Get more resources like this...
	...by joining Mind Tools. With over 600 skill-builder articles and Bite-Sized Training sessions, the first month costs only US$1! Find Out More>>

Nominal Group Technique

Prioritizing issues and projects to achieve consensus

When a group meets, it's often the case that people who shouts loudest, or those with higher status in the organization, get their ideas heard more than others. So when it comes to gaining consensus on important decisions or priorities, how do you make sure you get true consensus and a fair decision for the group?

One technique to help with this is the Nominal Group Technique, a face-to-face process for gaining consensus. A typical application is in organizational planning, when a group needs to agree priorities in order to assign resources and funds.

The benefit of the technique is that the group shares and discusses all issues before evaluation, with each group member participating equally in evaluation. The evaluation works with each participant "nominating" his or her priority issues, and then ranking them on a scale of, say, 1 to 10.

Nominal Group Technique is just one group process for achieving consensus. Another group consensus technique is the Delphi Method, which is used among groups of experts to make complex decisions, usually without face-to-face meetings.

How To Use The Tool:

To use the Nominal Group Technique, use the following steps: (Sign in to read more.)

Full text of this article is available to members of the Mind Tools Career Excellence Club. If you're a member, please click here for full text, or sign in below.

Where to go from here:		Join Mind Tools		Free Newsletter
		Download & Print		Next Article

New Articles (Not included in the Mind Tools E-book.)
* Shows articles available in full only to Career Excellence Club members

The Ladder of Inference - Avoiding "jumping to conclusions"*
Blindspot Analysis - Avoiding common "fatal flaws" in decision making*
Multi-Voting - Choosing fairly between many options*
Monte Carlo Analysis - Bringing uncertainty and risk into forecasting*
The Kepner-Tregoe Matrix - Making unbiased, risk assessed decisions*
Impact Analysis - Identifying the "unexpected" consequences of a decision*
Avoiding Groupthink - Avoiding fatal flaws in group decision making*
The Delphi Technique - Achieving well thought through consensus among experts*
Stepladder Technique - Making better group decisions
The Vroom-Yetton-Jago Decision Model - Deciding how to decide*

A full list of Mind Tools articles is available here.

return to top

Learn to manage the stress in your life with our sister site, stress.mindtools.com.

Online Training
Mind Tools Store: Mind Tools Ebook, Make Time for Success
 Stress Management Masterclass, How to Lead
 Relaxation MP3s

© Mind Tools Ltd, 1995-2010, All Rights Reserved

We welcome appropriate reprinting and reuse of Mind Tools material,
however, you must get our permission first!
To do this, please visit our Permissions Center.

Newsletter · Store · Corporate Services · Search · Advertisers

MindTools.com is one of the Internet's most-visited career skills resources.
Click here to see analysis.