open · Meeting Management, Communication · 5–10 min · 4-40 people · low energy
In-Room Buddy
Each remote participant gets a partner in the room. The buddy keeps a private chat line open all meeting, raises the remote person's hand when they cannot get in, tells the room when audio or the camera is not working, moves the camera or turns up volume, and brings them into breakouts. Remote people stop being the faces on the wall that everyone forgets.
When to use In-Room Buddy
Use for any hybrid meeting or workshop where a minority joins remotely and tends to be overlooked.
What it solves
In hybrid meetings the room talks over itself, remote people cannot break in, and nobody notices that the audio dropped ten minutes ago.
How to run In-Room Buddy, step by step
- Before the meeting, pair each remote participant with an in-room buddy and share the pairs (5 min).
- Pairs open a private chat line and test it before the start.
- At the start, the facilitator explains the role to the whole room so interruptions by buddies are expected (2 min).
- During the meeting, buddies relay hands, questions and tech problems; the facilitator calls on remote people first in each round.
- In breakouts, mix remote people across groups, each joined through their buddy's device (as needed).
- At the close, ask remote participants what got in the way, and adjust next time (3 min).
Materials needed
- Private chat channel per pair
- Laptops or a meeting camera that shows remote faces
- Name tags in the room so remote people know who is speaking
Facilitator tips
- Rotate the buddy role in recurring meetings. Sitting in the room as someone's line in builds empathy for the remote experience.
- Let buddies interrupt you. That is the job.
- Move non-urgent items to a shared doc or poll before the meeting so live time is spent on discussion.
Common pitfalls
- The buddy is also presenting or facilitating and has no attention left for the role.
- Remote people are always grouped together in breakouts, which recreates the divide.
Variations
- Remote advocate: one person in the room covers all remote participants, monitoring chat and hands, for meetings with many remote people.
Running it online or hybrid
Each remote participant is paired with one person in the room. The pair keeps a private chat open. Place laptops showing remote participants at seats around the table where possible.
What it produces
No physical artefact; the result is remote participants who actually contributed. Track it by asking remote people at the close.
Origin
A hybrid meeting practice described by nonprofit digital strategist Beth Kanter, drawing on Future Forum and NTEN guidance on equitable hybrid work. — source
Build a session around In-Room Buddy
METODIC places In-Room Buddy inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.