WhoDo

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Map specific actors to concrete, measurable actions required to achieve a stated goal.

Use it when: Use during project kickoffs, change initiatives, or campaign planning when goals need concrete, behavioral steps.

Skip it when: Skip when the team has already assigned work breakdowns or when the session focus is exploring open-ended root causes.

Group arrangement: Subgroups of 3 to 5 people. If numbers leave a remainder, form groups of 4 or add an extra person to make groups of 5 or 6.

Timing: Source specifies 20 to 45 minutes; UWT standardizes on 30 minutes for multi-table breakout work.

Materials and tools

• 1 flip chart pad or poster sheet per subgroup
• 4 marker pens per subgroup
• 1 pad of sticky notes per subgroup
• 1 roll of painter tape
• Tablets or laptops with cameras (for hybrid participants)
• Shared digital whiteboard access (for remote or hybrid formats)

Before participants arrive

1. Post one flip chart sheet per subgroup on the wall or place it flat on each work table.
2. Draw a vertical line down the center of each sheet, labeling the left column WHO and the right column DO.
3. Write the overarching project goal visibly at the top of each sheet.

Say this to open

Goals stall when we describe what people should think rather than what they must do. Today we will build a WhoDo map. We will identify the specific people involved in our goal and define the exact, observable actions we need each of them to take.

How to run it

1. Clarify the target goal 4 minutes

   State the shared goal clearly and write it at the top of the room's central board. Ensure each subgroup has the same goal written on their table sheet. Invite brief questions to confirm everyone understands the scope of the target before writing names.

2. Brainstorm the Who 8 minutes

   Subgroups write specific individuals, roles, or groups on sticky notes and place them in the left WHO column. Prompt for decision-makers, resource holders, and blockers. Aim for 4 to 8 actors. If groups have fewer than 4, prompt them to look for indirect blockers. If they have more than 8, consolidate duplicates to keep focus.

3. Specify concrete Do actions 10 minutes

   For each WHO, subgroups write the required action in the right DO column directly across from the actor. Actions must be observable behaviors, not internal states. For example, instead of 'understand the plan', write 'sign off on the budget' or 'approve the schedule'. If an action is too vague, ask what evidence proves it happened.

4. Prioritize and debrief 8 minutes

   Each subgroup identifies their top two most critical WHO-DO pairs by marking them with a star. One speaker from each subgroup reads their single most critical pair aloud. Facilitate a brief discussion comparing priority actions across groups.

Debrief questions

• Which DO actions proved hardest to write as concrete behaviors instead of internal states like 'understanding'?
• Looking at the prioritized pairs, whose action must happen first to unlock the others?

Finished output: A two-column WHO and DO matrix per subgroup with prioritized observable actions for each identified actor.

Remote

Set up a shared digital whiteboard with pre-formatted two-column frames for each breakout room. Place breakout participants into rooms of 3 to 5. Have them add digital sticky notes to the WHO and DO columns, then use digital star stamps for prioritization before returning to the main room.

Hybrid

Pair in-person tables with an assigned tablet or laptop, or have remote participants join as an independent breakout room using the shared digital whiteboard. Ensure an in-person scribe mirrors physical sticky notes onto the shared digital board so remote and in-person tables can review each other's outputs during the debrief.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may contribute by writing sticky notes, speaking ideas for a partner to scribe, or organizing notes on the matrix.
• Individuals may opt to observe subgroup mapping without reporting aloud during the shared room debrief.

If the session gets stuck

Participants write vague desires like 'support the project' or 'get buy-in' in the DO column.

Ask the group: 'What physical action would show they bought in? Would they sign an agreement, release budget, or send an announcement email?' Replace the vague phrase with that specific act.

Groups list broad demographic categories like 'the community' or 'management' as their WHO.

Direct the group to narrow the label to an individual role, department head, or specific working committee capable of taking a single decision.

Terms used here

• WHO: A specific person, role, or distinct group with direct influence over or involvement in the goal.
• DO: An observable, measurable behavioral action taken by a WHO, rather than an internal attitude or awareness.