Calibration Voting Mechanics
How G4mify determines recommended point values for strategic initiatives through collaborative calibration.
Overview
Point calibration is a collaborative process where managers vote on how many points an initiative is worth. The system balances admin oversight with manager expertise to arrive at a fair recommended value.
The Calibration Flow
1. Admin Sets the Anchor
The Admin (facilitator) sets an anchor value for each initiative in the calibration session. This anchor represents the Admin's initial estimate of the initiative's point value.
From the anchor, the system derives the Anchored Voting Range — the expected envelope for votes:
- Lower bound: 75% below the anchor (minimum: 5 pts)
- Upper bound: 100% above the anchor
2. Managers Vote
All managers in the session submit their point estimates for each initiative. Key rules:
- Owner gets 3x weight: The manager who owns the initiative has the deepest context, so their vote counts three times as much in the weighted average.
- Votes can exceed the range: Managers are free to vote outside the Anchored Voting Range. However, extreme votes trigger anti-gaming protections (see below).
- Anchor is visible: Managers can see the Admin's anchor value while voting, providing a reference point without constraining their judgment.
3. Anti-Gaming Protections
When a vote falls far outside the Anchored Voting Range, the system applies dampening:
- Vote capping: An extreme vote (e.g., 10,000 pts on a 25–200 range) is capped at 2× the upper bound (e.g., 400 pts) for calculation purposes. The original vote is still displayed.
- Weight reduction: The owner's 3x weight may be reduced to 1x if their vote is far outside the range.
- Influence adjustment: The Admin can further reduce a voter's influence to 50% or 0% (excluded) if their vote appears to be an outlier. The system auto-suggests 3σ outliers for review.
4. Computing the Recommendation
After voting closes, the system computes the Recommended Point Range from the adjusted vote data:
- Weighted Average (Floor): Sum of (adjusted vote × weight × influence) ÷ total weight. This is the minimum recommended value.
- Standard Deviation (σ): Computed from the same adjusted values used in the weighted average — measuring how much voters agree or disagree.
- Ceiling: Floor + 2σ — the upper bound of the recommended range.
- Recommended Value: The midpoint of the floor–ceiling range.
Adjusted votes: 400 (owner, 1x, 50% influence), 100 (anchor, 2x)
Floor (weighted avg): 160 pts
σ: 150
Ceiling: 160 + 2 × 150 = 460 pts
Recommended value: 310 pts
Recommended Point Range: 160–460 pts
5. The Recommended Range Can Exceed the Anchored Voting Range
This is by design. The Anchored Voting Range (e.g., 25–200) constrains how much influence extreme votes have, but it does not hard-cap the output. If multiple managers vote at or above the upper bound, the Recommended Point Range (e.g., 160–460) can legitimately exceed the Anchored Voting Range.
This ensures:
- Admin controls the anchor, the voting envelope, influence adjustments, and the final decision
- Managers influence the recommendation through their votes — even capped votes shift the average
- Neither side dominates — extreme votes are dampened but not silenced
6. Admin Finalizes
The Admin reviews the Recommended Point Range, the individual votes, and the full calculation breakdown. They then set the final point value for the initiative.
The Admin can:
- Accept the recommended midpoint
- Choose any value within the recommended range
- Override the range entirely (with written justification)
The final value is what gets applied to the initiative for point dispensing.
What Each Column Shows
On the calibration session detail page, the Initiatives & Votes table shows:
| Column | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Current Points | The initiative's existing point value (if any) |
| Votes | How many managers voted on this initiative |
| Recommended Point Range | The midpoint of the computed range, with the σ floor–ceiling range below |
| Anchored Voting Range | The admin's anchor-derived range used during voting |
| Final | The admin's finalized point value |
Low Confidence Warning
When an initiative has only 2 or fewer active votes, the standard deviation is statistically unreliable. The system displays a "(low confidence — only N votes)" warning next to the σ value. The Admin should weigh the recommendation less heavily in these cases.
Show Calculation
Each initiative has a "Show calculation" toggle that reveals the full math:
- Vote Breakdown Table: Each voter's adjusted vote, weight, influence, and contribution
- Calculation Steps: Floor, σ, ceiling, and recommended range formulas with actual values
- Owner Weight Adjustment: Why the owner's weight/vote was adjusted (if applicable)
- Anchor Context: The anchor value, its weight, and how the Anchored Voting Range was derived