When it comes to engaging, lively and dynamic engagement methods, 35 shuffle stands out as a powerful tool. This method is designed to help participants prioritize ideas or options collectively without the influence of personal biases. It is ideal for workshops, focus groups and other engagement activities at collaborate level of the IAP2 spectrum.
What Is 35 Shuffle?
35 shuffle is a structured yet very simple process where participants evaluate and score different options through a series of rounds. The method is particularly useful in scenarios where a group needs to prioritize actions or solutions but wants to avoid dominance by louder voices. By leveraging collective wisdom, this method fosters a more democratic and inclusive decision-making environment.
Step-By-Step Guide To 35 Shuffle
- Pose your question: Begin the process by clearly defining the question you want to address and setting your objective- what is it that needs prioritizing.
- Individual idea generation: Each participant writes their idea down on an index card (it is important to have one idea per card).
- Shuffle cards: participants then stand up and swap cards for 20 seconds without reading the content.
- Vote: Each participant then reads the idea on the card they end up with and scores it from 1 to 7, with 7 being the highest.
- Repeat the process: steps three and four are repeated until each card has been scored by five different people.
- Calculate scores: The last person to vote on a card also gets to do the exciting job of calculating the final score for the idea. As you remember, there are five rounds of scores between 1-7 which means the maximum score possible for an idea is 35.
- Display the scores: At this stage, you can get creative with how you like to present the scores. In the past, for instance, we have turned it into a fan auction where the facilitator calls “anyone with a 35 on their card? No? 34? Okay we have one for 34. 33 anyone?” You can then proceed to display them as a priority list on a board.
- Discussion: Facilitate a group discussion and reflection on the “list”.
Tips For a Successful 35 Shuffle
Clear instructions: although this method can be fun to implement, it can also get confusing if the participants are not clear about the process. Ensure participants are clear on the objectives as well as the process.
Space considerations: It is important to note that this is primarily an in-person engagement method, and therefore, creating a comfortable space where it is easy to move around is crucial.
Facilitation: A skilled facilitator is needed to help guide the process, keep time, and ensure smooth transitions between rounds.
Incorporating the 35 Shuffle technique into your engagement toolkit can enhance the effectiveness of your collaborative sessions, leading to more balanced and thoughtful outcomes. Whether you are running community consultations, organizational workshops, or strategic planning meetings, this method can help you harness the power of collective wisdom.