Forced Ranking
Forced Ranking is a prioritisation exercise in which a group turns an unordered list into one strictly ordered list: each participant gives every item a unique rank against a stated criterion, ties are not allowed, and the individual rankings are added up. It is described in Gamestorming by Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanufo, who note that its original source is unknown. Because nobody can call two things equally important, the exercise exposes trade-offs that softer voting methods let a group avoid.
Facilitation script
- 1
Present the list, merge duplicates and check that everyone understands each item.
5 min - 2
Agree the criterion or criteria and write them at the top of the matrix.
5 min - 3
Explain the rule: every item gets a unique number, no ties.
2 min - 4
Silent individual ranking on paper.
8 min - 5
Collect the rankings in the matrix and add up the totals.
8 min - 6
Discuss the ordered list, focusing on items with wide disagreement, then agree the cut-off and next steps.
17 min
Tips
Have people rank in silence on paper before any number goes on the board, otherwise the first voice anchors everyone else.
Spend real time on the criterion; most disagreement about a ranking is in fact disagreement about what is being ranked for.
Treat the totals as the start of the conversation and pay attention to items with a wide spread of ranks, because they show where the group does not yet agree.
Common pitfalls
A vague criterion such as 'importance', so each person ranks for something different and the totals mean nothing
Allowing ties or shared ranks 'just this once', which removes the forcing and brings back the list where everything is a priority
Ranking aloud or filling the board one person at a time, so later participants adjust their numbers to match the earlier ones
Treating the arithmetic as the decision when totals differ by a point or two, which gives false precision to what is a near tie
Averaging away a strong split, for example an item ranked first by half the group and last by the other half, without discussing why
Variations
With several criteria, rank separately for each and combine the scores; criteria can be weighted if the group agrees the weights beforehand. For lists longer than about ten items, cut first with Dot Voting or N/3 and rank only the shortlist. A consensus variant has the group physically order cards in one line through discussion instead of adding up scores, which takes longer but builds more agreement. Online, each person submits a ranking through a form or poll tool and the facilitator shares the totals. This workshop method is unrelated to the HR practice of ranking employees against each other, which shares the name.
Where it fits
When to use it
A team has a list of around ten candidates and capacity for only a few
Earlier prioritisation produced a top tier containing nearly everything
Budget or roadmap discussions need a clear order to draw a cut-off line through
Stakeholders with different interests each need to see how the others would order the same list
The items have to be compared on two dimensions, such as impact and effort, and you want both visible
When not to use it
The list has 20 or more items; ranking that many is tiring and unreliable, so narrow it with Dot Voting first
The items are not comparable, for instance a strategic goal next to a small task; cluster and level them first
You only need a rough sort into must, should and could; the MoSCoW Method is faster
The decision rests with one person who will decide regardless; a ranked list from the group then only raises false expectations
The subject is people or their performance; ranking colleagues against each other damages trust and is not what this exercise is for
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Forced Ranking?▾
Forced Ranking is a group prioritisation exercise that produces one strictly ordered list. Each participant gives every item a different rank against an agreed criterion, the ranks are added up and the group discusses the resulting order. It is called forced because ties are not permitted.
How is Forced Ranking different from Dot Voting?▾
In Dot Voting people spread a few votes over their favourites and most items receive no judgement at all. In Forced Ranking every person takes a position on every item, including the ones at the bottom. It takes longer, but the result is a complete order and not only a top group.
How many items can a group rank this way?▾
Around ten items is a good length. Beyond that, people can no longer hold the comparisons in mind and the middle ranks become arbitrary. Shorten a longer list with a quicker vote before ranking.
What if two items end up with the same total?▾
Treat it as a real tie in the group's view and talk about it, especially if the items sit at the cut-off line. A short discussion or a direct comparison of the two usually settles it. Do not read meaning into very small differences in totals.
Is this the same as stack ranking of employees?▾
No. The HR practice of ranking employees against each other shares the name but is a performance-management policy. The workshop exercise ranks options such as features, projects or priorities, and should not be applied to people.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Gamestorming (Dave Gray, Sunni Brown, James Macanufo); original source unknown.