Prioritization (N/3)
A lightweight prioritisation technique that gives each participant a fixed number of 'priority votes' (total items ÷ 3 or 4) to place on a visible list. Unlike voting, participants can stack all their votes on one item or spread them freely. A negative polling step removes low-interest items with group consent.
Come eseguirlo
- 1
Display the full list of brainstormed items on a flip chart or wall, numbered clearly.
- 2
Count the total number of items. Divide by 3 if fewer than 10 items; divide by 4 if 10 or more. This is each participant's number of priority markers.
- 3
Explain the rules: this is not a vote — participants can put all markers on one item, or spread them however they choose.
- 4
Distribute sticky dots or ask participants to use coloured markers. Everyone marks their priorities simultaneously.
- 5
Tally the results. Items with the most markers surface as top priorities.
- 6
Negative polling: Point to any item with few or no markers. Ask 'Is it okay with everyone if we take this off the list?' Remove it only with group consent.
- 7
Summarise the prioritised shortlist.
Suggerimenti
Simultaneous marking prevents anchoring bias — avoid letting people mark sequentially.
Use the negative polling step generously; it clears the list without anyone feeling their idea was ignored.
For a digital version, use a shared spreadsheet or polling tool like Mentimeter.
Variazioni
Use coloured dots where each colour represents a different stakeholder group to visualise alignment across perspectives.
Casi d'uso
Metodi correlati
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Prova gratisMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from University of Hawaii.