Session Brief: Dot Voting

Goal

Artifact: Ranked list

Working Question

Which options receive the most support from the group, and where do consensus or polarization appear?

Context

Number of options; planned voting question; number of votes (rule of thumb: ~1/3 of options, max 5-7 votes per person); whether multi-voting on one option is allowed.

Setup

• Format: Method session
• Duration: 5-15 min
• Mode: Workshop
• Participants: A facilitator to explain rules and count; all workshop participants as voters; optional note taker for discussion after voting.
• Owner: A facilitator to explain rules and count
• Participation mode: Team round, shared work and alignment
• Outcome logic: Finish artifact

Participation Logic

Use the session for shared understanding. Contributions are collected visibly, assumptions are aligned, and open differences remain traceable in the artifact.

Outcome Logic

The session works directly toward Ranked list. After the session, the artifact should be shareable, reviewable, or reusable.

Input

Sticky dots (3-7 per person depending on option volume), with digital voting tool if needed (Miro, FigJam, Mural); whiteboard with options visible; timer.

Preparation

Options clearly visible. Voting question large above options. Announce vote count. Rule: use all votes, silence during voting, no lobbying. Set timer to 3-5 min voting time.

Agenda

1. Phase 1: Voting question and rules (2-3 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Repeat the voting question aloud and display it clearly. Announce vote count per person. Explain whether multi-voting is allowed on one option or not, depending on setup. Hint: If voting question is unclear, clarify before voting starts. Otherwise everyone votes with different criteria and result is unusable. Output: Ranked list

2. Phase 2: Reviewing options (2-3 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Everyone silently reads the options. If any option is unclear, short clarification by creator only, no discussion on rating. Hint: Without this review, participants vote by salience (what they saw first). Review phase is mandatory for fair rating. Output: Consensus signal

3. Phase 3: Silent voting (3-5 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Each participant places dots in silence. No talking, no observing others (avoid anchoring). Digital: vote simultaneously or keep votes hidden until end. Hint: Talking during voting influences others. If someone is first to place on option X, it attracts other votes. Silence is non-negotiable. Output: Shortlist

4. Phase 4: Review results (3-5 min) Owner: Facilitator Action: Display votes. Identify top options. Mark consensus (many votes, many voters) vs. polarization (many votes, few voters with concentrated points). Hint: An option with 10 votes from one person is not consensus. Voter count per option is more important than total votes. Output: Ranked list

5. Phase 5: Discussion and follow-up action (5-10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Discuss top options: why these, what was surprising? Talk about outliers (options with one vote from one person can be relevant). Name owners for top-3. Hint: Dot Voting is not a decision, only shortlisting for a decider or further process. Communicate that voting provides signals, not commands. Output: Consensus signal

6. Publish artifact (10 min) Owner: Owner Action: Check the artifact for completeness, define location, set version or status, and name review recipients. Output: Ranked list

Closeout

• Update result artifact: Ranked list
• Define location, version, and review recipients.
• Define owner, next step, and review date.

Ranked list: Dot Voting

Working Question

Which options receive the most support from the group, and where do consensus or polarization appear?

Context

Number of options; planned voting question; number of votes (rule of thumb: ~1/3 of options, max 5-7 votes per person); whether multi-voting on one option is allowed.

Participants

• Owner: A facilitator to explain rules and count
• Participants: A facilitator to explain rules and count; all workshop participants as voters; optional note taker for discussion after voting.

Input

Sticky dots (3-7 per person depending on option volume), with digital voting tool if needed (Miro, FigJam, Mural); whiteboard with options visible; timer.

Template

Workshop Agenda

Goal: ... Participants: ... Duration: ...

Close-out

Decision, owner, next test.

Completion Check

• Ranked list is complete enough for review:
• Location:
• Version / status:
• Review by:
• Next step:

Next Step

• Review result
• Mark open questions
• Schedule review or decision