You Choose

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Select preferred options from a pre-established list without lengthy debate.

Use it when: Use when a team needs to narrow down a long brainstormed list into top priorities or choose an agenda topic.

Skip it when: Skip when a decision requires complex consensus, delicate negotiation, or technical trade-off evaluation.

Group arrangement: Individual voting on a shared list, followed by whole-group review.

Timing: UWT suggested 10 minutes to allow clear voting, tallying, and a brief debrief.

Materials and tools

• 1 flip-chart sheet displaying the options list
• 1 dry-erase marker or dark marker per participant
• Wall-safe tape

Before participants arrive

1. Write the brainstormed items or proposed activities clearly on a flip-chart sheet.
2. Hang the sheet on a wall where all participants can reach it comfortably.

Say this to open

We have a list of options posted on the wall. To help us decide where to focus, each person will receive three votes. When called up, take a marker and place up to three check marks next to your preferred items. You can place only one tick per item. You may also choose to use fewer votes or pass entirely.

How to run it

1. Introduce voting rules 2 minutes

   Explain the decision context. State the voting allowance (for example, each person gets up to three ticks, maximum one tick per option). Confirm that voting is optional and people may place fewer ticks.

2. Cast votes 4 minutes

   Invite participants to step up to the chart and mark their ticks next to their chosen items. To avoid crowding, invite people in groups of four to six at a time.

3. Tally and record results 2 minutes

   Count the check marks beside each option. Circle the top items receiving the highest vote totals and announce the results clearly to the room.

4. Review and close 2 minutes

   Facilitate a brief check on the outcome. Hear observations from up to three participants on whether the result reflects a workable direction.

Debrief questions

• Looking at the items with the most ticks, does this top selection feel like a workable direction for the group?
• Did any options split the group unexpectedly, and do we need to address any gaps before moving forward?

Finished output: A ranked list of options showing visible tick counts, with the top-voted choices identified.

Remote

Display the options in a shared online document, digital whiteboard, or polling tool. Give each person three vote tokens or invite them to type an X next to up to three items. The facilitator tallies and presents the final count.

Hybrid

Maintain a single digital list visible on screen in the room and shared online. In-person participants mark their ticks on the wall chart while remote participants vote in chat or on the digital board; a designated co-facilitator copies remote votes onto the physical sheet.

Access and participation choices

• Participants who prefer not to walk to the wall may point, speak, or pass a ballot slip to the facilitator to mark ticks on their behalf.
• Anyone may use fewer than the allocated ticks or pass entirely without giving a reason.

If the session gets stuck

Participants bunch together around the chart, causing bottlenecks.

Invite participants up in small cohorts of four to five people, or duplicate the list across two separate sheets.

A participant places multiple ticks on a single option.

Restate the rule neutrally before voting begins: one tick per option across up to three distinct items.

Terms used here

• Tick voting: A lightweight prioritization method where individuals mark check marks beside their preferred choices on a shared list.