Create your first presentation tutorial 

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How to host your next remote video meeting without feeling awkward 

Inclusiveness workshop for remote working 

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How remote teams can promote inclusion

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The 7 key traits of an excellent facilitator

Watch the video and learn more about his experiences!

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4khHn3-v0Uw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe; sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin">


Experience Mentimeter for yourself and see what it can do for your organization, [create your free account today](https://www.mentimeter.com/signup)! 


Video Transcript:

Every time I step on stage, I start off usually by giving my inputs or thoughts around a particular topic. 

I am more or less the person that is at the point of focus. But it is so evident that when the shift happens, where we move from me being a presenter to actually being a facilitator or an enabler in the space and giving people the chance to actually say what they think.

The entire feeling in the room switches and that’s what Mentimeter does so well, by ensuring that no voice at any point in the room is left unheard. 

To quickly introduce myself, my name is Francis originally from Ghana. Currently living in Sweden. I work with an organization called the African Professionals Network and I work with Mentimeter as an Account Executive.

African Professionals Network, in a very simple way, is a driver for professional development for every Afro-Swede that’s out there.

We have a number of events, these events, of course, come with mostly a core focus around a topic for discussion but post that we usually keep it light and stay within the focus of trying to understand the individuals who are in that space in a very humane way.

I personally work as part of the core working group that is driving this organization forward. Before we get into any of these events, we have preparation spaces where we discuss what the actual content is supposed to be. We put it down into a Mentimeter, and by using Mentimeter we focus a lot on presenting, but also at the end of the day providing forums that people can ask the relevant questions exert their thoughts or inputs. And that’s why personally I know the4 impact of Mentimeter.

You sitting there and watching this interview of me talking about how I have used Mentimeter is absolutely great, but imagine if you were in a room with a lot of people and each and every one of them want to be listened to everyone’s voice is projected for everyone to be able to see, that yes your opinion matters, your thought matters, and we will continue to do that because as an organization or as a platform there is nothing else that we deem more powerful than the voice. 

Was that like a take one? 

Wonderful 


Mentistories - Francis & The African Professionals Network

Francis-v2 blog

Mentistories - The African Professionals Network

There are far greater opportunities for growth when you listen and learn from others. This can only be done when you give people the possibility to open up and express themselves. Encouraging a culture of listening can help the company to bypass any potential issues, give praise and motivate employees and make the workplace more effective and productive. 

Although you may be thinking listening is a soft skill and may not give your business direct results, honing your listening skills will reap rewards in the long-term. For many managers, it is a career-long work in progress that demands effort to implement effectively and to make sure it is at the forefront of your business’s culture. This article will give you effective tips to help you improve your listening skills and become the best manager you can possibly be.

# 1. Set and lead by example 

Practising what you preach encourages others to do the same as you. If you tell your employees to communicate more but you do not, you end up doing more harm and causing resentment. Employees will begin to think “why should I do that when my manager doesn’t?” People often get quite defensive when you tell them how to behave and you aren’t doing the same yourself. In order to foster an open and transparent culture, you should establish effective communication with every member of the team. A good idea is to have your work calendar set to open, to encourage transparency and also to enable anyone to find an appropriate time to have a chat.

# 2. Reflect 

Encouraging reflection, and allowing the opportunity for employees to give their feedback is extremely important to the growth and progression of the organization. After meetings, introducing a Menti enables employees to ask anonymous questions without the pressure of thinking they may be judged. It also allows managers to continuously improve by listening to employees ideas and adapt to become better, resolve problems and avoid any potential issues.

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox='allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation' allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/787d9f017d6b58802e177f9eec8985a7/e8fbc173610b' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

# 3. Give them time 

Be attentive, try not to rush your employees and don’t forget to pause. Not everything requires an answer straight away or a response. Sometimes just being a non-judgmental sounding board for others can greatly help them overcome certain problems whether it be within the organization or outside. Try to block out distractions such as background noises, phones or having your laptop open and receiving emails, it will make employees feel like you are not concentrating. Ultimately, you want your employees to feel like you care and that they can talk to you. Fidgeting and looking at the clock will make them feel rushed, clam up and more than likely not give their opinion or thoughts.

# 4. Ask questions 

Asking questions shows you are interested and are actually engaging with the conversation and what they are saying. It also provides clarification and helps to avoid any misunderstandings that could crop up in the discussion. Be mindful not to jump in and interrupt someone by asking a question. Your questions should also be asked at an appropriate time, as questions can sometimes take a conversation off in a different direction and the employee won’t be able to go back and finish what they were saying.

# 5. Paraphrase & summarize  

Use active listening skills to clarify the message and confirm that you are both on the same page. Paraphrasing can be used to demonstrate and back up that you have, in fact, been paying attention to what they have been saying and minimise any potential confusions. Summarizing what has been said is a great way to bring up the main points discussed and to highlight the key action points to move forward with. 

# 6. Body language 

Eye contact, gestures and posture are all really important to make your employee feel comfortable and show that you are actively listening to them. Eye contact is a natural part of engaging in a conversation but mixing it with smiles and gestures such as nodding can put the person at ease and reassure them. Posture can also be a telltale sign on how a piece of information is being received. If you sit there resting your head in your hands, most likely they will take it that you’re bored. The same goes for mirroring a person’s actions, which helps to show understanding and empathy in more sensitive situations. 


In order to be the best manager, you have to put in the effort every day to reinforce good communication with your team. It is a daily learning process to practice and improve your good communication and that often starts with listening skills. Listening is crucial for both you as the manager and for the organization to be the most productive and effective as possible. In the long-term, the company will reap the rewards of good listening and it will help you to build a strong connection and forge good relationships with your team.



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6 ways to become a better listener as a leader

Although there are many [positives of holding an all-hands meeting](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/great-leadership/all-hands-meeting-complete-guide), there are also times when having one could do more harm than good. The team management meeting (where the management gather and discuss matters) is still the most important meeting your company holds. If that is not running smoothly or effectively then chances are you won’t be able to do an all-hands meeting. Making sure that the management team are all on the same page, coordinated and ready to open up and be transparent with the whole company is much more important than just introducing an all-hands for the sake of it. The last thing you want to do is waste time and introduce another ineffective meeting that creates resentment throughout the business. A poorly run all-hands meeting is probably worse than not having one at all. 

Let’s explore some of the things to avoid in your next all-hands meeting: 


# 1. Don’t be a spin doctor

Honesty is always the best policy. Your employees want to hear the truth, even about bad news. They will appreciate you telling them about any company issues and not playing the blame game. Being vulnerable and open with your employees creates a culture of transparency and encourages important communication through all levels in the organization. 

# 2. Don’t give one-way dialogue

Don’t just read off a script, you want to stimulate and promote communication and try to start a conversation. If the presenter just broadcasts to employees it can be monotonous, uninspiring and definitely won’t encourage participation and communication. To have a successful all-hands meeting, you want your employees to be able to discuss important matters and give their opinions freely and easily. 

# 3. Don’t blame people

If there has been an issue that needs to be addressed, you don’t want to publicly shame someone. Similarly, you don’t want to openly bash competitors as it is never a good look and can ultimately make you look worse. 

# 4. Avoid putting people on the spot

It is particularly important that you brief everyone on what is expected during the meeting beforehand and the general protocol of what happens. The last thing people want is to be put on the spot to present in front of the whole company. Give everyone the option beforehand by asking who would like to contribute or present ahead of the meeting. 

# 5. Don’t make private jokes

Yes, cracking jokes and using humour is a great way to make everyone relax and create a good rapport but it can also make people feel like outsiders and not part of the ‘cool club’ if you tell private jokes.

# 6. Don’t let it drag on for hours

Time is a valuable resource and you don’t want to waste yours or your employees time. Making sure the all-hands meeting doesn’t drag on for hours is an important task for the meeting leader. You don’t want to waste time and make everyone bored and not pay attention. Make your plan clear, concise and to the point. This also shows the importance of having an all-hands meeting agenda so that you have a clear schedule to follow and stick to. Otherwise, you run the risk of demotivating your employees and making them unproductive. Don’t just hold an all-hands for the sake of it. The last thing you want to do is waste time and introduce another ineffective meeting that creates resentment throughout the business.  

Make your all-hands meeting as efficient and effective as possible. It is a worthwhile investment to plan and prepare your meeting to make it as productive as it can be. Listen to your colleagues and learn how to improve and make the most of everyone's time. 

Check out Mentimeter’s all-hands meeting template to start interacting and engaging with your organization allowing continuous feedback and communication throughout the entire meeting. 

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox='allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation' allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/4fb46dd03e1dd4bb0f781c150bc6550b/3ae54d60c4e2' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'; sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin"></iframe></div>



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6 things to avoid in your all-hands meeting

As employees time gets more and more exhausted with meetings, adding another one to the mix may be a daunting thought. Therefore executing an effective all-hands meeting becomes even more important in order to not waste time, demotivate or distract from work. Carried out well, all-hands meetings are perfect to promote a sense of togetherness, encourage open communication and energize the entire organization. 

What should be in your all-hands meeting agenda?

- Express or discuss any issues within the business and things that need to be improved
- Give praise and present achievements
- Make it an open forum to discuss and ask questions
- Coordinate business activities and give updates
- Opportunity to reflect

In the fast-paced world of business, time is money so you may be thinking why should I add another meeting into the schedule, but an all-hands meeting has considerable benefits. Here are 7 benefits of holding an all-hands meeting:


# 1. Creates a strong company culture 

Your employees may be tired of always hearing about the company culture, but actually walking the walk and not just talking the talk is the best way to reinforce and back it up. All-hands meetings are the perfect time to showcase the company culture and most importantly, they are all about the company’s most important asset, the people. Giving everyone the opportunity to contribute, speak and present and take away the boring meeting stigma is the best way to demonstrate who you really are as a company. 

# 2. Provide clarity

If people are unsure of what needs to be done or what is going on in the business it can stifle productivity and efficiency. An all-hands meeting can prevent any such pitfalls by giving a channel to provide explanations or clarifications on any unclear business aspects. When employees understand, they can be more effective and constructive. 

# 3. Keep everyone updated 

Whether it be about new product updates, new employees, or any issues that have occurred, an all-hands covers all bases. It is also a great venue to reveal the company’s future plans and goals which can give everyone a clear vision of what is expected of them and want they want to be achieved. Employees can find out what is happening now and what will happen in the future all in one go.

# 4. Connect with remote teams 

With teams increasingly scattered all over the world, regrouping and syncing is more important than ever. All-hands meetings save time and increase efficiency by connecting every member of the organization and relaying important information at the same time. They also allow remote teams to feel part of the company and connected to the headquarters. 

# 5. Show off accomplishments 

Highlight all of the great work that everyone is doing. Celebrate the people in the organization by showing off good work, achievements and boost the team spirit. By giving praise publicly it can energize employees and inspire them to keep working hard and achieving the company goals and targets.

# 6. Create a forum that promotes communication 

All-hands meetings give employees a unique opportunity to ask questions to the company leaders or ask general company-related questions. It supports transparency throughout the organization and encourages two-way dialogues such as enabling employees to give their opinions and feedback. Not only this but management can discover areas for improvement thanks to employees contributions. All-hands meetings give everyone within the organization a voice to be heard, which in turn makes them feel valued and appreciated fostering hard-work. 

# 7. Build a sense of team spirit 

Behind every successful company, there is a tribe of loyal employees. Bringing everyone together is an awesome way to form a team environment and build a sense of community. It fosters cooperation and collaboration between individuals. By having a forum where employees can praise colleagues it can boost employee satisfaction and morale leading to a more engaged and effective workforce.

It is never too late or early to introduce all-hands meeting. If you start finding it difficult to keep everyone on the same page then you should definitely be having one! 

Struggling with where to start? Get some inspiration with our all-hands meeting [template](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/4fb46dd03e1dd4bb0f781c150bc6550b).

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox='allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation' allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/4fb46dd03e1dd4bb0f781c150bc6550b/3ae54d60c4e2' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>





all-hands meeting

All-hands meeting complete guide

Incorporating a feedback culture into an organization can be tricky. Most people find it easy to give positive feedback. It’s no problem to tell someone ‘good job’ or praise them when targets are reached. Constructive feedback on the other hand, telling people how to improve their work and delivering it in the right way is particularly difficult and something most people have trouble with. 

It is easy as an organization to become complacent and continue using outdated business practices and ways of working. However not being flexible in the business’s structure can lead to problems not being discussed or addressed in the right way, causing a bigger issue in the long run. Feedback is a great way to avoid this and is something that is desired by most employees. A study by [PwC showed that 92% of employees](https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2016/5-Employee-Feedback-Stats-That-You-Need-to-See) believe constructive feedback delivered in the appropriate way would be extremely beneficial. 

Weekly feedback sessions can benefit both individuals in the organization and the organization itself. The goal is to make feedback become commonplace in the workplace. Regularly giving feedback can help to overcome the fear of hurting people’s feelings and expressing it in a better way. Although this comes with time and practice. Nearly [60% of employees](https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/trends-and-research/2016/5-Employee-Feedback-Stats-That-You-Need-to-See) stated that they would like feedback on a daily or weekly basis. Holding weekly feedback sessions can be very worthwhile but it is important that the information you give is relevant, specific and constructive otherwise it could be a waste of time. 

So, what are the benefits of weekly feedback sessions:


# Drive change and improvement 

Help each other grow, both personally and professionally. By establishing open two-way communication and giving your opinion, you can get insights into what others think and how you can improve. In turn it will make your employees more effective and improve business performance and vice versa, with employees giving management feedback. Having direct and regular contact and communication channels with those doing the work and creating it enables businesses to stay adaptable to anything that may crop up.

# Stay informed and aligned

Giving and receiving feedback opens up conversations between employees and creates a feeling of honesty at all levels of the organization. In doing so, employees feel more comfortable to approach you, which is a great way to build a solid foundation between you and your employees. Weekly feedback guarantees that everyone stays abreast with the latest information and make sure that everyone has the same expectations and knows what is expected of them. This avoids any potential miscommunication, allows the business to make improvements in the quickest time possible and give praise when some good work has been done. 

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox='allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation' allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/75993f84e4f24ec2d00d1cd90eb45824/ff224bbc3f73' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

# Reinforce a strong company culture

A great way to build a strong company culture is to encourage frequent and less formal feedback. Continuous feedback can reduce the feeling of being unaware of what your managers think of you and people feel more at ease, as they won’t be caught off guard at annual reviews. Enforcing an open culture and creating a transparent workplace can make the organization become more team oriented and encourage everyone to work together to achieve goals. [It provides clarity and can increase the company’s agility to learn](https://blog.impraise.com/360-feedback/why-does-your-company-need-a-strong-feedback-culture-performance-review) and adjust to any changes in the industry or business environment to stay competitive.


# Reduce workplace stress

Frequent conversations about how to improve is a great way to reduce employees stress. Not only this, but it can iron out any confusion, resolve issues and make sure that expectations are clear. Regular communication and transparency throughout the organization can help to alleviate stress and in turn make happier and more efficient employees.

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox='allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation' allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/e0f6261f027f4c82917370a313bd3acc/44f8bfc90e01' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>


# Build employee confidence 

By giving constructive feedback it can help to make employees more confident in their work and in turn more motivated. They can find out what needs improving, how they can do it and aim to accomplish bigger and better things. On the flip side, positive feedback is always appreciated. Getting praise about wins no matter how big or small is always nice and encourages hard work. It also makes employees feel valued, appreciated and more likely to engage at work. 


Large organizations may think, there isn’t time to hold weekly feedback sessions. But it doesn’t have to be one-on-one sessions or a boring mass form send out. There are many different creative ways to give and receive feedback. Using technology is a great way to save time, share ideas and connect with all in the organization no matter where they are located. For example, by sending a link to your work, colleagues can instantly like the post or tell you what they think you should change in a few words. 





feedback

Benefits of having weekly feedback sessions


As with any type of goal-setting, having a plan and the right tools in place is essential in order to be able to succeed. This article will show you how to do just that by using Mentimeter for reflection and follow-ups sessions in a team setting.  

# Plan a team reflection session

When you want improve how your team works you need to start by reflecting on the status quo in order to understand what your team's strengths are, and what can also be improved. Plan a team reflection session with your team in order to set aside time for a reflection; a Friday afternoon is a perfect time to hold such a session.

# Create a reflection session in Mentimeter

The term "reflection" can be interpreted in many different ways. However, in order to make sure that your reflection session is productive, we recommend that you create a structure that you can follow during your planned reflection sesson, rather than just having an open discussion. Following a set structure with a number of workshop task will help you and other participants to formulate ideas in a clear way. 

Create your reflection session with Mentimeter. The interactive presentation format is perfect for promoting discussion and collecting data that you can look at afterwards and analyze. If you already have a structure in mind you can go ahead and create a Mentimeter presentation from scratch. But if you’re unsure how to get started, we have created a presentation template that you can use to help you get started.

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/787d9f017d6b58802e177f9eec8985a7/e8fbc173610b' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>


[Get the template](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/787d9f017d6b58802e177f9eec8985a7/e8fbc173610b)

# Analyze the data and take action 

This step is important in order to make sure that the outcome of the reflection has a positive impact on your team and their work.  After you have held your first reflection session, you should be able to identify some areas of improvement that your team can start to focus on. In order to analyze the data you have collected with Mentimeter you can either [download the PDF](https://help.mentimeter.com/after-the-presentation/presentation-pdf-and-screenshots) or alternatively, [export to Excel](https://help.mentimeter.com/after-the-presentation/export-results-to-excel). This will make it easier for you to get an overview of all your data. From the data collected you should be able to define some action points that will will help you to improve and help your team reach their goals. Once you have those action points, its time to take action. 

# Book a follow-up session 
After a set period of time, which could be a week or a month, depending on your improvement goals, it is time to book a follow-up session. Holding a follow-up session at regular intervals is the key to success when it comes to continuous team improvement as only by reflecting again and gathering more feedback and data can you measure improvement and set new goals for the next stage of improvement. 

So now you have collected your data, what’s next? With Mentimeter you can vizulize and compare sets of data using the history and trends feature. This can give you and your audience an instant overview to see if your team has improved in the time since your first meeting. Repeat these steps over time in order to track progress and see how your team improves with reflection!


Team reflection

How to use Mentimeter for team reflections

Digitalization is causing transformation across a multitude of industries, and in particular, the automotive industry. We have seen that in the [automotive industry](https://www.ibm.com/services/us/gbs/thoughtleadership/automotive.html) there has been a great shift in technology in order to move towards a more digital and sustainable future. 

However, technology is not the only thing that is moving fast and changing with digitalization. Leadership is being impacted greatly. With high demand for digital talent, changes in working habits, and other factors leaders need to work proactively to make sure that their organization is ready for digital transformation.

This article will explore three management trends that leaders in the automotive industry need to pay attention to in order to make sure that your organization can keep up with digital change. 

# New leadership for a new generation of employees

When millennials started to enter the workplace more than ten years ago, a noticeable change in the way that they wanted to work was clear, and with the new generation of workers, - generation Z, the workplace will continue to change. Therefore, as a leader, it is is important that you adapt leadership style in order to make sure that it is in line with the goals and values of your team. This could mean anything from adding perks such as remote working to the type of technology that is used in the workplace.

Whilst moving away from traditional leadership and management tactics might seem daunting, it is important to do so that young talent isn’t alienated by big, traditional organizations. A good way to understand what new generations of employee want and expect from a leader, you could hold a workshop in order to understand more. Here’s an example Mentimeter template of how such a workshop could look:

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin" allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/fb0df3fe2328a9e3e67e5cb146510d53/42dd751111b9' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

[Get the template](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/fb0df3fe2328a9e3e67e5cb146510d53/42dd751111b9)

# Tactics for retaining top digital talent 
There is a high demand in many industries for top digital talent, and as a leader, it is up to you to make sure that you are not only hiring the best digital talent that the automotive industry has to offer, but to also making sure that this talent is retained, as there will be many other competitors and attractive startups looking to get their hands them too. As a leader, you should create tactics that will help keep your employees happy and satisfied which will help retain them as employees.

One tactic that can be used to help retain employees is to measure how your employees feel over time. Here’s a template that can be used in order to start understanding how your employees feel:

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin" allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/bdf65cab239e6932ce83c885716eab90/605eb487bd6a' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

[Get the template](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/bdf65cab239e6932ce83c885716eab90/605eb487bd6a)

With Mentimeter you can easily track progress overtime with the [sessions and trends feature](http://help.mentimeter.com/after-the-presentation/see-historical-data-with-sessions-and-trends).

# Measure and improve digital skills 
Whilst you might have some amazing new digital-native talents to keep happy, as a leader you also need to continue to help and coach those who are already in the organization. As the automotive industry becomes more digital, leaders need to make sure that they work to coach current employees that may need extra support to make sure their skills are up-to-date. The first thing that you can do in order to support these members of the organization is to hold an organization-wide workshop in order to access your team. Use this Mentimeter template to quickly gather data from your audience to understand how they rate their own digital skills:

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin" allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/46509c69882e2110ef4fc97c008c6752/e625e0ecb839' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

[Get the template](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/46509c69882e2110ef4fc97c008c6752/e625e0ecb839)

ABM meeting Menti

3 important automotive industry leadership trends in 2019

# Manage your own anxieties and feelings
The role of the facilitator is important when it comes to workshops and meetings on sensitive topics as such sessions can be emotional, and some sensitive topics can be difficult to talk about. Whilst it is natural to feel some anxiety around holding a session on a sensitive topic, as the facilitator, you will be expected to overcome any nerves and proceed with your meeting in a professional manner. Take a look at [this useful blog post](https://www.fastcompany.com/3004857/3-strategies-managing-public-speaking-anxiety) that explores public speaking anxiety on a general level, but can also be applied to situations where sensitive subjects are being discussed. 

# Set an agenda
As with any other type of meeting or workshop, you should set an agenda. This will let the participants know what to expect during the session. By setting a clear agenda you will make sure that the session stays focused and on track. Here is an example of an agenda that can be used during workshops and meetings on sensitive topics:

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/d4db3406848b67eb78aee6c6acc20715/2e6a7f113af7' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'>

[Add this template to your account](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/d4db3406848b67eb78aee6c6acc20715/2e6a7f113af7)

# Create clear discussion guidelines
As well as encouraging discussion, you should also create some guidelines for the discussion. The aim of the guidelines is to make sure that all participants conduct themselves in a professional and respectful way. As the facilitator, you should also follow these discussion guidelines. Here is an example template of what such guidelines might include:

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin" allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/70ed8c06d94ce89a485a79006aed5441/113f630d9fa2' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

[Add this template to your account](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/70ed8c06d94ce89a485a79006aed5441/113f630d9fa2)

# Communicate clearly
Whilst clear communication is always important when facilitating a meeting or workshop, you should be even more mindful of it when you are hosting sessions on sensitive topics. A good way to check to make sure that you are communicating clearly to your participants is to use check-in questions during the session, and then end with a Q&A session at the end. This will give you as the facilitator the opportunity to see if participants understand, and it will give participants the chance to ask you questions. This will help to prevent any miscommunications during the sessions. Use these templates to ensure clear communication:

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin" allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/63c15af3d2062cbec592e0d6da1b6244/11fdd38dc8b5' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

[Add this template to your account](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/63c15af3d2062cbec592e0d6da1b6244/11fdd38dc8b5)

# Ask reflective questions 
In order to make sure that your participants get more out of the meeting or workshop, ask them reflective questions throughout the session. Of course, it can be difficult to reflect on sensitive topics in a group, but making the reflection anonymous (using tools such as Mentimeter) can give everyone the opportunity reflect without feeling nervous or embarrassed.

# End the session in a positive way

After discussing a sensitive topic, try to end the session on a positive and light-hearted note. This could be a simple thank you, or how about trying a light reflection question?

Meetings and workshops on sensitive topics may be a challenge, but with the right approach and tools, you can make sure that the information you need to relay is shared in the right way.


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How to hold meetings and workshops on sensitive topics

# What is a retrospective meeting?

A project retrospective meeting is a structured session, in the form of either a workshop or a meeting, which gives teams time to reflect on a completed project. The purpose of this type of session is for teams to learn from both the successes and the failures in order to improve and promote success in the future.

# Why should you hold project retrospective meetings?

There are a number of reasons why holding a structured reflection in the form of a project retrospective meeting with the whole team can be useful: 

## You will create an environment of transparency and trust

A well-planned and executed retrospective meeting will provide a platform for the team to discuss both successes and areas for improvement. By being transparent and open about what happened during projects will create an environment of trust within your team. 

## You will boost team spirit

Retrospective meetings are good for team building as they give opportunity to share praise and feedb ack. Through discussing success stories, giving feedback and looking for solutions for the problems together will give a boost to team spirit and energy level.

__Pro tip:__ If you want to learn more about how to boost team spirit, [read this blog post](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/stand-out-get-ahead/6-ways-you-can-encourage-team-spirit-in-the-workplace).

## You will help your team to learn and develop 

Team development is important to ensure that your team continously over time. As a team leader you should have a goal to improve your team with every project that they do. A retrospective meeting is a powerful tool for achieving this. Learn more about [continous improvement in this blog post](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/great-leadership/how-to-promotes-continuous-improvement-in-the-workplace).

# How to hold a project retrospective meeting
There is no "official" or "right" way to hold a project retrospective meeting. The meeting, however, should be something that works for you and your team. This section will explore a fairly standard project retrospective that can be useful in most project situations and can be easily adapted and developed for different circumstances.

The project retrospective should be a reflection and discussion by all involved in the project - not just the project leader or manager. These questions can be used to do just that. 

## What was our goal?

This question is good to start with, as it recaps the purpose of the project and what you initially planned to do. This part of the retrospective does not need to be a discussion, but rather you can take the project plan and present the purposes of the project and give time for everyone in the session to reflect by themselves on whether these purposes were fulfilled. 

## What actually happened?

Now it’s time to discuss what actually happened. You can conduct this section in a number of different ways. You might have notes or a timeline to present, you might have data to present, you could also ask people to describe what happened during the project from their own perspective. 

## Why did it happen?

Next, discuss why what happened happened. Focus both on what went well and what didn’t go so well. In order to keep discussions constructive, it might be helpful to make sure that you create a safe space so that everyone feels able to share their opinions but at the same time make sure that the discussion doesn’t descend into a blame game, particularly if the project didn’t go to plan.

## What are we going to do next time?

After you have reflected on what happened during the project, it is now time to use those reflections in order to plan for the future. It is important in these types of meetings and workshops to not only reflect on what happened. It is also important that you use the information gathered in the reflections to improve projects and ways of working in the future. This is why it is important to have a goal of continuous improvement in mind.


# Template for a project retrospective meeting

Based on the project reflection questions we outlined and explored above we have created a template that you can use in your project retrospective meetings. It’s easy to edit and it’s made with Mentimeter meaning that your team can participate to submit their feedback. 

<div style='position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; padding-top: 35px; height: 0; overflow: hidden;'><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin" allowfullscreen='true' allowtransparency='true' frameborder='0' height='315' src='https://www.mentimeter.com/embed/225cde380fb8455806ad8665ae24bc2d/7727f44771ad' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

[Add this template to my account](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/225cde380fb8455806ad8665ae24bc2d/7727f44771ad)




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The why and how of project retrospective meetings

Mentimeter is an interactive presentation tool that can be used in many different types of situations. Sales teams can use Mentimeter to make their work more effective. Use Mentimeter to improve clients pitches, gather insights and even manage your team. This article explores some different ways that users can utilize Mentimeter in sales teams.

# Create interactive pitches for clients 
A huge part of a sales executive’s work involves meeting clients and working to convince them to buy your product. In order to be able to do this in the most successful way, you must make sure that your product is presented in an attractive and engaging way. Quite often a product is presented to potential clients with a sales pitch which usually takes the form of a presentation. Whilst a presentation is a great way to present a product or service, sales executives need to make sure that their pitches are engaging.

One way to make your sales pitch engaging is to add some interactive elements. Mentimeter enables presenters to add interactive elements to their presentations which will get the audience involved and keep them engaged. Check out this list of resources that will show you how you can make your presentations interactive:

- [How to make your PowerPoint presentation interactive](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/awesome-presentations/how-to-make-your-powerpoint-presentation-interactive)
- [The best resources to help you get started with Mentimeter](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/awesome-presentations/the-best-resources-to-help-you-get-started-with-mentimeter)
- [The ultimate guide to creating amazing presentations](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/awesome-presentations/the-ultimate-guide-to-creating-amazing-presentations)
- [ Connect with your audience from the start](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/audience-energizers/connect-with-your-audience-from-the-start)

# Gather feedback and insights from clients 

![Screen Shot 2018-11-05 at 15.49.15](//images.ctfassets.net/rvt0uslu5yqp/2Omh6gnwUMgKkuK8ow24Iq/3adb5331c7bc5e73fb4a4782b91432d7/Screen_Shot_2018-11-05_at_15.49.15.png)

Mentimeter makes it easy to gather feedback and insights from clients. For example, you can use scales questions to get an idea of how your potential clients are feeling at the start or at the end of your pitch. You can also collect anonymous and honest answers and questions through the Q&A and open-ended question types. This way, sales executives can collect feedback and gather insights throughout the sales process, rather than only at the final moment. This data can also be used in the future to improve sales meetings and understand clients better. 

Test out some of these templates in your next sales meeting and see how they can help you learn more about your potential clients:

Icebreaker: [Do you know our product?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/71f8d5ddb97be0a9cc61b8b5b8422515/35dfbf9080c8)
Prioritization: [Which features are most important to you?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/4601e8ddface99f07c3666b02509fdf5/c2206e095464)
Q&A Session: [Submit your questions!](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/735fe27499bb8171dfb4a13b6eafdd30/561eb99ffe5c)

# Lead better sales teams

![Screen Shot 2018-11-05 at 16.23.58](//images.ctfassets.net/rvt0uslu5yqp/2683vggr3mU6yYsgImqwwU/a603227d5e981a36190879181c8b3eb9/Screen_Shot_2018-11-05_at_16.23.58.png)

Sales teams can use Mentimeter to help manage teams too. Managers and team leaders can collect feedback from their teams and monitor how things are going. Get feedback from your team and use these insights to improve your leadership over time.

Try out these Mentimeter templates that will help you to manage your sales team more effectively. 

Scales: [How does your pipeline look?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/3c874f829b51ce9663b2736e4a068861/f6e6051b269e)
Quick Slide: [Sales standup meeting structure](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/24d521ca4afa297562ba822f936b6b22/de3e091437a2)
Reflection: [How was your week?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/b8c956bf2ff62290fab729d4d61e5d4f/a69df489e20b)

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How can Sales Teams use Mentimeter?

# Understand your participants

By understanding your participants, you can help to create meetings and workshops that best fit them. If you are working with a group of people you know, you are probably familiar with the personality types in the group. However, if you are in a large or unfamiliar group, this can be hard to manage. In order to understand your participants, why not kick-off the discussion with some fun [icebreakers](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/audience-energizers/ready-to-use-icebreaker-templates-for-every-occasion)?

# Create a safe and open environment 

It is important to make sure that everyone in your group feels comfortable enough to participate in the discussion. This can include adding some trust exercises at the start of the session and also making it clear that the discussion should be judgement-free and a place where people are able to express their opinions freely. 

If you would like to explore this topic in more detail, we have written a whole blog post about it: [9 ways to create a positive and safe work environment](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/transparency-at-work/9-ways-to-create-a-positive-and-safe-work-environment)

# Uses tools that are inclusive

By using a tool such as [Mentimeter](https://www.mentimeter.com/) you can make sure that everyone’s opinions get heard in group discussion by enabling your audience to share their opinions and ideas anonymously via their smartphones. By using Mentimeter you can easily enable your participants to share their opinion, and not only let the loudest voice in the room be heard. 

If you don’t want to use technology in your group discussion, you can always ask your participants to write their opinions down on paper and submit them to you. 

# Actively include participants in discussions

As the facilitator, it is up to you to make sure that everyone feels included, and has the opportunity to participate. There are a few simple things you can do to include all participants. One thing you can do is actively ask participants who have not contributed ideas. By simply asking “is there anything you would like to add?” means that you include that person and give them a gentle nudge to contribute if they want to. 

Another way to actively include participants is to go around and ask each person what their opinion is, rather than relying on the most dominant voices to shout out their opinion. This gives everyone the chance to add their opinion without them feeling any pressure to put their hand up or shout out. 

At the end of the session, you can also provide information on how the participants can contact you and encourage them to send you any other feedback, reflections or contributions. This will give the opportunity to those who do not enjoy speaking in front of groups to participate in a way that feels more comfortable to them.


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How to get everyone’s opinion heard in group discussions

# Brainstorming made easy 

Whilst you may not work in the same room as your team, you still need to work together. When you’re not together in the same room, brainstorming ideas for upcoming projects can be difficult. Mentimeter is a great brainstorming tool for remote teams. You can use a Mentimeter presentation to support you during team calls by just sharing the voting code to be used at Menti.com with your team at the start of the meeting.

For easy brainstorming, use a [Word Cloud](http://help.mentimeter.com/creating-presentations-and-questions/let-your-audience-submit-free-text-answers/word-cloud) or [Open Ended](http://help.mentimeter.com/creating-presentations-and-questions/let-your-audience-submit-free-text-answers/open-ended-questions) question type and let your team share their thoughts and ideas in a manageable way. All the answers are saved in Mentimeter too, which means a lot less note-taking for you! Once you have collected all your ideas, it’s is a lot easier to prioritize and plan.

# Prioritize tasks together

Quickly prioritize team tasks with Mentimeter. Try out this template that is perfect for quickly prioritizing tasks and avoid long email threads: 

- [100 points prioritization](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/9dfd146c4f1faa26d3a38350fd019681/d8db35428337)
- [2x2 action prioritization matrix](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/a18eb4b4781a20f017749eefaee83833/c6f393779810)

# A quick check-in 
If you want to quickly check-in with your team to see how the overall feeling is you can ask your team a Mentimeter question to quickly see what’s going on. Quickly check-in during team calls or share the voting code in your team’s chat app. Here are some different templates you can use to check-in with your team in different ways:

- [Inclusiveness at work](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/5c305e86a53d4f0b2237ace66169a5f7/5f1cee9e38b6)
- [Work-life balance check-in](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/b7565055941d3c8e7d7b5bfbecac12a4/302537b28c20)


# Gather feedback

Feedback collection is incredibly important for remote teams. This is because it can be hard to pick up on a colleagues body language when most of your interactions with your colleagues are conducted via phone or chat apps. Use Mentimeter to gather feedback from your remote team quickly and easily. Easily share the voting info in your team chat app and they can quickly give feedback. The responses are anonymous so you know that the feedback has a greater chance of being honest. 

__Pro tip:__ Use the same question over a period of time and use the [sessions and trends](http://help.mentimeter.com/after-the-presentation/see-historical-data-with-sessions-and-trends) feature to measure feedback and responses over a longer period of time.  


# Just for fun 

Just because you’re not in the same room as your team, it doesn’t mean you can’t have some fun together! How about rounding off the week with a Mentimeter Quiz? Try out to Mentimeter [Quiz question](https://www.mentimeter.com/quiz-presentations) type and make a fun quiz for you and your remote team!


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How can remote teams use Mentimeter?

Brainstorming sessions can be the best ways to yield the most out-of-the-box and creative ideas - when done the right way. What are the best ways to leave a brainstorming session with newfound inspiration and drive to solve the problems at hand? Here are some tips to help you!

## 1. Inform the Team in Advance
We can’t deny that some of the best ideas come from eureka moments that hit us out of nowhere. But other than these small spurts of inspiration, most of us can agree that many people do better when given sufficient time to digest the topic.
 
A productive discussion should be preceded by a clear agenda of what the session is going to be about. Before bringing everyone into the same room together for a brainstorming meeting, sit down and map out a clear agenda for the specific things you'd like the team to discuss and notify the group ahead of time. We recommend at least several days or maybe even a week or so in advance. This gives your team time to sit down and think about the topic before coming to the meeting with relevant ideas and suggestions, which can help to serve as the foundation for your discussion later on. You can also check in on your team’s understanding on the workshop agenda before the meeting commences (Check out this template that Mentimeter has created for you: [Prepare a workshop like a boss](https://www.mentimeter.com/templates/meeting-prepare-workshop-like-a-boss))!

## 2. Facilitate the Process
In a brainstorming meeting where many people may be throwing around ideas across the room, it is crucial to have someone to act as the prime facilitator. Make sure that the meeting will be led by someone who is skilled at both stimulating ideas from the rest of the team while staying on track.
 
Having a facilitator will keep the discussion focused while keeping the environment open-minded, it is important not to remove the thinking hats from your team members who have a lot of creative juices flowing during the meeting. During brainstorming sessions, there are bound to be many suggestions that are innovative but may be unrelated to the topic, the facilitator can then acknowledge these suggestions but keep it aside for future consideration so as not to stray from the main agenda. This is important because we do not want to disregard these ideas as they may be useful in the future.

## 3. Zoom-in on Your Focus
 
Sometimes, the reason why we hold brainstorming sessions is because we can’t find solutions to certain problems. It is important that you walk into every single brainstorming session with a specific goal or problem that you want to solve. The more specific the focus, the more targeted the solutions can be at solving the problem. This allows the rest of the team to center their energy onto solving the problem at hand.

## 4. Keep the Session Brief
Brainstorming sessions can require quite a lot of energy,  especially when you require your team to sit in a room for an hour or so to come up with new ideas. However, a shorter session will require people to come up with ideas more quickly, and will prevent people from losing energy or motivation during the session. Meetings do not need to be long in order to be productive, you do not need to complete everything you set out to do in that one meeting alone. Remember that it is okay to take note of the suggestions worth discussing but leave them for another time, you can even schedule a follow-up meeting with your team member to take the discussion further. We’ve written a whole blogpost on how to make your team efficient, which you can read more about here: [How to make your team more efficient](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/great-leadership/how-to-make-your-team-more-efficient).

## 5. Be Open-Minded
A brainstorming session should welcome all ideas, no matter how out of this world. Be receptive to everyone’s opinions without any prior judgements, you never know when a seemingly crazy idea can actually be something that works. Many good ideas also stem from inspiration from others’ ideas, so allow your team to feed off one another’s energy to bring more ideas to the table. Encourage your team to suggest as many ideas as possible and you will be able to find the diamonds in the rough. 

## 6. Encourage all participation
Everyone in the room is there for a reason, no one should be there to just nod and listen to what others have to say, they might as well not join the discussion. Encourage everyone to speak up and give their own suggestion, and remind them that all ideas are welcome. People of different backgrounds may approach the problem in a different manner, giving you a plethora of different ideas to solve the same problem. If any of your colleagues are afraid of sharing their suggestions, why not try anonymous feedback? [Mentimeter](https://www.mentimeter.com) can be used in many different meeting situations in order to collect opinions and make sure that no voice is left unheard.

## 7. Prioritize
Once you have your ideas laid out on the table, what’s next? Brainstorming sessions are good for providing you with a wide array of ideas, but to stay efficient you need to take the pool of ideas suggested and then let the team select the few that they feel should be given further attention to, that way you won’t be left with 100 ideas and not knowing where to start. Mentimeter already has a few templates all ready for you to use, check them out here:
- [Prioritize Suggestions](https://www.mentimeter.com/templates/prioritize-suggestions)
- [Meeting Decision Support](https://www.mentimeter.com/templates/meeting-decision-support)

## 8. Follow Up on Your Ideas
An idea is just an idea unless you act on it. Once you have agreed on a set of ideas, the last step to seal the deal would be to implement them. One of the biggest pitfalls about brainstorming meetings is that without proper follow-up actions, these ideas do not become something actionable. Make it a habit to assign action items at the end of each brainstorming meeting. It could be as easy as assigning people to lead the project, or scheduling meetings with the member who suggested the idea to find out more, ultimately you and your team should leave the meeting with something actionable to do.

Not only will this ensure that you are working your way towards solving the problem you posed, but it will also provide assurance to your team that the time spent in that meeting was something worthwhile.

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8 Ways to Improve Brainstorming Meetings

Meetings don’t have to be boring! In fact meetings shouldn’t be boring. They should be engaging and perhaps they should be fun too. At your next meeting, why not try out a method that’s a little different from the norm. Here are five different meeting styles you can try for yourself. 

## 1. The Stand-up Meeting
The stand-up meeting setup is one that is familiar to computer engineers and tech organizations, however it can be used effectively in any meeting situation. The stand up model has a lot of different aspects that make for a meeting that’s definitely not boring!

One of the core elements of a stand-up is that everyone stands rather than sits. This keeps the meeting at a fast pace, and attendees feel more energetic because they are not slumped in a chair. Another reason why stand-up style meetings aren’t boring is that they tend to be short, for example 15 minutes, which perfect for a sync or catch-up meeting. Finally, there are many [different rules and fun elements](https://www.girlsguidetopm.com/5-tips-to-re-energise-your-daily-standup-meetings/) that you can incorporate into stand-up meetings too, so each time the meeting can be different and therefore more engaging.

## 2. Open Space Technology 
How about trying a meeting method that moves away from the classic facilitator-lead meeting and lets all the attendees take responsibility instead? Open Space Technology is a model that allows leaders to do just that.

Open Space Technology (OST) enables leaders to host meetings, conferences and corporate events in an effective way. What makes OST events unique is that they focus on a specific purpose or task, but start-off without any formal agenda, only an overall purpose or theme.

This is a great method to test if you want to really engage the meeting attendees. We think OST is an interesting and effective way of holding certain meetings and workshops, so much so that we wrote a whole blog post about it, read it here: [How to transform your meetings with Open Space Technology](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/great-leadership/how-to-transform-your-meetings-with-open-space-technology).

## 3. Tech-focused
Technology can be used in a number of different innovative ways to promote efficiency and remove boredom from meetings. When using technology in meetings, aim to avoid using static technology tools and focus on ones which actively engage your audience. 

Learn how to use Mentimeter to create engaging meeting with these free resources: [Meeting inspiration with Mentimeter](https://www.mentimeter.com/inspiration#meeting).

## 4. Tech-free
At the other end of the spectrum, try [removing all technology from the meeting room](https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonydicostanzo/2015/07/07/3-reasons-to-make-your-next-meeting-tech-free/#346c9c909c6e). These days, this idea of a meeting without laptops and phones is a novel one, but it can be an effective one when you remove all potential distractions such as calls and emails. This type of meeting is perfect for when you want to get really creative, or if you are focusing on team-building.  

## 5. Mindful meetings
Mindfulness has infiltrated every aspect of our life - from mindful eating to meditation - there’s a mindful way to do almost anything. So, why not apply it to meetings? [Mindful meetings](https://www.fastcompany.com/3033897/5-simple-steps-towards-more-mindful-meetings) focus on deep thinking and the individual in order to promote innovation and creative thinking. 

So, however you plan to do your next meeting, make sure that it's fun and engaging for your attendees!


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5 meeting methods that aren’t boring

# Learn how to be a good leader

Whilst some of us may have a natural talent for leadership, it is important that those in leadership positions take the time to learn how to be a good leader. You can learn [how to be a leader](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238747) in a number of different ways. For example, by attending courses, reading books or finding a mentor to guide you. By improving yourself and learning how to become a good leader you can help lead your team more efficiently.

# Understand your team

In order for your team to be efficient, as a leader, it is your responsibility to know and understand your team. By understanding each individual's strengths and weakness, how they like to work and receive feedback, you will be able to understand how to make your team efficient. Learn more about your team by booking team activities together and 1-to-1 sessions with individuals in order to learn what they are like and how you can work with them in the most efficient way.

# Communicate clearly

Clear communication improves effectiveness. Without clear communication, team members may not understand assigned tasks which can cause extra work and frustration. Improve communication by testing a [Mentimeter template](https://www.mentimeter.com/templates) in your next presentation in order to collect ideas and feedback.

# Create a common goal

The most efficient teams work towards a common clear goal together. Create and share relevant goals with the whole team, so that everyone can understand what they are aiming for. This will also make planning tasks and projects a lot easier, allowing you to focus more on working, rather than planning.  

# Build an environment of trust

In order for your team to work most efficiently, they should feel comfortable in their work environment. As a leader, it is up to you to make sure that you build an [environment of trust](https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/6-steps-to-building-trust-in-the-workplace-hot-jobs). Do this by setting some ground rules with your team in order to set up boundaries and establish what is acceptable. Use this Mentimeter template and build an environment of trust and safety with your team! 

# Delegate responsibility based on strengths 

Delegating responsibility based on your teams strengths can be a great way to make your team more efficient. It is very natural that different people have different strengths in the workplace. When creating projects and assigning tasks try to keep in mind the different skills each of your team members have. 

# Incorporate learning and reflection processes

Learning how to reflect on past projects and accomplishments is a great way to learn, grow in order become a more efficient team. One way to do this is to hold a Retrospective, which is essentially a meeting to look back and assess the project. A Retrospective doesn’t have to take a lot of time.

# Build team spirit

Whilst it is hard to measure, team spirit is important in order to for your team to work effectively. Encouraging team spirit can have amazing long-term effects on your team, including better employee retention and well-being, as well as team effectiveness. If this is an area you’re interested in, we have written a whole blog post about the subject: [6 ways you can encourage team spirit in the workplace](https://www.mentimeter.com/blog/stand-out-get-ahead/6-ways-you-can-encourage-team-spirit-in-the-workplace).

# Automate and optimize processes

As a leader you should constantly look for opportunities to automate and optimize workflows. By taking steps to automate certain workflows (such as administrative tasks) you can remove the less important tasks and your team can focus on more important assignments. 

# Praise and reward

Team morale is linked to efficiency, so take steps to make sure that praise and reward your team when they reach their goals or do particularly good work. In the long term, this will promote efficiency as your team will feel appreciated for what they do, and will be inspired to keep pushing to do their best!

[Mentimeter](https://www.mentimeter.com/signup?referral=homepage) can be used to promote team efficiency as well as in many other different situations. Start improving team efficiency today. 


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How to make your team more efficient

Meetings are a staple part of the working week for most of us. However, we often dread meetings because they can be ineffective and time-consuming. If you’re a meeting leader you have the opportunity (and responsibility) to make sure that your business meetings are effective. This post explores 10 different things that meeting leaders can do in order to make sure that business meetings are effective. 


## 1. First, do you really need a meeting? 

Before booking a meeting, you should first question if you really need a one. “Let’s schedule a meeting” is quite often a knee jerk response to any business issues that arise. However, how often do we question the need to book a meeting? Ultimately, we have a finite number of hours in the working day to get things done, and the more meetings we have, the more working time we lose.  That being said, there are many appropriate situations for meetings, for example, when you need outside input.  But sometimes projects can be moved forward with a simple email or a quick call. By taking a more critical approach, you can remove unnecessary meetings from your schedule, and have more time to get work done.


## 2. Have a clear objective and share it

When you decide to schedule a meeting, make sure you have a clear objective for the session. In order to make your meeting as effective as possible, your objective should not focus on what you plan to discuss, e.g “new projects for Q3 2018”, but rather it should focus on what you want to achieve during the meeting, such as: “Outline, confirm and delegate new projects for Q3 2018”. This will give you a clear goal to work towards and make it easier for you to stay focused during the meeting.


Once you have set your objective, you should share it with the meeting participants so that they can prepare for the meeting accordingly. Add the objective in the meeting invite to make sure that your meeting can be effective as possible! 


## 3. Plan and be prepared 

The most effective meetings have great planning and preparation behind them. As the meeting leader you should create a solid agenda and collect any numbers, documents or presentations you need, so that decisions can be made in an informed manner. If you need attendees to prepare something in particular, tell them what is needed in advance. 


## 4. Only invite who you need to invite

Quite often meeting leaders invite either too many, or unnecessary people to meetings. The cause of this might be office politics, or simply not taking the time to really consider who really needs to be in the meeting. If there are too many people in a meeting, that are not essential to the objective, meeting effectivness can be decreased. In order to ensure that you invite only those you need, refer to your meeting objective and reflect on who you need to help you achieve your meeting goal. 

 
## 5. Keep meetings short

These days, many digital calendars automatically book events such as meetings in one-hour slots. Whilst automatic features such as this are very convenient, one hour might be too long for a meeting. Scientific studies show that most people [cannot really focus for an hour](https://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1440/brain-science-focuscan-you-pay-attention). Therefore, by keeping meetings shorter, you can maintain great focus and be as effective as possible. 


## 6. Start on time, end on time

Delays in getting meetings started can impact the whole agenda, and your whole working day. By starting on time, you will get the most out of the allotted meeting time. It is also important to end your meetings on time in order to respect your own time, and the time of the other participants. If you haven’t reached your goal by the end of the meeting, don’t let the meeting continue - book a further session at a later date to continue the discussion.  Make punctuality part of how you conduct meetings in order to increase meeting effectiveness. 

 
## 7. Make clear action points… and plan to follow-up

A meeting is only as effective as its outcome. Usually, by the end of a meeting there are action points and tasks that need to be followed up at a later date. As the meeting leader, it is your responsibility that these points are followed up on, and that projects move forward! 


## 8. Implement a system for collecting opinions and making decisions

Without structure, meetings can be in danger of descending into passionate discussions where only the most dominant voices in the room get heard. To avoid this situation, implement a system that can make sure that everyone’s voice is heard. [Mentimeter](https://www.mentimeter.com/why) can be used in many different meeting situations in order to collect opinions and make sure that everyone’s voice is heard.


## 9. Experiment with different meeting methodologies

There is not just one way to hold a meetings. In fact, there are dozens of [different methods](https://www.fastcompany.com/3033232/9-science-backed-methods-for-more-productive-meetings) which have been engineered to make meetings more effective. If you’re feeling adventurous, try experimenting with different methods and see which ones are most effective for you!


## 10. Ban unnecessary technology 
Technology can enhance meetings a lot. However, it can also be a distraction and reduce the effectiveness of the meeting. Ensure that your business meetings are effective as they can be by removing any unnecessary tech. You can let your meeting participants know what they need to bring by adding a note in the meeting agenda such as: “No laptops, but please bring your smartphone for voting with Mentimeter”.


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10 ways to make your next business meeting more effective

Have you ever seen those reality TV shows where a contestant goes through a transformative process in order to improve themselves? These types of extreme self-improvement shows tap into our human desire to want to improve ourselves. However, this fairytale-like transformation that seemingly happens overnight is impossible for us without a TV crew, and this dramatic approach is definitely not sustainable. Most of us realise this, as we reflect on failed projects or grand new year’s resolutions long forgotten. However, the desire for self-improvement still remains.

Real, long-term self-improvement is more comparable to an athlete’s journey to success. Sports professionals make small improvements all the time to their nutrition and training. Small changes leads them to [continuous improvement](https://jamesclear.com/continuous-improvement) and success in reaching their long-term goals. 

One place that many of us want to improve in is the workplace. Leaders, in particular want to give their team the tools and drive to be able to improve, and create an environment of constant improvement. This article looks at how you can create an environment of continuous improvement in your workplace. 

# What is continuous improvement?

Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve something. These efforts can look like small improvements but over time these small changes have a big impact. Sometimes it is referred to as the Japanese term, [Kaizen](https://medium.com/the-mission/the-kaizen-approach-to-achieving-your-biggest-goal-the-philosophy-of-constant-improvement-172033f8346).

# Methods for creating an environment of continuous improvement

## Choose small manageable improvements

Big goals are not great motivators. Rather, big goals can be demotivating when you soon realise that it takes a lot of work to make even a dent in what you want to achieve. Instead, when setting goals within your team, break the ultimate goal into smaller goals that can be more easily achieved and will help contribute to the overall goal. This will be more motivating for your team, as they will be able to reach milestones more quickly and see the improvements for themselves.

For example, if your goal is to create a positive work environment, don't just set a goal such as “make the office a more positive place", instead create smaller goals such as “greet everyone in the team when you arrive in the morning” or “eat lunch with a colleague you want to get to know better”. These smaller improvements will help you to reach your overall target in the end, but will help your team to see the improvements straight away. 

## Always ask for feedback

Asking for feedback is an incredibly important way to improve. This way you can listen to what others think. You might ask a mentor or some type of expert for feedback. Feedback can really help you to take the next step in improvement. Create an environment where giving feedback is the norm by organizing structured feedback sessions. 

## Be open and receptive to feedback 

However, asking for feedback alone is not enough. You, as an individual who wants to improve must be open and receptive when it comes to listening to feedback. Listen actively to what others have to say, make notes on the feedback and take a look at how you can turn this feedback into action points that will help you to improve. If your colleagues see how you accept feedback, then this will help them to become more open to receiving feedback which will help them to improve on a rolling basis. 

## Conduct self-assessments

Sometimes it is not always possible to collect feedback from others, thus self-assessment can be very useful in the quest for constant improvement. 

## Work as a team

If your goal is to improve together as a team, making sure that you are working as a team is important. When embarking on a journey to improve your team you should focus on some team building exercises or even conduct in some kind of social activity to help your team get to know each other. 

# How to measure constant improvement with Mentimeter

It’s important to track relevant metrics in order to measure improvement, and this [is possible to do with Mentimeter](http://help.mentimeter.com/after-the-presentation/see-historical-data-with-sessions-and-trends). One example of how you can measure improvement with Mentimeter is to create a feedback slide that you can share with your team ([click here](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/0d66e90f0633742f8b97f49fb4fdb239/008374c533df/0) to get our example template!). Periodically (weekly, monthly or quarterly depending on what is most relevant for your team) get your team to join the presentation and fill out their feedback. The best way to do this is to book a short reflection session. In order to be able to have some comparable data, get your team to fill out the same reflection survey more than once over time. In order to see trends and if there is improvement you can use the trends feature in Mentimeter. 



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How to promote continuous improvement in the workplace

This article looks at the what open space technology is, why it can be beneficial and how you can easily host one using Mentimeter.

# What is Open Space Technology?

Open Space Technology (OST) is a versatile approach to purpose-driven leadership. It enables leaders to host meetings, conferences, corporate events in an effective way. What makes OST events unique is that they focus on a specific purpose or task, but start-off without any formal agenda, only an overall purpose or theme.


>“Open Space is the only process that focuses on expanding time and space for the force of self-organisation to do its thing. Although one can't predict specific outcomes, it's always highly productive for whatever issue people want to attend to. Some of the inspiring side effects that are regularly noted are laughter, hard work which feels like play, surprising results and fascinating new questions.”
— Michael M Pannwitz, Open Space expert

# What does an Open Space Technology event look like?


An "open space" meeting begins with a short introduction by the facilitator. Here, the purpose is outlined and the principles of OST are explained. The facilitator should also outline the 3 principles and one law of open space technology, which are as follows:

__1. The people who come are the right people:__ This reminds people in the small groups that getting something done is not a matter of having the "right" people but rather that the right peope are those who care to do something. This care is shown by showing up and taking part.

__2. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have:__ This keeps people focused on the here and now rather than focuses on what might have happened or should have happened.

__3. Whenever it starts is the right time:__ This alerts people to the fact that time isn't so imporant. In other words, do what you have to do, and when it’s done, move on to something more useful.

__And finally, the "law of two feet":__ This states that if at any time you find yourself neither learning nor contributing – use your two feet and move somewhere else. Somewhere else might be another group, or even taking a break. No matter what, don’t be unproductive.

## Create a working agenda
After this introduction, the group creates the working agenda based around the overall focus. Individuals post their issues in bulletin board style. This can be done using a whiteboard, sticky notes or an audience resonse system. Each "point" becomes an idea for discussion.

## Conduct breakout sessions

Next, the group will conduct break out sessions to work on each individual point order to explore the topic more and come to some kind of decision if needed.

## What can you achieve from holding an open space event?

Fans of OST consider that this type of event consider that it is a more productive way of getting things done in a group setting, particularly if the task at hand is particularly complex.

Harrison Owen, the person who developed the concept explains that this approach works best when these conditions are present:
- High levels of complexity, in terms of the outcomes that need to be achieved;
- Diversity, when there is a group of people from different background and different experiences that can come together to work on the same goal;
- Conflict, meaning that there is a real issue that people care about at stake; and
- Urgency, meaning that action needs to be taken now.


## How to hold an open space event with Mentimeter

One of the core principles of OST events is that they are live and evolve during the actual event, rather than being pre-planned and static. A second core principle is that, whilst there is usually a single facilitator to run proceedings, the event itself is very much driven by an audience. 

With these principles in mind, you need to make sure that you have the right set up in place. If you are a very small group; paper, pens and group discussion might be the most effective way to conduct your session. However, if the group is bigger, you may want to consider Mentimeter as a tool that can assist you in running a successful OST event. This part of the article will explore just that!

## Build your presentation in real-time

It is important to document your OST event so that you, as a facilitator, other participants and any other stakeholders can refer to it later. Of course, you can create good old-fashioned meeting notes, but consider using Mentimeter Quick Slides to document your presentation during the event. Easy-to-add and create slides means that you can skip boring meeting notes and instead create a great presentation (where you can also collect results from polls, as I’ll explain in the next point).

Mentimeter can also be used during the breakout sessions to create notes that can be shared with the facilitator who can later combine the presentation to make a master copy that can be easily distributed. This will save time whilst also creating more clear and coherent meeting notes that are all created in the same format.

Poll your audience quickly with Mentimeter will make collaboration and decsion-making easy. Working together is a really important part of Open Space Technology. It can be difficult to do this in a constructive manner that doesn’t end up in everyone shouting over each other, especially when you’re in a big group. By using Mentimeter you can avoid arguments and istead get consise answers quickly.

## Ensure that everyone’s voice is heard with Q&A

Of course, discussion is a big part of OST events, so make sure your facilitate this properly. When discussing issues in groups, you will notice that the dominant, more extroverted personalities will tend to take over the discussion, often leaving others sitting in silence. Mentimeter’s Question from audience feature allows facilitators to open up a more equal environment where everyone is able to participate. 

You can use this feature in two different ways:

1. Allow your audience to ask question throughout and answer them as they come.
2. Stop for specific Q&A sessions throughout the event, when it feels appropriate. 

To learn more about this feature take a look at these resources:

[Questions from Audience: host the best Q&A sessisons ever!](https://www.mentimeter.com/campaigns/live-questions-and-answers)
[Learn how to use Questions from Audience](http://help.mentimeter.com/creating-presentations-and-questions/questions-from-audience)
[Questions from Audience: the audience perspective](http://help.mentimeter.com/how-to-vote/questions-from-audience-the-audience-perspective)


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How to transform your meetings with Open Space Technology

Have you ever been in a situation where you facilitate a group discussion and one person takes over the room? Quite often, facilitators come across the type of person who tries to respond to all the questions, with seemingly no acknowledgement to the fact that there are other people in the room. When there is such a dominant personality in the room, it may cause all other voices in the room remain silent.
 
Research has shown that people who have more dominant personality types are often perceived by others to be more competent during group discussions, regardless of whether or not they actually are more competent than the other participants.
 
This can have devastating effects on group performance, as people tend to want to conform to strong opinions and group “leaders” in uncertain and unfamiliar situations – such as group discussions. This can cause discussions to be one-sided and different perspectives, solutions and ideas from more introverted individuals can often remain unshared.
 
# Defusing the influence of the dominant group member
Finding ways in which you can defuse the influence that these types of personalities have on a group can help to improve group dynamics and give others in the group confidence to express their opinion freely.
 
As part of the Creator Project we have performed a series of interviews with some of our most active users. To our delight, active users of Mentimeter experience much less negative group dynamics caused by dominant personality traits.
 
When group participants get the opportunity to get involved through a screen, anonymously, they feel less pressure from the possibility of feeling judged by others in the group which might otherwise hold them back from engaging in discussion.
 
The confidence of group participants also seems to grow faster as they are able to see that other group members express the same kind of responses they do. With higher participation, the single voice of a dominant personality has less effect on the outcome of a discussion.
 
One teacher in Thailand found that he can breakthrough to the students who were previously shy; the type of student who wouldn’t engage in classroom discussions because they weren’t sure if their responses were right.
 
Through the anonymous features that Mentimeter offers, the students have less difficulties building confidence and contributing on their own terms.
 
# The importance of the active “Menti-facilitator”
As we get to know more about how Mentimeter is used by facilitators and teachers trying to solve challenging group dynamics, we understand that there are things outside the spectrum of creating “engaging and fun” presentations which we can solve together.
 
In one of the interviews, a facilitator in the US said: “I believe that Mentimeter is an instrument of care, and group participants felt like I was really caring about them, their needs and ideas.”
 
You can also use Mentimeter to show you care as a teacher. Mentimeter aims to show that we care by listening to your needs and continuously build a platform that supports your efforts to improve the world.

# Get started with Mentimeter
You can use Mentimeter for free for as long as you’d like, no credit card is needed to get started!

Start setting up your account by signing up [here](https://www.mentimeter.com/signup).




Great Leadership