---
name: nominal-group-meeting
description: Use when meetings are dominated by the loudest voices, when seeking diverse perspectives on roadmaps or forecasts, or when groupthink is hindering decision quality
---

# Nominal Group Meeting Framework

## Overview

A meeting structure designed to eliminate **groupthink and coercion** by separating the discovery of ideas from the discussion of them. It ensures independent thinking and focuses meeting time solely on areas of disagreement.

**Core principle:** The best way to get someone's opinion is independently of other people's opinions.

## The Process

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  1. ASYNCHRONOUS DISCOVERY                                      │
│     Send prompt/data to participants BEFORE the meeting         │
│     No reply-all allowed                                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  2. INDEPENDENT OUTPUT                                          │
│     Participants generate ideas/forecasts/ranks ALONE           │
│     Submit directly to leader                                   │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  3. AGGREGATION                                                 │
│     Leader collates responses                                   │
│     Identifies areas of AGREEMENT (skip) and DISAGREEMENT       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  4. DISCUSSION ONLY MEETING                                     │
│     Group convenes SOLELY to discuss variance in opinions       │
│     Reflect back what people say (curiosity over coercion)      │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  5. DECISION                                                    │
│     Often asynchronous, after discussion                        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## Key Principles

| Do | Don't |
|----|-------|
| Get opinions independently | Brainstorm live in the room |
| Use meetings for discussion only | Use meetings for discovery |
| Focus on disagreements | Seek "alignment" as primary goal |
| Reflect back to ensure heard | Let people interrupt |

## Common Mistakes

- Brainstorming live in the room (allows anchoring)
- Letting confident people dominate
- Seeking consensus as the goal (breeds coercion)

---

*Source: Annie Duke (First Round Capital, Decision Science Expert) via Lenny's Podcast*