“Diamond ranking” is a facilitation tool used in workshops or meetings to gather opinions and ideas from a group of participants. The method is based on the concept of ranking items in order of priority, usually from most important to least important.
Method
Using the following pattern on a large sheet of paper, ask participants to prioritize tasks or actions according to importance, with the most important at the top and the least important at the bottom.
Use a diamond shaped pattern forced participants to come to some form of compromise over what’s the most important task/action?
The diamond ranking method can be a useful tool for gathering information, generating discussion, and building consensus among a group of participants.
By breaking down the ranking process into smaller steps, it can help to avoid overwhelming participants and encourage more thoughtful and nuanced discussions.
This also helps to encourage participants to think more deeply about their priorities and consider the trade-offs involved in prioritizing different items.
Usually, some compromise must be reached.