Gaining consensus on the best idea can quickly eat up a whole meeting. Dot Voting is a quick and silent way to find out which direction the group wants to go in and continue working. The best part? Everyone gets an equal vote, eliminating power dynamics that could present a barrier.
Design Phase: Ideate
Facilitator: 1
Activity Group: 4-8
Time: 10 Min
Materials: Stickers or tabs, Sticky notes, Whiteboard, Virtual Whiteboard
Before the Activity
Dot Voting rarely happens as a solo activity. Whenever you have come to a decision point in other activities and sessions, you can use Dot Voting to quickly make a decision and move on.
Set up your board with the themes, action items, ideas, etc. that you want to come to consensus on. Make sure there's enough room for people to review and get to the ones they want to vote for.
During the Activity
Hand each session member (or create if in a virtual whiteboard) a pre-determined number of voting stickers or dots. Usually, 2 or 3 per person depending on the number of people and the number of voting options. Give people about 7 minutes to review the options and vote. Voting is done silently to avoid one person influencing the results. At the end of voting time, count up the votes and announce the winning idea or ideas.
After the Activity
Record the winning idea/s and put them in the project plan. Don't throw out the other ideas! Keep them in your back pocket, you never know when you may need them.