converge · Decision Making, Ideation, Problem Solving · 45–90 min · 5-10 per group; several groups in parallel · low energy

Nominal Group Technique

A structured way to generate and prioritise ideas in which everyone gets the same chance to contribute. People write ideas silently, share them one at a time in a round-robin with no discussion, then clarify what each means, and finally rank them privately. Separating generation from evaluation keeps strong personalities from steering the result.

When to use Nominal Group Technique

Use when a group must pick priorities from many options and you want every person's view weighted equally.

What it solves

Open brainstorming lets the most senior or most vocal people decide what counts as a good idea.

How to run Nominal Group Technique, step by step

  1. Present the question and check everyone understands it (2 min).
  2. Silent writing: each person lists ideas on their own (10 min).
  3. Round-robin: each person reads out one idea per turn, recorded on a flip chart word for word, no discussion, until all ideas are up (15-20 min).
  4. Clarify each idea so everyone understands it. Explain, do not argue (15 min).
  5. Private vote: each person ranks their top five ideas on a card (5 min).
  6. Tally the votes, discuss surprises, and re-vote if the result is inconsistent (10 min).

Materials needed

  • Flip charts and markers
  • Paper for silent writing
  • Index cards for voting

Facilitator tips

  • Number the ideas as you record them to make voting easy.
  • Treat every idea the same, however unusual.
  • For larger groups, run parallel groups of about ten and combine results.

Common pitfalls

  • Discussion leaks into the round-robin and the quiet benefit is lost.
  • Clarification turns into lobbying for favourite ideas.

Variations

  • Combine with dot voting for a quicker, less formal ranking.

Running it online or hybrid

Silent writing works at home desks. Run the round-robin in a fixed order and the vote as an anonymous poll.

What it produces

A full list of ideas and a ranked shortlist from private votes.

Origin

Developed by André Delbecq and Andrew Van de Ven in the early 1970s. — source

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