Learn the four steps of the nominal group technique and how to apply them effectively to rank and prioritize the options and ideas in your meeting.

📝Step 1:Idea Generation 🎯Objective: Encourage independent and creative thinking without influence from others. 📋Instructions: Ask team members to write down as many ideas as possible related to the meeting topic or problem. 🔍Details: - Provide a specific question or broad theme to guide thinking. - Set a time limit to ensure focus and efficiency. - Ensure ideas are generated individually to avoid groupthink. 🛠Tools: Use paper, digital notes, or brainstorming apps for idea collection. 🔄Outcome: A diverse pool of raw ideas ready for discussion in the next step.

In my experience as a Senior engineer, I effectively used the Nominal Group Technique for Idea Ranking during team meetings. For example, when improving our flagship app, after brainstorming, each team member independently ranked their top ideas using a points system (5 for first choice, 3 for second, 1 for third). We then aggregated the scores to identify priorities like performance optimization and personalized dashboards. This method ensured unbiased input, highlighted collective priorities, and fostered team alignment. Implementing NGT streamlined our decision-making, enhanced project focus, and increased team collaboration, leading to significant improvements in our application’s user experience.

Last updated on Sep 22, 2024

How do you use the nominal group technique to rank and prioritize the options and ideas in your meeting?

How do you use the nominal group technique to rank and prioritize the options and ideas in your meeting? If you want to avoid groupthink, stimulate creativity, and reach a consensus among your team members, this method can help you achieve your meeting goals. The nominal group technique is a structured process that allows each participant to generate and evaluate ideas individually and then combine them into a group decision. In this article, you will learn the four steps of the nominal group technique and how to apply them effectively in your meeting.

1 Step 1: Idea generation

In this step, you ask your team members to write down as many ideas as possible related to the meeting topic or problem. You can either give them a specific question or a broad theme to stimulate their thinking. You can also set a time limit or a number of ideas to generate. The key is to encourage everyone to think independently and creatively without any influence or criticism from others.

Add your perspective

Nebojsha Antic 🌟

🌟 Business Intelligence Developer | 🌐 Certified Google Professional Cloud Architect and Data Engineer | Microsoft 📊 AI Engineer, Fabric Analytics Engineer, Azure Administrator, Data Scientist
Report contribution
📝Step 1:Idea Generation 🎯Objective: Encourage independent and creative thinking without influence from others. 📋Instructions: Ask team members to write down as many ideas as possible related to the meeting topic or problem. 🔍Details: - Provide a specific question or broad theme to guide thinking. - Set a time limit to ensure focus and efficiency. - Ensure ideas are generated individually to avoid groupthink. 🛠Tools: Use paper, digital notes, or brainstorming apps for idea collection. 🔄Outcome: A diverse pool of raw ideas ready for discussion in the next step.

Like

2 Step 2: Idea sharing

In this step, you collect all the ideas from your team members and display them on a board, a flip chart, or a screen. You can either ask each person to read out their ideas one by one or collect them anonymously and read them out yourself. The goal is to make sure everyone's ideas are heard and understood by the group. You can also ask for clarifications or explanations if needed, but avoid any evaluation or discussion at this stage.

Add your perspective

3 Step 3: Idea ranking

In this step, you ask your team members to rank the ideas according to their preference or relevance. You can either use a numerical scale, a letter scale, or a dot voting system to assign scores or votes to each idea. You can also give them a certain number of points or dots to distribute among the ideas. The aim is to allow everyone to express their opinion and preference without any pressure or influence from others.

Add your perspective

4 Step 4: Idea aggregation

In this step, you aggregate the scores or votes of each idea and determine the final ranking or priority list. You can either use a simple arithmetic calculation, a weighted average, or a consensus method to combine the individual rankings into a group decision. The objective is to reflect the collective preference and judgment of the group and identify the most promising or feasible ideas.

The nominal group technique is a useful tool to facilitate effective and inclusive decision making in your meeting. By following these four steps, you can generate, share, rank, and aggregate ideas in a systematic and democratic way. You can also adapt the technique to suit your specific meeting context, purpose, and size. How do you use the nominal group technique in your meeting? What are the benefits and challenges of this method???????

Add your perspective

Hridesh Sharma

AWS & Python Specialist | Principal Solution Architect | PyPi Contributor | Empowering Teams as a Trainer & Community Leader
Report contribution
In my experience as a Senior engineer, I effectively used the Nominal Group Technique for Idea Ranking during team meetings. For example, when improving our flagship app, after brainstorming, each team member independently ranked their top ideas using a points system (5 for first choice, 3 for second, 1 for third). We then aggregated the scores to identify priorities like performance optimization and personalized dashboards. This method ensured unbiased input, highlighted collective priorities, and fostered team alignment. Implementing NGT streamlined our decision-making, enhanced project focus, and increased team collaboration, leading to significant improvements in our application’s user experience.

Like

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How do you use the nominal group technique to rank and prioritize the options and ideas in your meeting?

1

2

3

4

5

1 Step 1: Idea generation

2 Step 2: Idea sharing

3 Step 3: Idea ranking

4 Step 4: Idea aggregation

5 Here’s what else to consider

Leading Meetings

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Leading Meetings

More relevant reading