and reporting work that can inspire Lightning Talk topics

• Atlassian University – Training and learning paths that can complement your internal talks