The Learn to Listen Program

October 27, 2020
Listentobeheard
Image of Carl Ronander
Carl RonanderHead of Brand

Listen to be Heard. This is the idea and change we want to drive in society, but also the foundation for the product, culture and brand we want to build at Mentimeter. We believe that when a leader of a meeting, team, class, training or why not a nation listens to their audience you build an inclusive foundation to make your own message heard. Listening leads to increased engagement, transparency and eventually personal ownership and efficiency.

Listening, however, is not an easy task. A simple Google search for “active listening” will give you an array of articles arguing that we have lost our ability to truly listen. And maybe that is not strange when we live in a time that is louder than ever before. In politics, media, business and social media everyone is shouting to be heard. So, to become better listeners at Mentimeter we have created the “Learn to Listen Program” for all employees who want to improve their listening abilities.  

The Program

In our hectic daily lives, it is easy to get so caught up in routines, meetings and engrossed in our phones that we forget to stop and smell the roses. Our Learn to Listen Program makes us do exactly that. Pause and smell those roses. It encourages us to talk less and listen more. To be fully present in the moment and actively listen to what others are saying instead of just thinking of what to respond. 

Our first proposition in developing the Learn to Listen program is that we do not only listen with our ears. To become better listeners we believe we need to connect and challenge all of our senses. Thus, the Learn to Listen Program is divided into Hearing, Taste, Smell, Touch and Sight. Without even realising our brain consumes huge amounts of sensory information that it then translates into feelings, emotions or information. When making a decision, or understanding what something may mean, our brain takes into account all of our senses. A certain smell can trigger a childhood memory or a certain sound can evoke an emotion. 

In the program, we aim to provoke each sense by collaborating with experts within that specific field. This sensorial experience is either done during specific workshops, or something we do over a longer period of time in the office or in our ways of working. Let’s explore some of the things we have experienced so far: 

Developing a Menti-Scent

The opportunity to create our very perfume doesn’t come so often. Together with a professional parfumeur or “nose” we got to try and create a smell that embodied the feel of Mentimeter. Employees were divided into groups that together would smell and discuss what each of the different notes represented to us and test out if they would all work together to create our very own Menti-scent.  

Creating ice sculptures

With our Swedish heritage, you might assume that ice-sculpting comes very natural to us. Well, that proved not true and was much harder than we thought. A sensorial experience in touch we got to learn first hand the importance of listening to the material you are crafting. Understanding its limitations and possibilities was a fun, valuable and humbling experience.

k-heart ice sculpture

Maybe the world's first K-Heart Ice sculpture, the most used emoji at Mentimeter.

Artwork in the office

Through a collaboration with Moderna Samlare, we get the opportunity to have high-quality contemporary art in the office. Every four months the art is exchanged with new pieces to evoke emotions and discussions in the office. 

The artwork gives us a reason to stop and reflect. A point of inspiration and creativity that makes us think beyond the realm of our computer screens. A point of discussion, to hear and see the art from another’s point of view. 

Handstand, by Tove Kjellmark

Handstand, by Tove Kjellmark

The Learn to Listen Program includes both theoretical and practical exploration of our senses and is open to all employees at Mentimeter to suggest what sensory experiences we should take on next. Did someone say wine tasting?

Sebastian Scaglioni artist

Exhibition by Sebastian Scaglioni artist and designer at Mentimeter.

Impress with interactive presentations