Dotmocracy

Dotmocracy is an established evaluation tool used to describe voting with dot stickers or marks with a marker pen. You can vote on your chosen option using a limited number of stickers or marks with pens — dot stickers being the most common.

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Format MethodTimeframe 20 minutesGroup Size 1-100Facilitation Level BeginnerRequired Materials paper, stickers

Steps

  • Give participants are a set number of dot stickers (as decided by the facilitator).
  • Invite participants to place dot stickers next to the options presented that they like (they may place any number of their dots on any number of options).
  • Options with the most dots at the end of voting “win”.

Benefits

  • It is quick and simple method for prioritise a long list of options.
  • It is less demanding than having to perform a full ranking of all the options.
  • It allows participants to express a preference for more than one option at the same time.
  • It leverages the collective wisdom of the team, and provides an equal way for all the voices on the team to be heard and have accountability in prioritizing key issues.
  • It also creates a sense of engagement and allows participants to see the decision process in action and understand how the final choice was made.

Tips

You can use different colour dots for different values, e.g. green for “like” and red for “dislike”, or for different types of participants e.g. blue for management and red for staff.

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