The nominal group technique (NGT) is a structured meeting method in which people first write down ideas on their own, then share them one at a time, and finally rank them by private vote. It gives HR teams a fair way to prioritise problems or options without the loudest or most senior voice taking over, which makes it handy for training needs analysis, survey follow-up and policy design.

Origin and the standard steps

Andre Delbecq and Andrew Van de Ven described the method in 1971 in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, building on research showing that people working silently in each other’s presence produce more ideas than open discussion groups. With David Gustafson they later wrote it up as a practical guide (1975). “Nominal” means the group is a group in name only during idea generation: people sit together but work alone. Guides differ on the exact voting rules, but the sequence is consistent:

1. Frame one clear question. For example, “What are the main reasons our new joiners leave in the first six months?”
2. Silent generation. Everyone writes their own answers for about 10 minutes, no talking.
3. Round-robin recording. Each person reads out one idea per turn; the facilitator writes it up verbatim. No debate yet. Rounds continue until ideas run out.
4. Clarification. The group discusses each item only to understand it and merge duplicates, not to argue merit.
5. Private voting. Each person picks and ranks their top few items (five is common). Scores are totalled, and a short discussion and second vote can follow.

When it fits, and when it does not

NGT suits a small group (guides commonly suggest under a dozen people) with one well-defined question, such as choosing which KRAs to track for a new role, ranking HRMS requirements before a vendor shortlist, or turning a weak engagement score into a short action list. It works well in Indian teams where juniors hold back in front of seniors, because the first two steps make every voice count equally. It is a poor fit for open-ended strategy discussions or problems that need deep debate, because it deliberately limits discussion. The top-voted cause still needs checking against data.

Frequently asked questions

How is NGT different from brainstorming?

Classic brainstorming has people call out ideas in open discussion, which invites anchoring on the first idea and deference to seniors. NGT separates idea generation from discussion and ends with a private vote, which also guards against the false consensus of the Abilene paradox.

Can it be run online?

Yes. A shared document or form for silent generation, a facilitator collating items, and an anonymous poll for the vote work well for hybrid or multi-location teams.

How is it different from the Delphi method?

Delphi collects anonymous expert opinions in several written rounds without the experts meeting. NGT brings people together for a single session, so it is faster but less anonymous.

Running an NGT session after a pulse survey is a quick way to turn scores into owned actions; see how it fits a wider learning and development plan too.