35 Prioritization

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Rank a pool of ideas or proposals through rapid pairwise scoring without prolonged debate.

Use it when: Use when a group has produced a batch of discrete ideas or backlog items and needs a fast collective priority order.

Skip it when: Skip when options require detailed technical analysis, cost modeling, or cannot be compared in isolation.

Group arrangement: Rotating pairs for 5 rounds, then whole room for tallying and debrief.

Timing: Gamestorming source notes 15 to 45 minutes; 20 minutes fits groups of 6 to 24 with five 2-minute rounds.

Materials and tools

• 1 index card (3x5 inch) per participant
• 1 marker or pen per participant
• 1 whiteboard or chart paper with marker for the ranked tally
• 1 timer or phone chime for pacing rounds

Before participants arrive

1. Confirm a pool of distinct ideas exists from an earlier activity.
2. Write one idea clearly on the front of each index card.
3. Clear room space so participants can walk and pair up easily.
4. Draw an example on the board showing a 7-point split, such as 5 and 2 or 4 and 3.

Say this to open

We have our ideas on index cards. Each person takes one card. Over five short rounds, you will pair up with someone new. In each pair, compare both ideas and split seven total points between them. Write your points on the back of each card, swap cards with your partner, and carry your newly received card into the next round.

How to run it

1. Distribute cards and review rules 3 minutes

   Say the opening script. Spread idea cards face up. Ask each person to take one card and a pen. If the room has an odd count, step in as a full participant with a card so everyone has a partner. Check that everyone holds one card and knows the split rule: points must be whole numbers adding to 7 (such as 4-3, 5-2, 6-1, or 7-0). Participants with mobility limits may stay seated while rotating partners walk to them.

2. Run five scoring rounds 10 minutes

   Run five rounds of 2 minutes each. In each round: 1) Pair with someone new. 2) Read both cards quietly. 3) Agree on how to split 7 points between the two cards. 4) Write the awarded points on the back of each card. 5) Swap cards so you hand your card to your partner and take theirs. When the chime sounds at 2 minutes, hold your new card and find a new partner immediately.

3. Sum points and rank cards 3 minutes

   Ask participants to stop circulating. Instruct everyone to turn their currently held card to the back, add the five recorded scores, and write the final total clearly on the card. The maximum possible total is 35. Collect all cards and post them on the whiteboard in descending order from highest total score to lowest.

4. Debrief priorities 4 minutes

   Read the top three to five highest-scoring cards aloud. Ask two or three participants to answer the debrief questions. Confirm the leading items as the group priorities for follow-up work.

Debrief questions

• Which ideas landed in the top tier, and does that ranking reflect group consensus?
• Where was it most difficult to split the seven points, and what made that choice tough?
• What is the immediate next action for the single highest-scoring card?

Finished output: A physical or digital board of ideas arranged in descending numerical order with scores up to 35.

Remote

Use a digital whiteboard (such as Miro or Mural) with breakout rooms. Create numbered idea cards labeled with a 5-row scoring table. Randomize pairs into five 2-minute video breakout rooms. In each breakout, partners discuss their two assigned cards, agree on a 7-point split, and type each score into the round row on that card. After round five, bring everyone back to the main room. Participants calculate the sum of five scores on each card and drag the cards into a vertical column ordered from highest to lowest score.

Hybrid

Keep in-person attendees with physical cards and remote attendees on a shared digital whiteboard. Pair in-person with in-person, and remote with remote in video breakouts. If numbers are uneven on either side, set up a dedicated room laptop station: an in-person attendee sits at the station to pair directly with a remote partner via video, reading their physical card aloud while the remote attendee shares their screen.

Access and participation choices

• Participants with limited mobility remain at fixed tables while rotating partners walk to them.
• Anyone who prefers not to circulate can serve as official timekeeper and board tally scribe for the full session.
• Advocacy is not required; participants evaluate the text on the card neutrally rather than defending personal ideas.

If the session gets stuck

Partners cannot agree on how to divide 7 points before the 2-minute timer ends.

Remind them that 7 forces a decision because it cannot split evenly. If stuck at the 30-second warning, flip a coin to decide who gets 4 and who gets 3.

An odd number of participants leaves one person without a partner.

The facilitator must join the activity with a card to ensure even pairs throughout all five rounds, or one person volunteers at the start to serve as non-circulating timekeeper and scribe for the entire session.

Terms used here

• Pairwise comparison: Comparing two discrete options directly against each other instead of sorting an entire list at once.