At CLiKAPAD we supply voting keypads for us at events, meetings and workshops. The devices have buttons 0-10 and can be used to submit votes in a large number of scenarios. In this article we will focus on the use of voting when evaluating risks.

In addition to the voting keypads, we offer a browser-based solution that enables voting via smartphones, tablets and computers.

If you already have a set of CLiKAPAD keypads, we can supply the software to work with those.

Our ppvote Matrix software was written with risk in mind. It is designed to allow workshop participants to rate a list of risks against up to 9 assessments. At the end of the voting process a heatmap is automatically generated. It is also possible to view the scatterplot for each risk that has been rated and where necessary risks can be discussed and re-voted with the heatmap being immediately updated.

Graphing, fonts and backgrounds are all user defined, so the various views can be brand compliant. Additionally, the ability to set your own preferences will allow you to create a Matrix process that feels familiar to your participants who are used to your Ballot workshops.

All voting data can be easily exported to Excel at the end of each workshop and all graphs can be exported as images for inclusion in your workshop report.

There is plenty more functionality to explore including benchmark data, postal votes, demographics, categories and a list reduction method. We’d be delighted to walk you through the product in more detail.

Please contact sales@clikapad.com for more information

Click here to watch a quick software overview video. 

At the end of the process, participants need to have a clear idea of the likelihood and impact of identified risks and develop strategies to mitigate or manage them. Risk assessment workshops provide a structured framework for analyzing complex problems. As well as making informed decisions on how to deal with potential threats ahead of time.

If you want to learn more about risk management, this article is for you. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about risk assessment workshops, including their benefits, techniques and tools you need to carry out risk assessment workshops. Without any further ado, let’s jump right in!

What is a risk assessment workshop?

A risk assessment workshop refers to a structured process that brings together relevant stakeholders from various departments or teams. The aim is to identify potential risks, assess their likelihood and impact and develop feasible strategies to mitigate or manage those risks. Ultimately the main goal of risk assessment workshops is to identify the risks the different departments of organizations could face during their operations and how to mitigate them.

For the best results, it is important to involve all key stakeholders of these departments in the risk assessment process. During a risk assessment workshop, participants typically identify and evaluate different types of risks, such as operational risks, financial risks, strategic risks, legal and regulatory risks, or reputational risks, among others.

These workshops may also involve brainstorming, discussions, and using various tools and techniques to identify potential risks, prioritize them based on likelihood and impact, and develop a plan to manage or mitigate them. The outcome of any risk assessment workshop is a risk management plan that outlines strategies, controls, and procedures to minimize the negative impact of risks to ensure business continuity.

Benefits of risk assessment workshopsImproved risk awareness

Above all one of the primary reasons why risk assessment workshops are carried out is to ensure that different stakeholders are aware of the risks associated with their operations. Knowing the potential risks and how to deal with them reduces their impact on the operations of a department or the organization at large.

Proactive approach
Conducting risk assessment workshops also enable organizations to take a proactive approach to risk management by identifying and addressing risks before they can halt their operations.

Better decision-making
One of the core components of risk assessment workshops is generating a report with details of the likelihood and impact of different risks. The information in these reports provides a comprehensive understanding of the risks associated with different courses of action, therefore allowing the relevant stakeholders to make more informed decisions.

Prioritization
Generally one of the major challenges organizations face is determining what tasks or risks to prioritize at any given moment. Conducting a risk assessment workshop enables organizations to allocate resources and focus on the most critical tasks.

Stakeholder engagement
As mentioned earlier, risk assessment workshops bring together stakeholders from various departments or teams of the organization. Ultimately, this promotes collaboration and engagement across the different teams in an organization.

Continuous improvement
Most organizations do risk assessment workshops every year or after a couple of months. Having these workshops regularly ensures that risk management strategies remain relevant and effective over time. Subsequently, this leads to continuous improvement in operations in the different departments.

Techniques and tools used in risk assessment workshops

Some of the common techniques used in risk assessment workshops include the following;

Brainstorming: This is a technique that involves generating ideas or solutions from different members involved in a workshop. In a risk assessment workshop, you can use brainstorming to identify potential risks and their impact.

SWOT analysis: In risk assessment workshops, SWOT enables organizations to identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, as well as threats. This technique can be used in a risk assessment workshop to identify potential risks and how they can impact an organization’s strengths and weaknesses.

Delphi method: This refers to a structured communication technique that uses a panel of experts to reach a consensus on a particular issue. In risk assessment workshops, this technique can be used to reach a consensus on the severity of potential risks.

The major tools used in risk assessment workshops include the following;
Risk matrix: A risk matrix can be used to evaluate and prioritize risks based on their likelihood and impact. In a risk assessment workshop, a risk matrix can be used to rank potential risks according to their severity. ppvote Matrix is CLiKAPAD’s in-house risk matrix tool that you can use to evaluate risks. With this tool, you can vote on each risk against a set of criteria, generate risk scores, and view the level of agreement using Scatter Graphs and average, standard deviation and diversity data.
Risk register: The risk register is a document that enables participants in a risk assessment workshop to record and track identified risks.

Final thoughts

In summary, a risk assessment workshop is an important tool for organizations to identify potential risks and develop measures to deal with them ahead of time. By bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders, without doubt these workshops enable a comprehensive analysis of risks from different perspectives and facilitate the creation of effective risk management plans.

For the best results, it is crucial to have clear objectives, a structured process, and skilled facilitators who can manage group dynamics and foster open communication. You should also use tools like CLiKAPAD’s ppvote matrix to quicken the entire risk assessment process. Overall, incorporating risk assessment workshops into your risk management approach enables organizations to proactively address potential risks and enhance their resilience in the face of uncertainty.

ppvote Matrix examples

Make training fun

It can be true that some employee training sessions revolve around topics that aren’t necessarily especially interesting. Take the example of health and safety briefings. While these are absolutely essential for any business, they can often come across as dull or unnecessary.

You can counteract this by making the sessions as fun as possible. A training session on the driest of topics can be lifted by injecting humour and allowing employees to relax as they learn. One of the best ways you can do this is by using charismatic and engaging trainers. The right presenter who can have fun will really improve the amount that staff members can get from a session.

Another popular way to keep staff interested is through gamification. Gamification works by introducing aspects of games to motivate people to achieve certain goals. For example, when running a sales training event you can set up a league table for sales. This could then lead to prizes being awarded for the best performance.

Make use of audience response systems

An audience response system (ARS) allows you to receive immediate feedback from individual handheld devices. This has a huge variety of uses in training sessions as it allows you to engage individuals through the technology.

One use is in testing and quizzes to ensure that everyone in the session is paying attention and understand the material they are being introduced to. Instead of having paper tests that then have to be assessed and marked, ARSs allow for instantaneous assessment. Which can then be displayed anonymously.

Live Q&A sessions help to keep employees interested in the subject matter instead of expecting employees to sit and listen for the duration of the training.

Encourage interactivity

It’s not actually particularly useful for employees to listen to a lengthy lecture filled with stats. In fact, if you are trying to get a message across it’s a much better idea to break up the training sessions with opportunities for interactivity. This can come both through Q&A with the tutor and time for peer-to-peer discussions.

People often learn best by talking things through with their colleagues. It gives them the chance to share their own stories and experiences which can often be far more effective than examples given by trainers. You might find that some members of staff are performing a task in a different way to others. When alternative methods are shared it can ultimately lead to an improved way of working.

CLiKAPAD recently visited the UK-based manufacturing plant where our keypads are created. Here we oversaw the whole manufacturing process. We think it is important to regularly check over the way that our handsets are created to ensure that every keypad we sell is perfect for our customers’ needs.

It is exciting to see our designs being brought to life. We feel that we get the best value for money by working with our expert UK-based manufacturer. We can rely on them for the exceptional quality of the devices that they provide. We also love to work with other British businesses – all of our software development is completed in the UK as well.

We are so sure of the quality of our hardware that we offer a 12 month parts and labour warranty on every piece that we sell.

The advantages of buying:

• More choice – there is a greater variety of ARS options available to buy than there are to hire, so if you have very specific requirements for what you need from the system you may prefer to buy
• Exactly what you need – there’s no need to compromise; when you are buying you are entirely in charge of your purchase so you can choose the exact system requirements that you need
• Value – if you are planning to make use of an ARS regularly then you will find the better value for money in buying outright, rather than hiring. There are many applications for an ARS so you may well find that you can use in a number of aspects of your business including meetings, training sessions, conferences an workshops
• No planning required – once you have your own ARS it’s not necessary to go through the process of planning to hire out a system. Instead, it is always immediately available for your use so you can simply set up your ARS whenever you need it

The advantages of hiring:

• Flexibility – hiring gives you extra flexibility so that you can choose a relevant ARS for the task you need it for. It might not be sensible or possible to buy an ARS that can be used across all of the potential occasions you will use it. If you hire, you can pick one dedicated system for each task
• Affordability – if you are only using an ARS for a one-off task then the most affordable option will definitely be hiring
• Range of rental options – if you are renting an ARS you have the choice to either simply hire the equipment for your use or to have additional services such as coaching sessions so that you know how to use it correctly
• Simplicity – there is also the option for fully managed service, where technicians will be available on site to help with set up and running

Both hiring and buying:

One very popular option is to combine both buying and hiring.

• Buy and hire – in this scenario clients will outright buy a smaller ARS that covers them for the majority of their usage. Then whenever they have a need to use the ARS on a larger scale they can simply hire additional keypads. This way they can continue to use the system that they are familiar with but take it large events as well
• Trial rental – often you can ‘try before you buy’ where you rent an ARS so that you get to understand and become familiar with it. Then if you decide to buy, the provider will discount part of the rental cost from the price of buying

Structure the event

A good product launch needs structure. Setting a few tables around with your product on them and simply allowing attendees to wander around and talk to each other doesn’t really encourage them to take an interest. Set out a timetable with activities such as the launch speech as well as product demonstrations and other events.

Also make sure that you don’t allow scheduled moments to coincide. For example, it’s a really bad idea for the serving of the food and drinks to happen at the same time as the main speech. You want everyone to be focused on the product for the majority of the time, but getting them to multi-task will simply divert attention.

Keep the speech interesting

While we’re on the speech – this is one of the most important aspects of the evening that you need to get right. It needs to be interesting and relatable. Don’t talk about the technical details of the product; that might be what interests you, but it’s not what interests your customers. Instead, they will want to know how your product can enhance and improve their lives.

Don’t let the speech do on too long, either. A good speech gets people intrigued but allows guests the opportunity to go and have a look as soon as possible afterwards. Getting bogged down in the background and creation process of the product doesn’t really serve anyone.

Get interactive

Another fun way to get guests engaged with the product launch is to ensure that the presentations are interactive. You can do this by giving each guest a handheld audience response system device. This can then allow them to answer questions during the presentation. If there are multiple colours available, for example, you could seek to establish which is the most popular. Asks guests which colour they are most likely to purchase and then show the results.

Revolutionise your employee training sessions by using an audience response system (ARS). Here are three great tips to help you get the most from an interactive voting system.

1. Interactivity encourages engagement

If you’ve ever tried to take a training session with employees you’ll know that they can be a tricky audience. Take a subject like health and safety – it is essential information that employees need to
know, but many will see it as a waste of time to take a training session on it. The best way to keep things interesting is to improve interactivity and you can do this easily through an ARS.

Once the attendees are engaged in the presentation itself you can impart more information and enjoy a fun learning environment.

2. Quick quiz questions

An ARS is a great way to quiz the participants as a part of your training session as you go along. After each section of the training session, have a few multiple choice questions.

Ditch the stuffy pencil and paper tests – they’re just a waste of stationery – and let your trainees answer questions in real time so that you can check that everyone’s following along. The fact that you can collect anonymous data also means you don’t have to embarrass anyone who hasn’t quite got it right.

3. Gamification

Training sessions aren’t always a lot of fun and if the topic is relatively dry, it can make sense to liven things up. Gamification is a great way to do this. Use elements of game playing to get the participants interested and engaged in the subject matter. Challenges and team games that involve problem solving can add to the team-building atmosphere and make sure that everyone feels included.

It’s smart to break up a lengthy training session with this sort of activity. Place the games at intervals to space out the lectures and you’ll see the benefits of better attention for attendees.

Engage them before you start

One great way to enjoy a conference presentation with an engaged audience is if you’ve already done some of the ground work before they even arrive. A little while before the conference you should start releasing a few little teasers of what people can expect to learn from your presentation. Not enough that they get the information without coming to see you – just the right amount to make them turn up in anticipation of finding out what you have to say. If your audience is already enthusiastic about your presentation, it’s more likely to go well.

Be funny

Even if your presentation is on a fairly dry subject there’s no reason that it should be boring. Have some fun with the audience – tell a few jokes and keep the talk light hearted. This is especially true if your presentation is later in the day; people who have been at a conference for a long time won’t be in the mood to listen diligently through a serious talk so give them a reason to engage with you.

Include audience participation

A direct way to get your audience engaged with the topic is to have them participate in your talk. One way to do this is through an audience response system (ARS) – this is an electric voting pad that collects responses from a group all at the same time. Rather than relying on an inaccurate show of hands or trying to take responses individually, you could impress your audience by including their feedback in your own presentation.

Tell your conference a story

People love listening to stories – so tell them yours. No matter what your presentation is about you’ll have a story to tell from your experiences and your audience will enjoy listening to it far more than a lecture.

Post-event survey

Here’s a second chance to make use of an ARS at the conference. After your presentation is over you can invite people to take a post-event survey. Not only is this a great chance to reinforce what you talked about but it’s also a great opportunity to collect contact details. It’s much quicker using an ARS than a traditional pen-and-paper survey too.

Introduce it to your audience

If it’s your first time using an ARS you should be able to relate to everyone in the audience who has never heard of the term before. That’s why it’s a great idea to provide a little introduction to familiarise all the listeners with the keypad as well as how and when to vote. Include a slide in your presentation and allot some time to make sure everyone knows what they are doing.

Skipping over this would be a mistake. Firstly you’ll get some members of your audience using it incorrectly and this will skew the results. But also you will turn off some people who feel they don’t understand what you’re doing. They are then likely to lose interest.

Simplicity is best

Spend some time ensuring that the questions you’re asking and the answers you are providing are as simple as they can be. In an ideal world you could use ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, or similar binary choices, but this won’t always be applicable to what you are presenting. If that’s the case, try to ensure that you are giving an answer that is applicable to everyone in the audience so that no-one feels left out.

Limit the number of interactive questions

ARSs can provide a brilliant way to break up a training session, workshop or presentation; they generate immediate interesting in what you are doing and often spark debates. But it is important to use interactive questions effectively. Use them too often and you’ll risk turning a fun aspect of your presentation into an annoyance. Some inexperienced users of ARSs will put all their questions at the beginning or end, for example. It’s a much better idea to spread them out across your session to maximise their effect.

Allow time for everyone to vote

What’s the rush? Too many users of ARSs will allow barely any time for their audience to answer the question. As discussed before, it’s important to remember that not everyone will be familiar with ARSs and may need a little more time to acquaint themselves with the technology before they respond. You should be especially mindful of this if you are asking more complicated questions.

So, what should you do if you’re due to speak at a conference only to find out that you’ll be speaking last? It might not sound ideal but look on the bright side: if this was a music festival, you would be the headliner! Now here are some practical tips to help you out if you’re set to be the final speaker of the day.

Don’t pitch

After a long day at a conference, the last thing a tired audience needs to hear is a thinly-veiled sales pitch for your product or services. They will just turn off and you might as well pitch to an empty room. Allow your product and services to come up naturally as a part of the presentation rather than making it an integral part of what you’re talking about.

Make use of technology

You need to find a way for your talk to stand out and engage with people who have already listened to a lot of different ideas. To stick in the memory of your audience it can be a great idea to implement a form of technology like an audience response system (ARS). An ARS can allow you to easily increase audience participation in your talk and provide a reason for people to keep listening. Perhaps take a survey and explain that you’ll reveal the results at the end of your talk. This gives a reason for the audience to stay invested in what you’re saying.

Don’t worry about the sessions that have come before

One distinct disadvantage of going last is that the fact that you get to see all the other speakers who have come before you. There can be a natural inclination to compare yourself to what other people are doing and this might lead to you losing confidence in your own talk. This important thing here is focus on your own presentation and making it as good as it can be. Others will have their presenting style and topics they have knowledge on – just focus on your own and you will be fine.

Be yourself

It might be tempting to think that you should change your presenting style in order to try to engage with the audience. If you’re not naturally an energetic presenter, it will do you no favours to try to change the way you work to get people interested, in fact it will have the opposite effect. Stick to what you’re good at and be yourself during the presentation.