Finger Voting on Zoom

1. With a decision in mind that you want group input on, explain to participants that you’ll be having them vote on a number scale.
2. Clearly explain the scale you’re using. For example, “Vote on a scale from 1 - 10, where 1 means you totally disagree with this plan, and 10 means you wholeheartedly support it.”
3. Instruct everyone not to submit their response until you give them the cue, but to consider their vote then type the number in the Zoom chat box.
4. Check in for questions or clarifications about the instructions. Be sure everyone knows what the numbers indicate.
5. Give participants a moment to type in their votes. When you're ready, countdown from 3, 2, 1, have everyone hit enter and send their votes simultaneously.
6. Review the votes. If there’s general consensus, move on with that decision. If there are just a few outliers, discussing them might clarify the issue. And if people are all over the place, it might be worth going back and ideating different options.

Decide what number scale you want to use and what the numbers on the scale will signify.

This is a powerful tool to use when you want to narrow the conversation to participants who have a particular view point or perspective (e.g. only participants who disagree with a plan, only participants who feel unclear about their role, only participants who feel ambivalent etc.)

If you're using apps other than Zoom, here are the specific things your software will need to be able to do: