At one point in history, chalkboards revolutionized group communication. Then came the era of dry erase boards and markers. As computers gained popularity in the workplace, new technology allowed presentations to jump from the board to the screen. Now, we live in an era full of sophisticated tools ideal for organizing and delivering impactful presentations.
Looking to optimize how the company handles work meetings? Consider these six presentation tools for the next staff meeting.
Agenda Maker
Most people have sat in on aimless meetings before, internally groaning each time the topic at hand sidetracked further into oblivion. Unproductive meetings actually cost U.S. businesses more than $37 billion annually in lost time and salaries. So, what can companies do to keep meetings organized, productive and concise?
A cloud-based agenda solution like Minute can help teams collaborate on setting an agenda, stay on track during meetings and follow up afterwards. Instead of one person emailing out an agenda beforehand, everyone can add talking points and notes, so nothing slips through the cracks. Digital agendas also help leaders assess time management during meetings to boost productivity in real time.
Google Slides
The name of the game in today’s workplace is collaboration, which is where Google Slides excels (pun intended). Since it lives in the cloud, teams can work together without hovering around the same computer or passing a saved version of a presentation back and forth. It works with various Chrome extensions for a more customized experience, too.
Poll Everywhere
Want to bring interactivity to the next staff meeting? Try live polling technology from Poll Everywhere. Presenters can ask questions of their audience in six different formats – and all participants need to respond is a mobile device. This feedback tool has many uses, including collecting a group consensus, building word clouds and allowing viewers to ask anonymous questions.
Haiku Deck
Preparing an entire presentation from scratch ahead of an important staff meeting can consume significant employee time and effort. One shortcut is to use a program with customizable themes ready, so creators can plug-and-play the elements they want. Haiku Deck also offers access to over 40 million Creative Commons images for free. This app is also mobile device-friendly, in case someone needs to whip up a quick presentation on the fly using a smartphone or tablet.
VideoScribe
Is there an educational aspect to your staff meetings? Perhaps when training teammates on a new workflow or initiative. In that case, clarify concepts with a visual element that participants can follow easily. Business News Daily recommends VideoScribe, a service that creates “whiteboard” videos based on submitted images. There is no need to hire an artist to hand-draw every slide; just need to be willing to outsource the task.
BlueJeans
Increasingly, companies find themselves fragmented across different geographical worksites. Technology has allowed employees and partners from all over the world to collaborate without setting foot in the same office every day. If you want to incorporate remote participants into your meetings, consider cloud-based videoconferencing from a provider like BlueJeans.
This technology is interoperable with many existing teleconference systems, and allows participants to join via a huddle room, mobile device or traditional large conferencing setup. Even use it in a pinch, when a key collaborator is sick or delayed the day of the meeting. Incorporating flexible video communications into staff meetings allows everyone to benefit, even if they can’t always be there in person.
The right technology can make each work meeting more impactful. Incorporating tools like polling technology, video chat, dynamic presentations and productivity apps will take these gatherings to the next level.
