Who Do You Know?

Purpose

"Who Do You Know?" leverages the collective network of the team. When facing a challenge — finding a user to interview, sourcing an expert, getting an introduction to a decision-maker — someone in the room often has a relevant connection. This exercise surfaces those connections before the team resorts to cold outreach.

At a glance

How to run

1. State the need (2 min): Clearly describe who or what the team needs access to (a type of user, an expert, a stakeholder, a partner).
2. Individual reflection (3 min): Each participant silently thinks about their network: Who do I know who fits? Who knows someone who might?
3. Share connections (7 min): Go around the room. Each person names their connection and explains the link. Capture on a board: Contact Name, Relationship, Relevance.
4. Assign follow-ups (3 min): For each promising connection, agree on who will reach out and by when.

Materials needed

• Whiteboard or shared document
• The stated need written visibly
• Follow-up tracker

Pitfalls & common mistakes

• Vague needs: "We need help" is too broad. Be specific: "We need a paediatric nurse in Berlin for a 30-minute interview."
• No follow-through: The exercise is worthless if nobody reaches out. Assign actions.
• Privacy concerns: Never share contact details publicly without the contact's consent. Share only names and relevance; details go directly to the person following up.
• Skipping people: Quieter team members may have the best connections. Ensure everyone is asked.

Inclusion & accessibility

• Allow written submission of connections for people who prefer not to speak.
• Remote participants can add connections in a shared doc.
• Be sensitive to power dynamics — junior members may hesitate to claim connections to senior people.

Variations

• Warm Introduction Board: A standing board in the team space where needs and connections are posted ongoing.
• Stakeholder Network Map: Visualise the team's collective network as a map.
• Speed Networking Version: Pair participants for 2-minute connection brainstorms.

When NOT to use this

• When the need is confidential and connections should not be revealed publicly.
• When the team has already exhausted its network on this topic.
• When cold outreach or a recruitment agency is more appropriate.

Source & further reading

• Networking and social capital research
• Liberating Structures: Social Network Webbing
• Keith Ferrazzi, *Never Eat Alone* (2005)