What is stressing us out?

Say thank you 

Mental health check-in

Team efficiency 

Stress check

How are you feeling?

Talk about sensitive topics even in online meetings

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How to use Mentimeter to check on your remote team’s mental health 

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How to combat working from home stress


# But why would voters modify their answers or abstain altogether?

One of the most common times voters change their answers is when giving feedback in the workplace. If an employee is asked for feedback, in a situation similar to this template:

<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/75993f84e4f24ec2d00d1cd90eb45824/ff224bbc3f73/' style='position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;' width='420'></iframe></div>

The voter may fear ramifications from superiors or may not want to hurt a colleagues feelings, and so they will abstain from the quiz, or enter something that will protect themselves and others around them. Consider meeting with your boss and saying “I don’t trust my manager and am not planning on being here very long because of it”. This is almost unthinkable for most of us, however if there was a way to give this anonymously, then people would feel safe giving this honest opinion, the data becomes valuable and actionable because of the anonymity.

Another common reason for voters to give embellished answers is when a question could be perceived as sensitive. Questions about money, property, or activities that are legally questionable can cause respondents to downright lie on occasion to protect their reputation/s or protect themselves from repercussions. Yet another example where real anonymity would massively improve response rates and make the data more “Trustworthy”.

Another common issue for researchers and presenters is an audience giving answers that will “Help” the outcome. If the audience believe that there is a desired outcome, voters can even unwittingly give a different answer than what they would have done, so that their name will be associated with it. This is a classic example of biased answering. A very similar issue to this is people not wanting to seem “Insensitive”, for example when discussing religion or politics. If their name is along with their answer, this could cause their reputation/s to be damaged. If an anonymous tool such as Mentimeter is used then there is no chance of this, and participants feel comfortable giving their honest opinions as they feel safe.


# The key benefits of collecting data anonymously:

__Better Response Rates -__ If the audience feels that their identities are protected then a considerable amount more will answer, meaning more data.

__Participants feel safe -__ It is no surprise that when people feel anonymous, they feel safe psychologically, this leads to honest answers.

__Increased accuracy in data -__ When the chance of ramifications doesn’t exist voters feel able to give their honest and unbiased opinions, which leads to:

__More actionable data -__ When the data is honest and unbiased, it means you can trust it more and therefore take actions on that data with more confidence in positive outcomes.

__Trust -__ Asking for people’s opinions using an anonymous tool like Mentimeter established a trust that you want to hear the audience honest answers, and that they do not need to worry about anything coming back on them.

The last point, as well as the others, mean that you really have to use an anonymous tool, that way there is no way for the anonymity to be lost at a later date, using Mentimeter is perfect for this as voting is anonymous, we don't set any Voting IDs on the voters or require them to log in. Meaning the answers will be more honest and a higher response rate can be expected.

 


Anonymous silhouettes workplace

The benefits of collecting anonymous data

During live events, moderators often want to be able to prescreen audience content before it is shared with a wider audience or moderate it after the fact. This type of moderation is a good way to make sure the shared content quality is high, appropriate and relevant. Examples of audience content are; questions to panel members, content shared via social media, responses from the audience on Mentimeter presentations.

However, by moderating audience content, the moderator can be put in a difficult position where they might be perceived as not being transparent. At Mentimeter we always strive to be as open and transparent as possible but we also understand that there is a need to moderate content to make sure that your interactive presentations go smoothly. This article explores how you can moderate your audience’s content whilst still remaining as transparent as possible.

# Good ways to use audience conference moderation

Audience content moderation can be a good thing that helps make sure that your event or presentation runs smoothly and professionally. Here are some examples of good ways to use audience content moderation: 

- To make sure that there are no profanities or other inappropriate content 
- To filter out duplicate content, such as repeat questions from the audience
- To remove irrelevant content in order to keep discussions focused
- To prioritize the order in which the content should be shown or the order in which questions should be asked to a panel
- To make sure the overall quality of the content is good

# Not-so-transparent ways to use content moderation

Moderating audience content can be used in ways that will make you appear less transparent to your audience. It is, of course, best to avoid this if you want to use audience content moderation in an open way. Here are some examples of what to avoid:

- Removing content or questions that you do not like
- Removing content that brings up difficult issues or questions
- Removing content from particular people or groups of people 

# How to make sure you’re being transparent 

When you are starting off an event, conference or meeting where audience content will be moderated, the best way to ensure that you are being transparent as possible is to let the audience or participants know at the start, that content is being moderated. You should also introduce the moderator and explain to the audience what type of content will be accepted or rejected so that your audience knows which guidelines to abide by. 
How to use Mentimote for moderation 

In the context of Mentimeter, you can use the Mentimote in order to moderate content during live presentations when using open-ended questions, or the Questions from Audience feature. Learn more about how the Mentimote works in this Help Center article:

[Mentimote - our presentation remote](http://help.mentimeter.com/presenting-with-mentimeter/mentimote-our-presentation-remote)

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How to moderate audience content in a transparent way

But why specifically transparency? A transparent workplace nurtures an environment free from fear, encourages employees to be open about their achievements and mistakes and can overall create a safer, more positive environment. If you’re looking to promote transparency in the workplace, read on! We have outline 6 different things you can try to promote transparency in your workplace (with some great templates that will impress everyone)!

# 1. Make transparency part of company policy

The first, and arguably most important step that a leader can take in order to be transparent is to make transparency part of the company policy. Taking this active step will speak volumes about you as a leader and show that you really care about your employees.

If you do not have the authority to implement transparency on a company-wide scale, you can take steps to implement transparency within your team. Consider holding a workshop where you and your team can talk about what transparency is, why it is important and how you can take steps to implement it into daily office life. 

Use this template to plan a transparency workshop for your team:

[Template: Transparency in our team](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/2d263f0659d4a0364a51bcec151166d3/87cff3662730)

# 2. Confront difficult situations 

Leaders will face difficult situations that they need to deal with. It’s up to the leader to decide on how they want to deal with these situations. Whether you need to confront gossip or rumours about the organization, transparency can be used to defuse these types of situation. It will establish that you, as a leader, are not afraid to be open and truthful and will set a clear precedent that employees can come directly to you if they have any questions or worries.

# 3. Hold an “ask me anything” session

Give your colleagues the chance to ask any questions to you by holding an “ask me anything” session. This activity will give people the opportunity to ask questions they wouldn’t normally have the chance to ask. If you are a leader in a larger organization this type of exercise can be particularly important as employees maybe have never had the chance to meet you, let alone ask you something. 

For extra transparency and accountability, use Mentimeter to run your “ask me anything session”. This gives employees the chance to ask questions in an open environment where they can get answers. Use this template to conduct your own session:

[Template: Ask me anything!](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/306464e90b4413fe12bc3b7235b459df/7f45381840ca)

# 4. Provide access to information 

Within an organization there is often a lot of information that is not available to employees. Often this information is not made public because it is sensitive or for some other reason. However, there might be information that can be shared with employees, but isn’t. In order for you, as a leader to be transparent, you should consider if more information should be available to employees, and provide access to it. 

# 5. Always have a “why”

As a leader, you probably have a make numerous decisions on a daily basis. When you’re making decisions be mindful and where appropriate, let people know why you have made certain decisions in certain ways. This not only gives your team an insight into your thinking, but it also helps to create an open environment for discussion. Your team will be more understanding of why you make certain decisions, and will be able to question you if they do not agree with how something was approached. Remember, that you should always be open for challenges and feedback. Think of it as a chance to develop and learn and not an attack on you.

# 6. Involve people in decision making

What’s even better than explaining your decision, it to involve others in the decision making process. You can do this in a number of different ways. Sometimes a quick poll on a subject can be enough to get input from others, in other cases you might want to hold a workshop or brainstorming session in order to make a collaborative decision. This approach to decision making does not only make you more transparent as a leader, but can also help you come to better decisions for your organization. Test out this template in order to get feedback from your team on your ideas before making a decision:

[Template: Idea feedback workshop](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/9d7ac44ba660e3d726592ed20800344f/118943b0447c)


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6 things that leaders can do to promote transparency in the workplace

# 1. Get your team to show appreciation for each other

One easy and rewarding thing you can do to create a positive working environment is to actively show appreciation for your team, and encourage them to show appreciation for each other. This can be done in an unstructured way, by just encouraging your employees to be thankful to each other.  Alternatively, this can be done in a more structured manner by using tools such as Mentimeter to create and hold reflection sessions with your team where you can share feedback. Test out this template with your team: 

__Template:__ [Say thanks to a team member who helped you this week](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/5c6b3cff029c1a4197dcd0fc3e3d1af2/e214a9644ab9)

# 2. Make space for equal and open discussions

The workplace should be the perfect place for open discussion. Discussion sessions can be a great opportunity for brainstorming and generating new ideas. When conducting group discussions, you may find that some team members will dominate the discussion. In order to promote a safe and positive environment for the whole team, develop a system where everyone gets the chance to voice their idea or opinion. Try out this discussion template to encourage a fair and open discussion with your team:

__Template:__ [What ideas do you have for this project?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/cf4b9e9154cd45d881f53bf93792140c/271efc6a54ed)

## 3. Learn about different personality types

If you find that there are some tensions between team members in the group, you should tackle this proactively. Usually, any tensions between members are down to lack of communication and different personalities. Therefore, you will want to consider holding a workshop or presentation that looks at different types of personalities. This will help your team to get to know each other and understand how to work with each other better. A team that understands each other will definitely have a positive impact on your working environment. 

# 4. Celebrate team wins

A team that celebrates together, stays together. You will discover that most successes you have in your work are not down to one person, but a whole team. Be sure to celebrate wins in the workplace, no matter how big or small. This will not only help people to feel appreciated but also make them understand that they are having an important impact on the organization too! Get your team to decide on how they would like to celebrate their next win. This will help them feel more invested in their goal. Try out this interactive Mentimeter template to decide:

__Template: __[How should we celebrate our next team win?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/e7c83bba779397c5520e3e99479223e7/d8a42d8c635e)

# 5. Spend time together not working

Your employees are human, not resources or man-hours. Take some time to do a non-work related activity together. This can help to rejuvenate the team and also help them to see each other beyond their job title. If your team feels relaxed and comfortable in each other’s presence, this will create a positive and safe working environment. 


# 6. Use anonymity where appropriate 
You can create a safe discussion environment by using anonymity where appropriate. This can be useful if you need to discuss sensitive topics or need to ask for very honest opinions or feedback on something. There are a number of ways of doing this, for example by using an anonymous feedback form. You can also use Mentimeter to collect anonymous feedback.

# 7. Reflect back on the week together
Take time to reflect on what you and your team have achieved during the week. This is something that we do each week at Mentimeter. On Friday afternoons we set aside 15 minutes and use our tool to reflect on the past week. We look at a different area each week, but try to keep the discussion positive and focused on our learnings from the week, so that everyone has a great feeling when they leave the office on a Friday! Test out this Friday reflection template and take a look back on the week: 

__Template: __[Reflect on the last week. Do you agree with these statements?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/6f34dd2db8c4afc55a86e3d589e7254a/0a94d4f10219)

# 8. Trust your team
As a leader, it is essential that you trust your team. Avoid micromanagement, or taking over tasks that others should be responsible for as this will cause your team to harbor negative feelings. Instead, nurture an environment of trust and give your team freedom (with responsibility, of course) and this will spread positivity throughout your employees. 

# 9. Set boundaries and expectations together 
Create a positive and safe environment together by conducting a workshop where your team can set boundaries and expectations together. By creating these commitments together you will avoid team members from feeling that something has been ‘imposed’ on them, and instead they will feel more committed to the team's boundaries and expectations as this is something they have created together. Test out this template to find out what your team thinks is important so that you can create rules and boundaries:

__Template: __[What is important for us as a team?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/08f02a1da6f2895eb3d85efaf4ef32f3/373e2bb8ecf6)

Creating a positive and safe environment in the workplace is important for the well being of you and your team and it can be easily implemented and managed. Try some of these tips and see if you feel a difference. Good luck! 	


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9 ways to create a positive and safe work environment

Employee engagement is when an organization takes active steps to create the right working conditions for its employees. Organizations who engage employees, strive to help them by providing the tools that they need to be able to give of their best each day. Engaged employees are more committed to their organization’s goals and values, and motivated to contribute in a positive way.

Employee engagement is important for a number of different reasons. It can be beneficial for the overall well being of your employees and, in the long term, is essential for the growth and development of an organization.

# What does it mean for employees?

An engaged employee gets up in the morning and is positive about going to work. They know their goals and what they are going to do during the day; they understand their role. An engaged employee also looks forward to working with their team, sharing ideas and helping them.

An engaged employee feels that they are a fully-integrated member of their team, they feel supported through receiving regular and constructive feedback, and feel able to develop new skills within their role. An engaged employee feels appreciated by their organization and that their achievements are recognized.

If we look at the bigger picture, if all employees are engaged, a whole organization is engaged. Engaged organisations have a strong and genuine company culture, trust and fairness based on mutual respect, and two-way commitments, between employers and employees. This creates an overall positive environment and a great place to work. 


# What does it mean for employers and organizations?

For organizations, employee engagement is about nurturing positive attitudes which lead to better business outcomes. An organization who works actively with employee engagement has employees who take pride in working for their organisation. With this comes loyalty, and an organization is able to reduce things such as sick leave, whilst increasing productivity. 


# How to get employees engaged (with ready-to-use templates)

Now that you have the basics of employee engagement under your belt, it’s time to put them into practice. Use the following Mentimeter templates to create interactive presentations and workshops to help assess, improve and monitor your employee engagement. 


1. [How did you feel when you woke up this morning?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/62be4f5a16cf6118e301db3fc4875896/9a75f297acff)
2. [How do you feel what you walk into the office?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/f92e1c0bd70fc72f9b492d69b3f57519/f2d17baf88a8)
3. [Which words would you use to describe this organization?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/8e266ce0d4aa8bc7124cc3ecea6c86b2/1f1df1cdd7c2)
4. [Do you have all the tools you need to perform at your best?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/13d8d157be6ee5d0360ef91f57d2c430/26028adaa146)
5. [Do you know what your goals are? Do you know what you need to do to reach them?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/6ec6e2f511c67da2fa53d0965d22bcfc/4e59a13390bd)
6. [What can this organization do to improve employee engagement?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/e5c050a3622be8eede6d20773b24b368/ebdbcfe84799)
7. [What can you do to show that you are an engaged employee?](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/5e5dd6e373b7d0b02cbe4b4a38c76830/ca0eeb57411b)


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How to encourage employee engagement (with 7 interactive templates)

# Create an Environment for Sharing
If you would like to gain access to your employees’ and co-workers most genuine thoughts and opinions, you have to create the right setting for it. What better way to do that than injecting some lightheartedness for your employees to feel comfortable. To create an open environment within your company, try starting off by conducting your meeting in a slightly different way!

Maybe you can start off with an icebreaker to set the mood. Also make sure to facilitate a situation where everyone can participate by visualising their responses, so they know that their opinions are accounted for.

# Both the Good and the Bad
Do not be afraid to ask your employees all kinds of questions regarding their work experience and satisfaction. But, to prevent them from only saying the good stuff, find a way for them to stay anonymous! This is the best opportunity to gain feedback from your employees, especially those who are unlikely to speak up during formal conversations. Discuss ways to keep up with the good, and discover areas that can be worked upon.

# Make Information Accessible in the Organisation
Employ certain tools to help your company share data with one another seamlessly. When everything is presented upfront and everyone understands what is going on, it allows for easier collaboration with one another to fulfill a task. The result? Everyone works for a common goal with much higher productivity!

Mentimeter can be used as a collaboration tool to increase transparency at work. This is because it allows you to make data and opinions accessible within your organization, therefore increasing knowledge sharing. Also, with increased fun and interaction during meetings, participants are more willing to voice their opinions and yet stay anonymous!


**Here are some questions you can ask using Mentimeter to work with transparency at the work place:**
- [[Scales](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/d28dee60f2f88c78ff405932466ed27f/4cbac6dae0fb)] What do your employees prioritise at work?
- [[Word cloud](https://www.mentimeter.com/s/90ca37a9c3af6a566789f3fe8675e9a9/6cb402540b61)] What activities should your company consider doing as a team regularly?
 
Click the links to view and download the examples. As always, feel free to contact us if you have any queries.
  

Transparency

Three Ways to Improve Transparency

Transparency at Work