Phone-a-Friend Resource Mapping

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Map reachable contacts and subject-matter experts to fill specific skill and resource gaps across active projects.

Use it when: Use during project kickoffs, hackathons, or sprint planning when teams hit technical or operational boundaries outside their immediate expertise.

Skip it when: Skip when projects are already fully resourced, or when strict non-disclosure rules forbid consulting outside peers.

Group arrangement: Subgroups of 3 to 6 people. Form teams of 3 to 5 whenever possible; for counts like 17, make three groups of 4 and one group of 5.

Timing: Source recommends 30 to 60 minutes. Set here to 35 minutes for a focused mapping sprint.

Materials and tools

• One flip chart pad or whiteboard per subgroup
• Marker pens (one per participant)
• Sticky notes (one pad per subgroup)
• Access to a shared digital spreadsheet or a large wall chart with columns: Gap, Resource/Person, What They Offer, Introducer, Outreach Date

Before participants arrive

1. Set up a central wall chart or shared spreadsheet with columns: Project Gap, Expert/Resource Name, Skill or Asset, Point of Contact (Introducer), Outreach Deadline.
2. Arrange seating into small work areas for 3 to 6 participants, each with sticky notes and a flip chart or whiteboard.

Say this to open

No single team holds every skill needed to finish a project. Today we will pinpoint the exact technical or logistical gaps on your plate, then map out people you know who hold those answers. By the end of this session, we will have a central directory of who to call and who can make the warm introduction.

How to run it

1. Define project resource gaps 7 minutes

   Deliver the opening script. Subgroups review their current project tasks. On sticky notes, write missing skills, specialized equipment, or technical advice needed for delivery. For example, a team might write: Need advice on setting up automated database backups. Place notes on the group flip chart. Group similar needs together.

2. Identify personal contacts 9 minutes

   For each gap, participants search their personal networks for experts, past colleagues, or vendors who hold the needed skill or know someone who does. On a fresh note next to the gap, write the contact's name, what they can supply, and the team member who knows them and can provide a warm introduction.

3. Consolidate into central registry 9 minutes

   Each subgroup selects a scribe. The scribe enters their mapped contacts onto the central wall chart or shared digital spreadsheet. Every entry must state the project gap, the recommended contact, their expertise, and the teammate responsible for reaching out by an agreed target date.

4. Conduct rapid directory review and debrief 10 minutes

   Run a structured review. Give the room two minutes of silent reading. Then invite one spokesperson per subgroup to highlight one unresolved gap in 30 seconds. Ask if anyone from another team has an introduction for that gap. Limit whole-room comments to four brief offers. Conclude with debrief questions.

Debrief questions

• Which project gaps found immediate contacts today, and which still need research?
• How will you frame your request so the ask is easy for your contact to answer?
• Did you spot a contact listed by another team that could also assist your work?

Finished output: A centralized directory listing identified project gaps, recommended contacts, assigned introducers, and target dates for outreach.

Remote

Run in breakout rooms of 3 to 6 people using video conferencing. Provide each breakout with a designated tab or frame on an online whiteboard. Subgroups record gaps and contacts there, then copy them into a shared master spreadsheet during the consolidation step. In the final step, call on each room spokesperson via chat or mic.

Hybrid

Maintain the master registry on a shared cloud spreadsheet. In-person tables assign a scribe with a laptop to enter their paper notes into the cloud sheet. Remote subgroups work directly in the sheet. For the directory review, display the shared spreadsheet on the room screen and share screen with online participants. Spokespeople speak sequentially via room microphone and video feed.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may suggest institutional desks, public manuals, or organizational vendors instead of personal contacts.
• Anyone may decline to share personal network contacts by opting to document gaps, organize the group board, or serve as subgroup scribe.

If the session gets stuck

Teams write vague organizational functions like 'IT department' instead of reachable people.

Prompt them: 'Who is one person you can message directly this week?' If no direct contact exists, ask who might know someone in that field.

A subgroup feels stuck with zero contacts for a niche technical requirement.

Tell them to flag that gap on the master registry with an asterisk so other teams can offer contacts during the review step.

Terms used here

• Warm introduction: An introduction facilitated by a shared acquaintance rather than cold outreach.