Workshop Exercises: Decide

Roman Voting

Show support using your thumbs

Also called: Thumb Voting, Roman Thumbs

Alternative plays: Dot Voting, Fist to Five, Note and Vote

See also: Fist to Five

Timing: Execution

Run time
1 minute

Group size
3-20

Why: Promote active participation in decisions through a visual representation of the group's preferences

When: Use to quickly gauge which of multiple options or alternatives has the most backing from the group

Instructions for running this play

Ask the group to show how they stand on an idea or proposal.
Each person responds by showing a thumbs-up, thumb-sideways, or thumbs-down.
The group moves forward only when everyone shows either a thumbs-up or thumb-sideways. Discuss until everyone has had a chance to express their view for disagreeing on the proposal and everyone agrees to move forward.


	Thumbs-up indicates agreement with the proposal as stated or presented. It’s a “Yes, I can accept that decision and want to move forward with consensus agreement.”
	Thumbs-sideways indicates incomplete agreement or desire to modify the proposal, but does not rise to the level that would cause a member to block consensus.It’s a “It’s good enough, I can live with it, and want to move forward.”
	Thumbs-down indicates a strong disagreement with the proposal and a block of the consensus on the proposal.It’s a “I do not like the proposal and want to share my opinion and ideas with the group before moving forward.”

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