Who’s In the Room: A Simple Process for Enduring Engagements
A simple process to create continuity and connection
Let’s say you’re leading a process over multiple sessions. You’ve got a committed group, but life happens: some people miss a day, new folks join halfway in, others quietly drift out.
How do you keep the momentum going without constantly restarting?
This is where Who’s In the Room comes in—a dead-simple tool that tracks who’s showing up, while giving everyone a sense of who they’re on the journey with.
Why this matters
Rolling attendance creates rolling confusion.
People miss key insights.
New folks ask old questions.
Decisions get revisited.
Norms get broken by accident.
The group forgets who it is.
But what if you could solve that with two flipcharts and a stack of sticky notes?
The Setup
You need:
Two flipcharts
A marker
3x3 sticky notes
Label one: Who’s In the Room
Label the other: Who’s Not In the Room
Draw the layout of your room or tables on the “In” chart. That’s it. You’re ready.
The Process
At your first session:
Each person fills out a sticky with their name, organization, and role
They place their sticky around the diagram where they’re sitting
At the end of the session:
Move all stickies to the “Not In the Room” chart
At the next session:
Move stickies for people who show up back to the In chart
Leave absentees where they are
New participants make a sticky for themselves
You take a few minutes to orient them: what this process is, what the group has already decided, and how to enter respectfully
Rinse. Repeat. Begin and end each session this way.
Bonus Moves
Add RACI roles: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed
Include contact info so people can reach out directly
Ask participants to draw a self-portrait (yes, really)—it’s a fun, low-stakes way to humanize the group and get people smiling
Why It Works
This isn’t just about attendance. It’s about presence.
You’re building a map of who’s engaged.
You’re making newcomers visible and accountable.
You’re giving people a way to catch up without hijacking the room.
You’re creating a process that grounds the group in itself.
It’s simple.
It’s visual.
And it works.
