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Nominal Group Technique

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Definition

A technique similar to Brainstorming, in which the team works together to generate new ideas about a given topic.

Application

The steps to be followed are roughly:

1. Gather the team members around a table.
2. State the topic of discussion, ideally as an open-ended question ("How can the company use ?").
3. The team is given a few (5 -10) minutes where each team member silently brainstorms and writes down as many ideas as possible.
4. During the idea-sharing phase, each member in turn states one idea aloud, which is then recorded on a flipchart. No discussion or criticism is allowed at this time, but clarification of the ideas in response to questions is ok.
5. Each member then evaluates the ideas individually and anonymously votes for the best ones.
6. The votes are collected and tabulated. A group report is prepared, showing the ideas receiving the most points.
7. Further discussion may take place in case of inconsistent votes and steps 5 and 6 are repeated until a consensus is reached.