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Before the consultant joins your team, it’s important for staff to get aligned to avoid feeling off-balance.

When roles are unclear or expectations are vague, collaboration can feel more like competition.

That’s where this visual Team Map exercise comes in—giving staff the clarity they need before the consultant ever steps in.

This exercise helps staff clarify who’s doing what, where responsibilities intersect, and how to engage the consultant without feeling overshadowed or sidelined.

Objective:

To help staff clearly define the roles of internal team members and external consultants, while identifying shared responsibilities and collaboration zones before the consultant joins your team.

This is ideal for:

• Programming staff who have to work with consultants
• Staff overseeing consultant engagement
• Staff responsible for hiring or managing consultants across teams

What you’ll need:

• 30–40 minutes (or longer) of uninterrupted time
• A facilitator (internal staff member or team lead)
• A quiet space (in-person or virtual)
• Chart paper or virtual whiteboard
• Sticky notes or digital text boxes
• Markers or annotation tools

The steps:

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