SC QUALITY GUILDMultivoting and nominal group technique
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Turn a brainstormed list into a ranked shortlist the team agrees on, by votes or by ranks, with the totals worked out for you.
ON THE EXAM · CSSYB I.D.3 · FREE · NOTHING YOU TYPE LEAVES YOUR BROWSER
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Why not just discuss it?
Open discussion favors whoever speaks first, loudest or with the most seniority. Both of these techniques give every member an equal, structured say, and turn a long list into a short one quickly.
Multivoting
Each person gets a fixed number of votes, commonly about a third of the number of options, and spreads them across the list. The options with the most votes go forward. It is fast, and it works well for narrowing a long brainstorm. Run it again on the shortlist if the top few are close.
Nominal group technique
NGT is more structured. Members first write their ideas silently and independently, then share them in turn without debate, then clarify, and finally rank them privately. Each person gives their top choice the highest number of points. The points are totaled. The silent start is what makes it "nominal": people work as a group in name only until the ideas are all out, so nobody's ideas are crowded out.
Reading the result
The tool shows each option's total and how many people chose it. An option with a high total from only one or two enthusiasts is weaker than one with a slightly lower total spread across the whole team. Ties at the top, and a winner with narrow support, are both flagged.
Neither technique replaces data. Use them to choose which cause to verify first, not to decide which cause is real.
On the Yellow Belt exam
Team decision-making tools are topic I.D.3 of the 2022 CSSYB Body of Knowledge. Expect to tell multivoting from nominal group technique, and to recognize when each suits.