State an open-ended question. Ask everyone to spend several minutes writing down as many ideas as they can generate on their own notecard. Questions can be asked for clarification, but no judgment is made about an idea. A facilitator places the number of points assigned to the ideas selected. Add the points for each idea listed to identify which ideas rated highest among the group.
Parliamentary procedure can be very helpful during meetings.
It is the formal way to implement majority rule decision making in a group. Majority rule decision making is not comfortable to all people, especially in some cultures. Consensus is another way to make group decisions that may be more comfortable. Consensus occurs when everyone in the group chooses to agree without taking a vote. The larger the group, the more time it takes.