presentation timer for zoom

Zoom Meeting timer: How to enable it and where to find it during meeting

Zoom has been one of the biggest “winners” of the lockdown period. With almost all organizations switching to virtual meetings, Zoom has managed to increase its userbase quite drastically. There have been a few hiccups along the way, but Zoom has done fairly well to emerge as the people’s favorite, including allowing people to change the virtual background .

The US-based remote conferencing software has a repertoire of utility features; ranging from meeting scheduling to seamless screen sharing. It also offers a free version — which almost none of its competitors do —allowing even the basic users to host up to 99 members and chat with them for 40 minutes .

RELATED: What’s the call limits on Google Meet, WebEx, Skype, and others

If you have a free license — or just time-conscious — keeping track of time during meetings is of utmost importance. Not only does it help you to wrap up your meetings before the 40-minute cutoff, but it also allows you to be a master of time management.

In this section, we’ll tell you how you could enable Zoom’s meeting timer both on PC and phone.

How to enable Zoom Meeting Timer On PC

Step 1 : Fire up the Zoom desktop client and login with the correct credentials.

Step 2 : Click on the Settings icon below your profile picture.

Step 3 : Under ‘General,’ select the ‘Show my connected time’ checkbox.

Where to find Zoom meeting timer on PC

The timer will be shown in the top-right corner of the Meeting screen, as the image below.

How to enable Zoom Meeting Timer On Phone

Step 1 : Open the Zoom Android App and login with the intended id.

Step 2 : Go to ‘Settings.’

Step 3 : Tap on ‘Meetings.’

Step 4 : Toggle on ‘Show my connected time.’

Where to find the Zoom Meeting Timer on Phone

The timer will be shown in the middle of the screen near the top, as shown in the image below.

Worried about the 40 minutes limit?

If you are worried about the cap on the Free Zoom meetings, then you’d be happy to know that there is a workaround that lets you remove the 40 minutes limit .

For that, you will need to make sure you can make somebody else host, to there must be another participant who has an account on Zoom so that he can become the host when you leave the meeting before the 40-minute mark is reached. Learn about the trick in detail below.

► How to extend the Zoom meeting for more than 40 minutes

• How to use your picture in a Zoom meeting
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• How to play Scavenger Hunt on Zoom
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A mediocre engineer hoping to do something extraordinary with his pen (well, keyboard). Loves Pink Floyd, lives football, and is always up for a cup of Americano.

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WordPress for Toastmasters*

New Version of Online Speech Timer for Zoom Meetings

Update May 26, 2020: The Online Timer tool was briefly unavailable on toastmost.org because the web host I work with said it was putting excessive strain on the server. It’s now back in business with a new design that doesn’t generate as many network and database requests.

Update June 16, 2021 : Another option to consider is the Blue Sky Apps timer .

After several tries, I’ve created an online speech timer that works well with Zoom meetings and has some advantages over the common technique of showing timing colors with the Zoom virtual background feature.

You might want to use both methods to make sure the speaker sees timing lights. But for large meetings where it can be difficult for the speaker to keep track of the thumbnail image of the person doing timing, this could work better.

Here is a video demo.

This screen displays in 3 modes: Normal (the view you want as a speaker), Self Timer, and Timer (the person showing timing lights to others). In Timer view, the green, yellow, and red lights are broadcast to viewers in Normal mode. If the timer for a meeting is not using this tool, you might consider taking advantage of the Self Timer view.

Otherwise, here is how to set this up as a speaker (in Normal view):

• Click the Popup Light button in the upper right hand corner of the screen to get a small popup window that will change color at the timing intervals in sync with the Timer’s onscreen clock.
• You can now minimize the bigger browser window and leave the timing light window parked in a corner of your screen.
• In Zoom, exit full screen and size the Zoom window so you can still see the timing light.
• If you do screen sharing, share individual applications rather than your whole desktop (see below note on PowerPoint).

Note: there will be about a 1-second delay before timing colors are displayed for the speaker. On the other hand, the automated JavaScript-powered tool will be more precise at changing colors exactly on the second than a human timer would be.

The timer tool can also be used with Jitsi , a free, open source alternative with Zoom.

This tool is designed to work with an agenda organized using WordPress for Toastmasters, but those who don’t use the software for their club website can try it here .

Update: The video demo above shows the buttons and other controls displayed for the timer arranged across the top. I subsequently moved them to the left to make it easier to go back and forth between clicking the start/pause/reset buttons and watching the Zoom screen. Shown here:

The Timer’s view of the tool includes a dropdown list of speech types, with scheduled member speeches and their timings pulled from the agenda. As soon as the Timer hits the reset button to stop the clock, the speaker’s name and speech time are recorded to a log displayed underneath the timer controls.

See also: Online Speech Timer and How to Display it in a Zoom Meeting for a technique for using the popup timer to replace your image in a Zoom meeting.

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* this software is offered "for toastmasters" but not is provided by or endorsed by toastmasters international. the use of toastmasters brand assets (with proper disclaimers) in website designs has been reviewed by the toastmasters international brand compliance team..

StreamGeeks

• Remote Production
• Video Production
• Zoom Video Conferencing

How to play a countdown timer in Zoom

Written by paul richards on june 16, 2020.

Zoom video conferencing is a great tool for communications. You can use Zoom for two-way communications during online meetings and also online webinars. Recently one of our customers asked about playing a countdown timer inside of Zoom in order to. In this blog post, we discuss how to display meeting and webinar countdown timers in Zoom.

How to display countdown timers in Zoom

A countdown timer can be displayed in Zoom with a simple screen share of a video. You can download the videos we have prepared at the form below. You can also use plenty of stock countdown timer videos that are available online. There are essentially to approached to sharing countdown timers inside of Zoom or most online meeting solutions.

• Share your screen with the countdown video file playing
• Use a virtual webcam input from a video production software

Sharing your screen with a countdown timer

Zoom Meeting Countdown Share annotation

Sharing your screen as a method of broadcasting a countdown timer inside of your online meeting or webinar is by far the easiest way to do this. When you share your screen you should check the “Share computer sound” and “Optimize Screen Sharing for Video Clip” options inside of Zoom. Another helpful tip is to “Spotlight” the video that you are sharing so that everyone will see it is a point of interest. You should note the difference between Spotlighting a video and Pinning a video. When you are in a video call with others you can right click the video in Zoom and choose to either Spotlight or Pin their video. A spotlight highlights the video for all participants. A pin simply highlights the video for you personally. Both make the video full screen but the main difference is what other meeting participants will see.

Displaying a countdown timer via a virtual webcam output

This method is a little bit harder to achieve because it requires a separate piece of software that supports virtual webcams. In this video we show how to do this with vMix, you can also use OBS, eCamm Live, Wirecast and many others. Essentially, a virtual webcam is an output from a video production software that can be selected as your webcam inside of software like Zoom. Here are two blog posts that go into detail about setting up vMix and OBS for virtual webcam outputs using Zoom.

• How to use Zoom with vMix
• How to connect Zoom and OBS

Conclusion:

Zoom Meeting Countdown Timers

It’s annoying when your meeting attendees do not show up on time. That doesn’t mean that you should start the meeting without them, but you can encourage on-time attendance. Is a meeting or webinar countdown timer too forward? Let us know what you think in the YouTube or Facebook comments?

A new book called The Online Meeting Survival Guide talks all about how to become more productive in online meetings. You can download a free copy of the book here and learn some new tips on meeting productivity.

Finally, the files referenced in the video are available in the form below. You can download the Adobe After Effects files as well to customize these files to fir your next project.

Other articles about Zoom

• Learn how to connect NDI with Zoom here
• Learn how to use virtual sets in Zoom here
• Learn how to connect Zoom with vMix here
• Learn how to use Countdown timers with Zoom here
• Learn how to connect Zoom and OBS here
• Learn about security measures you can take when using Zoom here
• Learn how to host a virtual party with Zoom here
• Learn how to embed your Zoom meetings into your WordPress website here
• Learn how to set up Zoom Meeting Countdown Timers using OBS here
• Learn how to increase your video quality in Zoom here
• Learn how to increase the quality of your Zoom recordings here
• Learn why you should use OBS to record your Zoom meetings here
• Learn how to add sound effects to your Zoom meetings here
• Learn about NDI integration in Zoom here
• Learn about more about NDI integration in Zoom here

Paul Richards

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CueTimer outputs

Share the timer online.

With CueTimer you control a webpage that displays both the current countdown and future schedule. Share this page with remote speakers, crew members and production staff to ensure everyone stays on the same page and in sync 

An online presentation-timer for any device

The webpage features a versatile countdown/countup/clock timer that displays in sync with the HDMI-fullscreen and NDI outputs. It is designed to be fully responsive, adapting to all screen sizes and orientations, including cell phones, tablets, and desktops.

From the page you can toggle between two views: 

• Counter-view displays the current timer, name, and message
• Schedule-view also includes a list of upcoming timers.

Let your remote speakers stay on time

The online presentation timer is an ideal tool for remote presenters on Zoom and Teams. 

Presenters can keep track of the program agenda before they are called to speak, and switch to the counter-page when it’s time to go live. The clean and focused interface eliminates distractions, allowing presenters to concentrate solely on their presentation

Embed and whitelabel the timer

You can embed the online timer-page from CueTimer.net into other webpages by using  HTML Iframe method.  This allows you to whitelabel our webpage into your own domain, and add other elements to it. And, by setting a transparent background from CueTimer, you can use your own colors and images behind the text and numbers, blending in with your own branding. 

Reliable timekeeping with servers from Amazon AWS

Our online time-management solution can be trusted for the most prestigious events: Since the launch in October 2021, there has been no reported incidents on server-downtime or webpages from CueTimer not working. 

At PresentationTools, we believe in providing our customers with the best possible experience. That’s why we adopt the practice of overprovisioning in our infrastructure. By using more resources than what is required to handle the expected workload of our application, we can ensure that it remains highly available and reliable even during unexpected spikes in demand or potential failures. This extra cushion ensures that our customers can rely on our service 24/7

How to create a shareable online timer from CueTimer

After you have installed and opened CueTimer, display a webpage with the timer and schedule following these steps: 

1. Create the webpage 

Open the “Webpage” menu, then push “Generate new link” to create a new webpage. 

2. Copy the link

Copy the URL from the web-display and send it to the people that need access to the page

3. Display the page

Open the page on any web-browser. No password is necessary. 

4. Replace the link

When an event is finished, or before working with a new group of people, you can delete the old link and create a new from the “Web Display” menu. The old webpage will now be empty.

Related articles

Display the stage-timer on your external display

Push the “Fullscreen” button to send the timer-page to the external monitor. No need to drag browser-windows around where you can’t see them.

Send the countdown to NDI devices

Push the NDI-button to send the countdown-page as NDI graphics over the local network. Simplify your connection to NDI switchers, software and convert and converters.

Customise the fullscreen timer

From the Preferences-menu you can customise the timer-page exactly how you want it. Use images, colors and fonts to create a beautiful fullscreen-page. Or just a small countdown for PIP.

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The Ultimate Guide to Giving Virtual Presentations on Zoom

An irreverent and shockingly-actionable companion for anyone who wants to communicate to invisible audiences through a laptop screen.

I read a lot of “ultimate guides to X.” Most are not ultimate. Most aren’t even very readable. This is different. Oli Gardner has put together an extraordinary resource for both newcomers and experienced speakers. If you apply the tactics in this guide, I promise you’ll be among the best presenters online (or off) at your next engagement.

— Rand Fishkin. Co-founder & CEO, SparkToro.

What’s in the guide?

17 Chapters

29,584 words

84 Screenshots

Roughly speaking—and by that I mean super specific—the Ultimate Guide to Giving Virtual Presentations on Zoom contains six thematic parts, seventeen chapters, 29,584 words, eighty four precision-crafted interface screenshots to show you how to do cool things, high-production instructional videos full of fun, insights, marvellous techniques to marvel at, and did I mention that it’s twenty nine thousand, five hundred and eighty four words long?

Wait. If I add this paragraph to the number it’s actually 29,656. So, roughly speaking, it’s awesome.

This guide is actually free . I’m not asking for an email address. Helping you be a better presenter is my goal.

My only ask is that you consider sharing it with others, if you like the guide.

A few highlights from the guide

18 Zoom Features

Cool Zoom Features You Should Know About

Learn how to use the lesser-known features of Zoom for a more dynamic presentation.

7 Bad Techniques

Things to Avoid Doing in a Virtual Presentation

Learn the most common mistake in a virtual presentation and how to avoid making them.

13 Good Techniques

Definitely Do These Things When Presenting

With a few simple techniques you can drastically improve your chances of pulling off a successful virtual presentation on Zoom. And no, I don’t expect you to build an actual stage like I did, but you can at least put a plant in the background.

Your Talk’s Purpose

Create Experience Moments

A key trait of successful speakers is that they understand their personal brand. They know what they represent, how they want to be perceived, and what success looks for them. This leads directly into how we should be designing our talk experiences.

Presentation Structure, Story, & Flow

Learn how to craft a story arc by reducing your big idea to it’s simplest form and chunking it into structured elements.

40 Slide Design Tips

Slide Design Tips for Virtual Presentations

Take a deep dive into the art of presentation design in this incredibly actionable chapter that will elevate your skills overnight. And yes, there are forty tips in this chapter alone.

Real People

Virtual Audience Engagement

They may be invisible, but they’re still there, and they’re still real people who want to have a good time. Learn techniques for audience participation and five simple tricks to help maintain eye contact while presenting virtually.

Audio & Video

Create Professional Recordings of Your Talks

Learn the six elements of a great presentation recording. Plus techniques, tools, and lists of equipment you need to record professional high-resolution videos of your talks. It also covers editing in post-production, and how to add closed captions for enhanced accessibility.

6 Whoopsies

What to Do When Things Go Wrong

There are many things that can go wrong in a virtual presentation, most of them technical in nature. This chapter covers six serious issues, and offers creative solutions to turn a catastrophic and embarrassing moment, into a calm, collected, professional delivery.

5 Advanced Tips

Advanced & Creative Virtual Presentation Tips

Proxy hosts, shortlinks, customized meeting rooms, landing pages, and clickers, oh my. Enhance your expertise with these technical tips, and the best virtual speaking strategy of all—standing up.

23 Settings

Zoom Settings to Turn On or Off for a Successful Presentation

Zoom has a grand total of 301 settings—I counted them with my finger and brain—which can make it really hard to find a critical feature when it’s crunch time. This chapter breaks down the essentials and is your game-day checklist for success.

Intro Introduction to Virtual Presentations on Zoom

Chapter 1 18 Cool Zoom Features You Should Know About

Chapter 2 12 Things You Should Do in Your Zoom Presentation

Chapter 3 8 Things You Shouldn’t Do in Your Zoom Presentation

Chapter 4 Defining Your Presentation’s Purpose

Chapter 5 How to Define Your Talk’s Structure, Story, & Flow

Chapter 6 41 Slide Design Tips for Virtual Presentations

Chapter 7 6 Ways to Make Eye Contact With an Invisible Audience

Chapter 8 How to do Audience Participation in a Virtual Presentation

Chapter 9 How to Share Content during a Zoom Presentation

Chapter 10 How to Create a Stunning Video and Audio Recording

Chapter 11 Using Post-Production to Add Value to Your Zoom Recording

Chapter 12 How to Use Your Phone as a Beautiful Webcam

Chapter 13 What to Do When Things go Wrong in Your Presentation

Chapter 14 How to Ground Yourself and Get Ready to Present

Chapter 15 Advanced & Creative Zoom Presentation Techniques

Chapter 16 The Difference Between Zoom Meetings and Zoom Webinars

Chapter 17 23 Zoom Settings to Enable or Disable for a Smooth Presentation

• PC & Mobile

How to Set a Timer in Zoom

Lee Stanton Lee Stanton is a versatile writer with a concentration on the software landscape, covering both mobile and desktop applications as well as online technologies. Read more April 6, 2022

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Zoom is a popular video conferencing tool that provides users with a virtual space where they can catch up with friends, follow college lectures, or hold business meetings. However, it has some drawbacks. Two people can stay in a video session for up to 24 hours, but meetings with three or more participants have a 40-minute cut-off. To ensure you’ve had a productive meeting, you’ll need a timer that reminds you not to get off track.

This article will discuss several ways that will help you set a timer in Zoom, regardless of whether you’re on a PC or mobile device.

How to Set a Timer in Zoom on a PC

If you’re using the Zoom desktop app, three methods will allow you to upgrade the video sessions, making sure that each minute counts.

The first involves using the official Zoom Meeting Timer. The easy-to-use timer boasts simple features that steer meetings in the right direction and help users prioritize important tasks.

The second method is installing third-party software that offers more complex time-tracking features and caters to larger organizations like schools and growing businesses.

Finally, users can also rely on the official Zoom Timer app to manage their online sessions better and help each participant become more focused.

Using the Zoom Meeting Timer

To display a timer in your meetings, you have to enable the built-in timer. To do so:

The next time you join a meeting, the Zoom app will display the timer in the upper right part of the desktop.

Using the BlueSky Timer

The BlueSky Timer takes the hassle out of organizing online meetings. The program is perfect for schools or companies looking for an all-in-one virtual time management tool. BlueSky comes with a meeting timer, agenda timer, and clock countdown. The features encourage meeting participants to make the most of the video calls, boosting productivity, participation, and teamwork. Users who plan to host up to two meetings a month can use the free version, while the paid version starts at $10 a month.

To install the timer on your PC:

• Enter the appropriate domain into the text field.
• Tap the “Continue” button.
• Click on “Install.”
• Choose “Authorize.”

If you’ve powered on the “Auto Join Meeting” feature, the add-on will join every meeting automatically. When the feature is disabled, you can add the timer manually. To do so:

• Navigate to the dashboard and select your Zoom icon.
• Choose the “Add Timer to Meeting” option.

• Paste the Invite Link into the “Add Timer to Meeting” tab.

When you have invited the BlueSky Timer as a meeting participant, you’ll receive a private message from the program in your Zoom chat. The message will contain the link to the program’s Control Center. Once you click on the link, the Control Center displays in your web browser, not the Zoom desktop app. You can control the timers using the Control Center settings. Note that BlueSky timers work in regular video sessions but are not compatible with Zoom breakout rooms.

Uninstalling the program from Zoom is also a relatively straightforward process:

• Select “Installed Apps” and choose the BlueSky Timer app from the list of available options.
• Tap the “Uninstall” button.

Using the Zoom Timer App

The app gives users the option of several preset time limits ranging from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. If these options aren’t enough for what you’re hoping to achieve with your meetings, you can customize the time frame. The maximum length of time you can set up is 100 minutes.

The app is compatible with Windows 5.7.3 operating systems or higher. If you’re the network administrator, you’ll also need to add the app’s URL to the network’s Allowlist.

To install the app from the Zoom App Marketplace:

When you remove the Timer app, you can find it under the “Apps” tab in the Zoom desktop version. You can use the preset intervals for your meetings or enter a custom length.

In case you change your mind about the app and realize it’s not the best option for your Zoom meet-ups, you can remove it. Here’s how to do it:

How to Set a Timer in Zoom on an iPhone

If you work on a tight schedule, you’ve probably had to jump on a few calls through the Zoom mobile app. Keeping track of time on a small screen can be challenging, but iPhone users can bypass this issue with Zoom’s built-in call timer.

To enable the feature on your mobile device:

When you join a meeting, the timer will show up in the center of the interface in the upper part of the screen. Since most mobile video conferencing tools obscure the phone’s clock, this feature is excellent for urgent meetings when you’re in a time crunch.

How to Set a Timer in Zoom on an Android

Android users can also access Zoom’s timer feature and organize their time more effectively.

To enable the timer feature on an Android tablet:

When you’re in a video call, the timer will appear in the upper-middle part of the interface.

How to Set a Timer on an iPad

Although desktop versions of Zoom are available for PCs and Macbooks, some users prefer to video conference through their iPads. The mobile device comes with a built-in camera and microphone, so a call is just a few clicks away. However, the Zoom interface expands when you begin a call and hides the iPad’s clock. This inconvenience means you have to pull down the top of the screen each time you want to check how much time has passed. Luckily, you can enable the Timer feature for a smooth user experience.

To set a Zoom timer on your iPad:

The timer in the top-center of the screen will now display how long you’ve been in a call.

Keep Track of Time When Video Conferencing

While Zoom is mobile and desktop friendly, using the app can lead to confusion, especially when trying to unlock more advanced time management features.

PC users can become master planners using Zoom’s built-in timer, third-party software like BlueSky, or the Zoom Timer app. All three timers will enhance your video calls, so the final choice depends on your personal preference.

Mobile users have access to the built-in timer feature, available on Android and iOS devices. It’s relatively simple to enable and allows you to monitor how long your calls last.

Do you prefer the desktop or mobile version of Zoom? What is your favorite timer? Is it one we mentioned in the article? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.

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Zoom: Zoom Timer

• University of Illinois Urbana-champaign
• School of Information Sciences

Zoom recently added a Zoom timer app that can help time presentations, manage meeting lengths, and more. This article will go over how to access the Timer app in Zoom's settings and its different features. 

Accessing Zoom Timer

• Open Zoom Settings using either the app or the desktop. 

Zoom Timer Settings

• You can customize the sound the timer makes by selecting the "Default" option in the bottom left corner of the timer. You can also use the "Show timer to all" toggle in the bottom right corner of the screen if you would like to hide the timer from others in the meeting. 

Virtual Meeting Timers

1. Using GIF based countdown timers

• Back into PowerPoint (or Word or Excel)
• Via free standing web-windows
• Into virtual webcams * (see section 2 below)
• … and thence into meetings and breakout rooms
• Into meeting chat windows (via URL)
• Onto Whiteboard* and Jamboard*
• Into other applications like Trello * or Evernote
• In Outlook emails and meeting invites
• Via social media *

2. Installing Virtual Meeting Timers via Virtual WebCams

3. Using Timers in your Virtual Background

Creating your own virtual timer backgrounds.

• Create a PowerPoint presentation with two blank slides. Feel free to add whatever image you would like for your background to both slides.
• Copy and paste the timer you want to use onto the first slide, and position it so it won’t be obscured by your head.
• Remain on the first slide, open the ‘Transitions’ ribbon, untick ‘On Mouse Click’ and tick ‘After’, then put in a time that is at least* 5 seconds longer than the timer (Note, the timer format is mm:ss.00)
• Go to the ‘File’ menu. Click ‘Save As’ and change the dropdown option from pptx to ‘MPEG-4 Video (*.mp4)’. Give it a name, and save it in an appropriate folder.
• From within Zoom, ‘Choose Virtual Background …’, click the small [+] button, and ‘Add Video’. Navigate to the video you saved, and click open. Then watch it run and check it is working okay.
• Create multiple videos to cover the range of timing options you might need.

4. Other Free Resources to Improve Your Meetings

• Virtual Flipcharts for use within your webcam
• Instant thinking and decision support templates
• Weekly adventures to develop new perspectives
• Guidance on designing better meetings

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Jeff Gothelf

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10 fun web-based timers for your next agile zoom collaboration

Teams that are truly agile, those that achieve master chef level of agility , have a few foundational practices in common. They work in small, cross-functional squads. They maintain a basic but steady cadence of rituals such as daily stand-ups and retrospectives (super important!) and, perhaps most importantly, they work in short cycles. The largest of these short cycles, for teams practicing some form of scrum, is the sprint. However, short cycles manifest in every behavior of an agile team starting with the 24 hours between each stand-up to focused, concise and well-facilitated team collaboration sessions. 

Short cycles are timeboxes. Using timeboxes increases the agility in your teams’ ways of working. Why is this? Timeboxes force an end to a process. How many times have you sat in a meeting as ideas continued being tossed around and the team churned without finding a step forward? My guess is many (many) times. Meetings like these are symptomatic of a team that lacks the information they need to make a decision. Timeboxes alleviate some of this churn by limiting the amount of time a debate can go on before forcing a decision on next steps. Timeboxing activities such as brainstorming sessions, remote collaboration work and post-presentation discussions focuses a team to get the main idea out in the time allotted. They create urgency and perhaps most helpful, limit the amount of time a team may spend on a bad idea. As each short cycle ends the team can ask, “Should we keep working on this? Pivot to a variation? Or kill the idea altogether and move on to the next thing.” 

If we’re all in the same physical space visualizing the timebox is easy. But we’re not all in the same place now. How do we keep everyone on the same page and aware of the timebox? And is there a way to do this that is fun or, at least, more fun than just starting a timer on your phone and shouting out the start and end times? The answer, my friends, is yes there is. I’ve spent more time than I probably should have chasing down the web’s funniest and most fun web-based timers to help make your next meeting facilitation, collaboration session or conference that much more interesting. And in today’s world of endless zoom calls, anything that makes them pop a bit more can only be viewed as a win.

And so, without further delay, fire up zoom, hit that “share screen” button and use one of these ten web-based timers for your next remote event:

• The Egg Timer — This very basic timer has half a dozen variations of how your timer can look from standard to retro to ugly (and, wow, it’s ugly) to a sunset visualization that I find very soothing.
• Jumping Sheep — (This is the first of a few examples from this site . I’ve chosen a couple from here but the site is full of many others.) As advertised this timer has cartoon jumping sheep that continue, well, until the end of time (that you set). Can be viewed in full screen mode as well.
• Snail Race — Again, the name says it all BUT don’t click yet, there’s more. The fun thing about this “race” timer is that it serves two purposes. First it’s a simple timer but you can also add as many snails as you have people in the class making it useful for selecting a random person to present first (just ask your participants to pick a winning snail) or just a fun competition for those who finish the task early. (Bonus: you could also use one of these random name pickers to choose who goes first)
• Holiday themed timers — If you love the holidays — any and all of them — there are a collection of holiday-themed timers that also capture the race element of the Snail Race mentioned above. This one’s for St. Patrick’s Day but if there’s a holiday, there’s a timer for it.
• Pomodoro Technique timer — The Pomodoro technique is named after those quirky tomato-shaped kitchen timers and is designed to drive your productivity up by using, you guessed it, short cycles of 20 minutes in this case. These web-based pomodoro timers were cute and had one of the few alarms that didn’t scare the dog.
• Mouse timer — This one is for Android users only but if you’re sharing your screen with your team from your phone or tablet, this one is not your usual timer. Determine how long to set the timer and then watch the little mouse eat his way through apple after apple until reaching the end of the timebox.
• Dancing Dog — Shifting genres a bit, I found a treasure trove of timer videos on YouTube. Again, this is an endless rabbithole to explore so I’ll highlight a few that I liked including none other than dancing dog. You won’t be surprised to find this 5 minute video contains, well, a dancing dog. Also available in a 15 minute version . In fact this person’s whole YouTube channel is chock full of fun timer videos .
• Fireplace Timer — This site has a series of fun timers that blend both video and a customizable timer with gorgeous background video loops and the timer on top of the video. Be warned though, the alarm sound is not great. This site also has similar timers with an aquarium , lava lamp or rainy day backgrounds.
• Basic countdown — Despite it’s URL, this one’s not fun at all. It’s basic and plain and has horrible sounds.
• Big Timer — This one is by far the best looking of all of these timers which, frankly, after the previous 9 could be considered “fun” all on its own. Just watch out for the seizure-inducing alarm visuals at the end of the countdown. Otherwise, this one’s lovely. 

I hope you find these timers helpful. They’re all special in their own way but they all serve the same purpose: focusing your team’s attention and collaboration efforts. Let’s make the time we spend together that much more productive. 

Do you have a favorite web-based timer? Add it in the comments. 

Jeff Gothelf’s books provide transformative insights, guiding readers to navigate the dynamic realms of user experience, agile methodologies, and personal career strategies.

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13 Zoom Presentation Tips to Ace Your Next Online Meeting

Written by: Mahnoor Sheikh

Now that more people are working from home, online presentations using tools like Zoom have started to become the norm.

But giving a Zoom presentation is very different from presenting in person. The lack of physical presence and body language can make it difficult to engage and inspire your audience.

If you’re still getting used to presenting on Zoom, this article has some great tips to help you succeed and make an impact in your next meeting.

Preparing Your Zoom Presentation

Getting ready for your Zoom presentation is just as important as giving the actual presentation. There are tons of potential issues you can face, like a faulty microphone or your dog walking in right in the middle of an important slide.

By preparing well, you ensure your presentation is as smooth and error-free as possible. After all, you only get one chance to make a great first impression and get a great ROI .

Here are some tips to help you get ready to deliver a powerful Zoom presentation.

1 Design a Great Online Presentation

The first thing you need to do is make sure your presentation is designed to look its best on your audiences’ tiny computer screens.

Follow these three rules to create an effective Zoom presentation.

Keep it simple.

The best online presentations are simple and straightforward.

You don’t want your audience to be squinting at their screens trying to navigate through a tangled web of text, colors, graphs and other content.

You need them to look at a slide and get the point at a single glance.

Use a plain background for your slides, preferably white, and focus each slide on only one point or idea. Don’t stuff too many bullet points or text into your slides.

Also, make sure you center your text in case the edges of the slides are cut off for some of the participants.

Lastly, use a large and bold font that doesn’t require participants to strain their eyes, even if they’re viewing your slides on their phone.

Use relevant visuals.

Visuals make information much easier to digest and retain than plain text. And let’s face it—they keep things entertaining.

Here are some types of visuals you can use to make your Zoom presentation more engaging:

• Charts and graphs. Visualizing data can bring the most boring numbers and statistics to life. If you’re using research findings to show a trend or back up your point, consider presenting them in the form of a bar graph or pie chart. Not only will it add some color to your slides, it will make it easier for your audience to interpret the data.
• Maps.  If you're presenting geographic data, you can easily visualize it in the form of maps. In Visme, you can add interactive maps for a single country or the world.
• Icons and illustrations.  Adding creative graphics like icons and illustrations can break up walls of text, make your information look more visual and interesting, and help explain your point better.
• Videos. Adding videos into your slides is a great way to make your presentation more engaging. Videos can help you explain a point more clearly, show a product in action or give some background information on your subject. You can embed YouTube or Vimeo videos into your slides or upload them directly.
• Stock photos. If used intelligently, stock photos can add value to your slides by helping you set the tone, tell a story or visualize an idea. You can also use relevant stock photos in the background with text overlay to add some color to your slides.
• GIFs and Memes. Make your online presentations fun and engaging by adding relevant memes and GIFs into slides that would otherwise look quite dry. Be careful not to overdo it, and only use humor if appropriate. You don’t want to risk looking unprofessional.

Here's a presentation template from Visme with just the right balance of visuals and text to help you get started. Simply customize it to use for your next Zoom presentation.

Using visuals in your online presentation is great, but this doesn’t mean you should stuff all your slides with images. Make sure the visuals you’re using add value to your content and emphasize your point instead of taking attention away from it.

Make it interactive.

It can be tough to keep your audience engaged when you’re not interacting with them face-to-face.

So, why not do the next best thing? Make your slides interactive!

If you’re creating your presentation in Visme, you can access a bunch of interactivity tools to spice up your slides:

• Animation. Add beautiful slide transitions, or animate objects separately. A good tip is to animate bullet points to appear one at a time to draw focus to each one. You can also choose from pre-animated illustrations, icons and characters to make your Zoom presentation more engaging.
• Links. In Visme, you can link any text or graphic element to a web page, or a slide or object inside your presentation. Get creative with this tool to add interactive quizzes, slides and more to your Zoom presentation. For example, you can link two text boxes together so when you click on the question, the answer appears.
• Hover effects. If you’re linking one object in your slide to another, you can enable it to show up on either click or hover. If you’re creating a quiz, for example, you can link two text boxes together so when you hover on the question, the answer appears.

A healthy dose of interactivity can make your audience feel more involved with your Zoom presentation.

2 Tidy Up Your Background

If you want your audience to take you seriously, clean up any clutter behind you.

A messy background can make you look unprofessional and distract people from focusing on your presentation. Ideally, your background should be a plain wall.

If you can’t manage to find a clean, empty background, consider using a virtual Zoom background. There are tons of different styles out there, so make sure to pick one that looks realistic and professional.

3 Draw Attention to Your Face

An online presentation can quickly start to feel distant and impersonal, like watching a pre-recorded video.

To remind your audience that they’re interacting with a real human, you need to draw focus to your face and expressions as you present.

Make sure you’re presenting in a well-lit room, where the source of light is in front of you. If the light source is directly behind you, you might end up looking like a dark blob.

4 Check Your Equipment

Make sure you check all your technical equipment to see if everything is working properly. This will help minimize issues like awkward camera angles or a malfunctioning microphone.

Here are a few things you should take care of before your presentation:

• Check internet connection. No one wants to listen to a presenter with laggy audio and video. Use a reliable, high-speed internet connection to ensure a smooth Zoom presentation.
• Test audio and video. Check if your camera and microphone are working properly by joining a Zoom test meeting . You can also test out your equipment from inside the Zoom app by clicking on Settings → Audio or Settings → Video .
• Ensure your laptop is plugged in. Imagine if your laptop dies out in the middle of your presentation just because you didn’t plug it in properly. Don’t let that happen.
• Adjust your camera level. Make sure your audience is looking at your face instead of the top of your head. Decide whether you want to sit or stand during your presentation, and adjust the webcam so it’s at eye level.

Keep in mind that technical issues can arise unexpectedly, even if you do everything right. Doing tech prep beforehand, though, keeps the chances at a minimum.

5 Minimize Potential Interruptions

Whether you’re giving your Zoom presentation at home or in a nearby cafe, there are tons of potential interruptions that can disrupt your flow and make you look unprofessional.

During your prep, your goal should be to minimize these interruptions as much as possible.

Find a quiet area to begin with, and lock the door so no one comes in unexpectedly. It’s a good idea to inform your family members or roommates that you’re going to be busy prior to the presentation.

Another tip is to close all other open applications and windows on your computer. Notifications and sounds can interrupt your meeting and distract you. You can also use the “Do Not Disturb” mode on MacOS or “Focus Assist” on Windows 10 to mute notifications.

6 Stick Your Notes in the Right Place

Just like when you’re presenting in person, you’d likely want to keep notes or pointers nearby in case you forget something important.

During a Zoom presentation, though, you need to be careful about where you place your notes. It can look very unprofessional and awkward if your eyes keep moving away from the camera when everyone is staring at your face.

Avoid keeping a notepad next to you or pasting them on the side of your monitor. A better alternative is to stick a post-it right below or next to your webcam. So, even if you take a peek, you will still be looking somewhat directly at your audience.

If you’re using Visme to create your Zoom presentation, you can simply use the presenter notes feature and skip all the hassle of keeping physical notes.

While you’re presenting, your presenter notes will open up in another window, so you can look at them while presenting without even letting your audience know.

7 Ditch the Pajamas

We get it. Nobody wants to get dressed when they’re at home.

But really, if you’re giving a professional presentation, it’s a good idea to ditch your PJs and wear something presentable .

Even if everyone knows you’re at home, you don’t want to look sloppy while sharing important information. This can prevent your audience from taking you seriously.

Plus, dressing up can help you feel more confident and motivated. Wear something that not only looks smart, but also makes you feel good about yourself.

8 Rehearse Before the Presentation

Never walk into a presentation unprepared. This is especially important for Zoom presentations, as it can be even more difficult to wing it when you’re not interacting in person.

Plus, rehearsing is a good idea if you want to overcome the fear of being on camera. Do a demo Zoom meeting with a friend or family member, or just practice alone before the presentation.

Delivering Your Zoom Presentation

Now that you’re all prepped up to give your Zoom presentation, here are some tips to help you make the most of your time while you’re presenting.

9 Start With a Bang

Did you know that people take as little as five seconds to judge how charismatic a speaker is?

Figuring out how to start your presentation is one of the most important parts of your Zoom presentation. It can either get your audience to sit up in their seats or prepare to doze off.

Here's an infographic on some tried-and-true ways to start a presentation that keeps your audience hooked . Keep reading for an explanation of all seven points below.

• Reveal a shocking statistic. A relevant and powerful statistic can set the tone for your presentation and show your audience the importance of your message.
• Tell a relevant joke. Humor is a great way to break the ice and keep your audience engaged. A boring presentation can quickly cause the listener to zone out.
• Ask a question. Get your audience involved by asking them a question relevant to your presentation topic. The more you interact with them, the more likely they’ll be to listen to what you’re saying.
• Quote an influential person. A powerful quote can often motivate or inspire your audience to sit up and listen to what you have to say.
• Tell a short story. Stories are personal and can evoke emotions. Telling a relatable story that also gets the audience curious to know more is a great way to start your presentation.
• Use an interesting prop. Using a prop can break the monotony of your presentation. Using motion and a visual object can also help attract your audience’s gaze.
• Show a captivating visual. Pictures speak louder than words, which is why using a powerful image that tells a story or shows the importance of your topic is an effective way to start your presentation.

Along with starting impressively, you should also try to end your presentation in a way that it drives your audience to take action or think about your message. A good idea is to end with a powerful statement or a thought-provoking question.

10 Make Eye Contact With the Audience

While you’re speaking, it’s just as important to make eye contact with your audience as it is during a face-to-face presentation.

The problem with Zoom presentations, though, is that you often end up looking at your own video or at the video of your audience.

To make eye contact online, however, you need to look directly at your camera. To make things easier, you can place the video boxes of your audience at the top of your screen, directly under your webcam.

11 Regularly Pause to Engage

Online presentations can get monotonous really quickly, and it’s common for people to zone out in the middle of it.

If you want to ensure your message hits home, take regular breaks throughout your Zoom presentation and engage your audience in conversation.

You could pause to ask them questions, or simply ask what they think about a certain topic. You could also try switching up the pace of your presentation, show a short video clip or tell an interesting or humorous story that helps bring wandering minds back.

12 Use the Chat Feature to Your Benefit

Zoom’s chat feature is a great way to get your audience involved without disrupting the flow of your presentation.

You can use Zoom chat to your advantage in several different ways:

• Questions. Ask your audience questions and let them answer through chat, or get them to ask you questions in the chat.
• Feedback. Let your audience know beforehand that they can leave their feedback and comments related to your presentation or topic in the chat. For example, if someone comments that they can’t hear you properly you can try fixing your mic or raising your voice.

Get creative with your use of the chat feature to keep your audience engaged. Ask them to send a hand emoji if they can relate to something, or ask what they want to see first in your presentation.

13 Record Your Presentation

The best way to improve your Zoom presentation skills is to learn from your past mistakes. Thankfully, Zoom lets you record your presentations so you can revisit them later and analyze your performance.

Are you using too many hand gestures? Are you walking around too much? Are you speaking at a reasonable pace? Understanding how you did can help you do even better in the future.

You can also send your Zoom presentation recordings to a friend or family member so they can review it for you. It always helps to get the opinion of someone you trust.

How to Share Your Visme Presentation on Zoom

Thinking of creating your Zoom presentation in Visme? Great choice!

The best part is that you can easily share your Visme slides with your audience without needing to download the presentation on your computer.

Of course, you can still download your presentation in PowerPoint or PDF format if you need to.

Follow the steps below to share your Visme presentation on Zoom without downloading anything.

Step 1: Publish your presentation.

When you’re finished designing your presentation in Visme, navigate over to the top right corner of your screen, and click on “Share”.

Next, click on “Publish for Web” on your left, type in a title and description for your presentation, and click on “Publish and get my link”.

Step 2: Click on the Present button.

Once you’ve published your presentation, you can go back and click on the “Present” button at the top right of your screen. This will open up the Presenter view.

If you want to access your presenter notes, click on the video camera icon at the bottom right corner of your screen, and your notes will appear in a new window.

Step 3: Share your screen on Zoom.

From your Zoom meeting window, click on “Share Screen” and select the window with the Presenter view of your presentation.

That’s it! You’ll now be able to look at the presenter notes on your screen while your audience views the slide open in your Presenter view window.

Alternatively, you can also download your presentation as a PowerPoint or PDF file, and share your screen in Zoom to present your slides.

Ready to Give a Memorable Zoom Presentation?

If you’re still getting used to the idea of presenting on Zoom, this article will help you prepare well and deliver an impactful presentation that people won’t be able to forget any time soon.

Remember, while Zoom presentations are different from presenting in person, you still need to be just as confident, dress to impress and make eye contact.

The only difference is that you need to put more effort into engaging your audience and keep them from dozing off in front of their computers.

Design a beautiful Zoom presentation and present online using Visme’s presentation maker. Sign up now for free and take it for a test drive!

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About the Author

Mahnoor Sheikh is the content marketing manager at Visme. She has years of experience in content strategy and execution, SEO copywriting and graphic design. She is also the founder of MASH Content and is passionate about tea, kittens and traveling with her husband. Get in touch with her on LinkedIn .

How to Give a Presentation on Zoom? [A Step-by-Step Guide!]

By: Author Shrot Katewa

If you’ve never used Zoom, giving a presentation on it might seem a bit challenging. But, that’s a challenge we will have to learn to overcome as the world moves digital more and more day by day. The key question really is how to give a presentation on Zoom!

To give a presentation on Zoom, first, start by joining a meeting. Now open the presentation file on your computer and share the slides on Zoom using its “Share Screen” feature. You should test your camera, mic, speaker, and internet connection before you start with your presentation.

As easy as it may seem, some of you may need further detailed instructions. So, in this article, I will provide a step-by-step guide on things that you need to do in order to deliver a presentation on Zoom successfully! Plus, I will also share some tips that can help you ace your presentation on Zoom!

So, without any further delay, let’s get started!

Understanding the Zoom Application Interface

Before we understand the steps to give a presentation using Zoom, it is perhaps a good idea to acquaint yourself with the Zoom user interface first. If you are well-versed with it, then perhaps you may want to skip this section and click here instead.

Logging into Zoom

Although you can login to your account using zoom website too, but it is best to download and use the zoom app .

Once you have download the app, you will be prompted to login to your account. If you don’t have an existing account, you can either sign up or even login using your social account such as Google or Facebook. It’s actually quite simple.

If you feel that you don’t want to sign up or even use the social accounts for your meeting, you can choose to use “Sign In with SSO” option. SSO stands for single sign on and this allows you to sign in even when you don’t have an account with Zoom just once.

Zoom Home Screen

Once you’ve logged in, you will be taken to the home screen on Zoom.

There are a bunch of different things that you ca do with the home screen on Zoom. If you have been invited for a meeting, you will need to click on “ Join “. However, you will also need the meeting ID and the password for the meeting. If you don’t have the details, you will perhaps need to contact the person hosting the meeting.

You can also host the meeting yourself by using the “ New Meeting ” button. You can set a new meeting and invite others to join using this option.

Likewise, you can also schedule a meeting in the future using the “ Schedule ” option.

Furthermore, for changing the account related information, just click on your profile picture in the top-right corner of your window.

Lastly, there are several other detailed settings that you can tweak for your Zoom application. Almost all the other settings can be found in the “ Settings ” section by clicking on the “ Gear Icon “.

Zoom Virtual Meeting Window Interface

Once you are a participant in a virtual meeting, either by joining an existing meeting or by starting a new meeting, you will be greeted with an image similar to the one mentioned above.

On this screen, you will be presented with several different options. Some of the key functions that you will need to be aware of are as follows –

• Mute – Turning on the Mute or Unmute
• Video – Toggling between your Video
• Participants – Checking the names of the Participants
• Share Screen – to deliver a presentation (more on this later)
• Record – To record a meeting session
• End – Knowing how to end a meeting and exiting a call.

All the above functions will be visible on a small bar at the bottom of the window. If you are not able to see this option bar at the bottom, just hover over at the bottom part of your screen and all the options will appear .

Although there are other features that are also available for a zoom user or a participant, however, the aforementioned features should be good enough to deliver a presentation. These 6 features are at the very least something that you should be aware of.

How to Give a Presentation on Zoom (Step-by-Step)

Zoom has become a common tool for giving virtual presentations today. It is a widely used tool at conferences, meetings, and other events! If you are giving a presentation on Zoom for the first time, then perhaps you should be aware of a few things –

Here is a quick step-by-step guide on how you can give a presentation on Zoom:

Step 1: Install Zoom

Download and install the Zoom application to your desktop. To download the application, visit https://zoom.us/download and download the Zoom Client to your computer.

Step 2: Login to your Zoom Account

After installing the application, open it and log into your Zoom account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up for free using your email account.

Zoom also has options to sign in using SSO (Single Sign-On) or with your Facebook or Google account.

Step 3: Test Audio and Video Settings

Before you start or join a meeting, you will need to configure and test your audio and video settings.

To do that click on the gear icon on the Zoom application’s home screen. This will open the settings menu.

Now click on the “Audio” tab and select the microphone you are going to use. Try our different audio settings. After the microphone, select the speaker for audio output. If you can’t hear anything, try out another speaker source.

After configuring audio, click on the “Video” tab. From there, select the camera that is connected to your desktop. Tweak different video settings and find out what works best for you.

Step 4: Join or Schedule a Meeting

Now start a meeting by clicking on “New meeting”. You can also schedule a meeting on Zoom. To do that, click on “Schedule” and set up when you want to start the meeting. After completing the set-up, Zoom will give you a URL. Share it with the team members to join the meeting.

Or you can join a meeting by clicking “Join” on the Zoom client’s home screen. You can use a meeting ID or URL to join a meeting in Zoom.

Step 5: Open the Presentation

Once you have everything setup, you then need to prepare to show your presentation with your audience. To do that, open the presentation slides on your computer.

Step 6: Share Your Presentation

The last step in giving your presentation is to make sure that you share your presentation with your audience. To do that, click on “Share Screen” from the Zoom clients meeting window , select the screen where your presentation slides are open, and click “Share”. Now start presenting your slides to the audience.

Step 7: Stop Sharing to end the Presentation

One thing to know is how to end the presentation. To stop screen sharing, simply click on “Stop Share” located at the top of the screen . This option will only appear when you start sharing your screen.

How to Share a PowerPoint with Presenter View on Zoom?

To share your PowerPoint presentation slides with presenter view on Zoom, follow the steps given below:

Step 1: Open the Zoom App and Login

The first step really is to open the zoom app and login to your account.

Step 2: Join or Setup a Virtual Meeting on Zoom

Next, join the meeting. Remember, you need the meeting ID and password to join a meeting. Make sure you have requested for the details beforehand.

Step 3: Open Your PowerPoint Presentation

First step is really to open your presentation file that you want to present on the PowerPoint application.

Step 4: Put the Presentation in Presenter View

Now select the “Slide Show” tab from the top of the screen and click on either “From Beginning” or “From Current Slide” depending on your preference. This will open the slides in the “Presenter” view.

Step 5: Switch to the Zoom Application

Now, go to the Zoom application, start or join a meeting. While you are in the “Presenter” view on PowerPoint, press “ Alt+Tab ” to switch between applications in Microsoft Windows-powered computers. For iMac, use “Command+Tab” to move through open apps.

Step 6: Share Screen on Zoom’s Meeting Window

Once you are in Zoom’s meeting window, click on “Share Screen”, select the window where your PowerPoint slides are open in the presenter’s view, and click “Share”.

And that’s all you have to do in order to share PowerPoint with the presenter’s view in your Zoom meetings.

How to Share PowerPoint on Zoom Without Showing Notes?

There are two methods that you can use to share PowerPoint slides on Zoom without sharing your presenter notes. For the first method, you will need to have two monitors connected to your computer.

As for the second one, you can still share your PowerPoint slides on Zoom without sharing your notes (and you won’t need two monitors either). I’ve briefly explained both methods below.

Method 1 – Dual Monitor Method

In this method, you will be presenting your PowerPoint file on one monitor while looking at your presenter’s notes on the other one. Here’s how you can do that:

Step 1: First of all, open your slides on PowerPoint.

Step 2: Now join or start a Zoom meeting.

Step 3: Now click on “Share Screen” and select “Screen 1”. Then click “Share”. Here, “Screen 1” is your primary monitor.

Note: If you are not sure which one is your primary monitor, select where the PowerPoint file opened in.

Step 4: Now go to the PowerPoint application, click on the “Slide Show” tab, and from there click on “Monitor” and select “Primary Monitor”.

Step 5: Open the presentation file in the presenter’s view by clicking on the “Slide Show” tab and selecting “From Beginning” or “From Current Slide”.

If you have done everything correctly, participants will only be able to see the presentation slides while you have your presenter’s notes open on the second monitor.

In case you shared the wrong monitor on Zoom, click on “Screen Share” on Zoom’s meeting window, select “Screen 2” and click on share. This should fix your problem.

When you are sharing a screen on Zoom, you will notice a green border around that screen. This indicates which monitor you are currently sharing.

Method 2 – Sharing Portion of Your Screen

Follow the steps below if you have only a single monitor connected to your computer.

Step 1: Join or start a meeting on Zoom.

Step 2: Click on “Share Screen” and from the pop-up window select “Advanced”. From there select “Portion of Screen” and click on “Share”. This will give you a green border on your screen that you can adjust. Only the things that are inside this border will be shared on Zoom.

Step 3: Now open the presentation file in PowerPoint, and go to the presenter’s view by selecting “Slide Show> From Current Slide or From Beginning”.

Step 4: Adjust the size of the green border so that it only shows the presentation slides in the presenter’s view.

And that’s all you have to do. By doing so, your audience will only see the slides that you are presenting, but not your notes.

How to Show Yourself During a Zoom Presentation?

Ensuring that you are visible from time to time during a presentation can make it slightly more engaging and much more interactive. Here is how you can do that-

Step 1: First, start or join a Zoom meeting.

Step 2: Click on “ Share Screen ” and select the “ Advanced ” option. From there, select “ PowerPoint as Virtual Background ” and select the file you want for your presentation. Then click on “ Share ”.

Step 3: Make sure your video is switched on so that you are also visible to your audience. You can do that by clicking on “ Start Video ” on the Zoom Virtual Meeting Interface.

It will take some time for your slides to appear on the Zoom client. When it is done, participants will be able to see your face in front of the slides in Zoom. Make sure that your camera is connected to your computer and configured correctly.

This feature works best if you have a green screen behind you . If you have one, go to Zoom’s settings menu, select the “Background and Filter” tab and check “I have a green screen”. If you want to stop showing yourself during a zoom presentation, click on “Stop Video” on the meeting window and that will do the job.

Furthermore, you may sometimes want to show just yourself to the audience and not show the presentation at all. For that, all you need to do is simply click on “Start Video” in the Zoom Virtual Meeting Interface.

How to Record a Presentation on Zoom?

If you want to record your presentation on Zoom, you can do it easily. After joining or starting a meeting on Zoom, click on the “Record” icon located at the bottom of the meeting window. Once the recording starts, you can pause the recording or stop it whenever you like.

After the end of the meeting, the recorded video will be automatically converted into “.mp4” format and stored on your computer.

Tips for Giving an Awesome Presentation on Zoom

Giving a presentation in front of an audience is always a challenging task. Especially if it is online, many things can go wrong during your presentation. This is why I’m sharing some tips that can help you deliver an awesome presentation on Zoom. These are as follows –

1. Make a Professional Looking Presentation

There are several ways to make your presentation look really professional and high quality. One obvious method is to outsource your presentation to a specialised design agency! But, that can become really expensive depending on your budget.

Another (non-obvious) option is to use a PowerPoint Presentation Template! There are several high-quality and professional templates that you can get quite easily! In fact, using these Presentation Designs is quite inexpensive! You can download as many presentation templates as you want for as little as $16.5/month!

My favorite one is Agio PowerPoint Presentation template. It is perfectly suited to give a professional look to your presentation and yet it is quite quick and easy to use. Check out some of the images below –

Agio PowerPoint Presentation Template

Furthermore, make the presentation as simple and straightforward as possible. Do not confuse your audience with a network of colorful texts, graphs, or other contents.

Only use data and graphs that are relevant to your presentation. Also, the clever use of transition animations can make the slide appear much more engaging.

2. Check Your Equipment Beforehand

Whenever you are giving your presentation online, many things can go wrong. For example, your camera or mic may not function properly. Such interruptions will only make you a laughing stock in front of the participants.

Check your mic, camera, and speakers to find out whether they are working properly or not. Also, check your internet connection and your laptop’s battery level. If everything is ok, then you are good to go on with your presentation.

More Related Topics

• Change the Style of Your Bullet Points and Stand-out from the Crowd!
• 7 EASY Tips to Always Make your Presentations Attractive! (Even if You are a Beginner)
• How to Reduce the Size of Your PowerPoint File? The Perfect Method!
• Auto Create Your PowerPoint Slides using Design Ideas Feature!
• Main Features of PowerPoint! [I bet You DIDN’T Know These]

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A Quick Guide to the MoSCoW Method Technique

January 12, 2022 - 10 min read

The MoSCoW method is a prioritization technique used by project and campaign managers to work smarter not harder. In this quick guide, we’ll explain exactly what the MoSCoW method is, how it works, and provide some examples you can use to inform your own analysis. Keep reading to better understand the various categories within the MoSCoW method, as well as an alternative prioritization tool for project managers.

What is the MoSCow method?

The MoSCoW method is a technique used by organizations to communicate the importance and priority of the various requirements being met in various projects. This method is also referred to as MoSCoW prioritization and MoSCoW analysis.

The term MoSCoW is an acronym that refers to the first letter of each of the four priority categories. It uses four categories, which are must-have, should-want, could-have, and will not have. While it’s meant to be used at the start of a project when time is on your side, it can also be adapted to work seamlessly for time constraints .

Software developer Dai Clegg originally created the MoScoW method. Since then, many other leading companies have used it to get their team on the same page, properly distribute resources, and achieve project goals. 

How does the MoSCow technique work?

The MoSCoW technique works by allowing teams to include multiple representatives from the organization in their project management discussions. This gives everyone a wider perspective on the organization's operations and where their collective priorities lie. 

Before you begin your MoSCoW method, think about which people can provide valuable context for your team. They can help you identify opportunities and threats, and they can help you make better decisions. Once finalized, the MoSCoW method will also force stakeholders to show evidence before they can submit additional work requests mid-project. 

Critics of MoSCoW often say that it does not include a comprehensive objective scoring system for all initiatives. This is a common mistake that many teams make. A weighted scoring method will more accurately measure the backlog against a set of predefined benefits and costs.

One of the most challenging aspects of the MoSCoW technique is learning which categories their initiatives should go in.  As the manager, you will need to know which of your team's initiatives are “must haves” for their product or which are merely “should haves”. 

You may even need to solicit feedback from a different department in order to get greater perspective on your current project prioritization. For example, a marketing department head may have greater insight into which selling points for your upcoming product launch are resonating more with buyers so that you can work on perfecting those components first. 

Another key idea about how the MoSCoW technique works is that it’s only effective if you follow it. This means that, once an initiative is placed into a category, the entire team needs to stick to that decision. Many beginner MoSCoW teams end up agreeing that an initiative should have been initiated, but they move on to the next step instead because it feels better or more familiar to them. 

Finally, when it comes to making decisions about prioritization, your team will need to have a consistent framework in place before you engage with this technique. A consistent framework for assessing and ranking all initiatives is critical if you want to avoid biases and falling into old patterns. 

Your team’s prioritization strategy helps set expectations across the organization. It lets them know that they have made the right decisions and weigh all the factors that go into making those decisions. Don’t be afraid to make your MoSCoW method results available to the rest of your organization if applicable. 

Understanding MoSCow prioritization categories

Before the MoSCoW analysis can begin, all participants need to agree on which initiatives will be prioritized. It's important to discuss how to resolve disagreements in order to prevent them from holding up progress during this preparation stage. This can help prevent issues from happening in the first place.

Once the framework has been established, it is time to start identifying the appropriate categories for each project. Here are the definitions and explanations of each of the MoSCoW prioritization categories: 

Musts are defined as initiatives that are critical to the success of a project or product. These are usually non-negotiable and can be used to describe specific functionalities or solutions that need to be implemented.

The “must have” category is challenging to define. Before you start, ask yourself if something is truly necessary in this category.

Should have

Although “should have” initiatives are not essential to a product or project, they may add significant value. A “should have” initiative is different from a “must have” initiative, which means it can be scheduled for a future release.

“Could haves” are initiatives that are not necessary to the core of a product. Projects that are placed in the “could have” category are often the first ones to be deprioritized when another project takes longer than expected.

Will not have

The MoSCoW method places several initiatives in a “will not have” category. This method allows you to manage expectations about what will not be included in a release or another timeframe.

Putting initiatives in the “will not have" category can help prevent scope creep . This category shows the team that the project is not a priority at this specific time frame. 

Some initiatives are prioritized in the “will not have” group, while others are likely to happen in the future. Some teams then decide to create a subcategory for these initiatives.

How is the MoSCoW method used in project management?

The concept of MoSCoW allows project managers to prioritize tasks that can be done efficiently even when they have limited time. For example, if the team has a tight budget, it can use MoSCoW to determine which initiatives can be completed within those limitations. 

This is especially useful for managers juggling more than project or leading cross-functional teams. This is because cross-functional teams are sometimes obligated to another company or department’s priorities. While your team is working on a new product release, another project manager may have them on a tight timeline for another client’s goal. 

And, as we all know, things come up throughout the lifespan of a project. Although efficient planning helps teams remain agile, the MoSCoW method can make even the biggest and most unexpected roadblocks more manageable. 

MoSCoW examples

This method can be used for nearly any industry or project type because it has to do more with project decision-making than the subject matter itself. Here are a couple of MoSCoW method examples you can use to get started with your first draft: 

1. National College of Ireland’s website project

In this example from a lecture on the MoSCoW analysis, Professor Eugene O’Loughlin demonstrates how to use this technique when building a website . 

The project goal in this example is to create a platform where users can securely log in and access files. Because of this, the tasks listed under their MoSCoW categories will look different from other standard website creation projects. 

For example, while another project may add “have an eye-catching design” to their should-have section, this particular website has added “password retrieval” because it directly applies to their security-oriented goal. 

Even if this website project could benefit from a great design, the MoSCoW method helps managers and teams laser focus on completing the highest priority activities first. If they have more time later on, they can potentially add a design improvement task to their “could haves” if they determine the ROI is high enough. 

Takeaway: Consider your project holistically when assigning priority. Your goals should be your north star for determining what is or is not truly important, regardless of what conventional wisdom says to do. 

2. Slideteam’s Assessing HR Requirements Template

This is one of the MoSCoW examples that shows how many different types of tasks this technique covers. Here, we see storing employee leave history as a must, leave letter printing a should, notifications for pending leave dates a could, and remote access a won’t. 

In HR, many of their decisions around prioritization will be made by compliance and legal counsel that they must adhere to. Still, it’s important to define these tasks and their MoSCoW label so that employees understand at a glance that it’s less important to set up leave notifications and more important that they update employment histories in their software. 

Takeaway: The MoSCoW method can be used to cover many different aspects of projects including compliance and procedure. 

How to undertake a MoSCoW analysis using Wrike

Wrike is a project management software that allows users to strategize how they prioritize their portfolio of projects as well as the tasks within each individual initiative. Using visual tools such as road maps that show what progress will look like from kickoff to completion, managers can easily see which of their chosen MoSCoW analysis configurations work best for achieving their goals. 

Wrike also allows you to centralize all of your project planning in one central location. You can view potential resource conflicts across projects, individual task progress statuses, and automate tasks from your should or could have categories that you otherwise wouldn’t have time for. 

Ready to get started with the MoSCoW method and Wrike? Sign up for a two-week free trial today. 

Maria Waida

Maria is a freelance content writer who specializes in blogging and other marketing materials for enterprise software businesses.

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An Introduction to Bullet Journal Project Management

Bullet journals are great tools to destress and organize various aspects of project management. In this guide, we’re diving deep into the pros and cons of using this method to organize projects of all kinds. Keep reading to discover what bullet journal project management is and how this practice can boost productivity to new levels.  What is a bullet journal? A bullet journal is a customized space to organize all of your personal projects and goals. It can also be used to track deadlines and prioritize tasks. Bullet journaling became popular thanks to the book Getting Things Done, which is about a project management technique that uses a bullet journal to manage different projects efficiently. Bullet journals are often used to create daily, weekly, and monthly project plans. They can also be home to your to-do lists, inspiration boards, and project notes. They’re relaxing to create and relatively easy to maintain.  If you have multiple projects to manage, then you may want to use more than one notebook. Or you can swap your physical journal for a professional services management software that has plenty of space for storing digital plans.  Software tools are also easy to customize, make collaboration easier, and help with turning the plan into reality through task creation and assignment tools. With Wrike, data from multiple users will automatically sync so that everyone is on the same page with new updates and responsibilities.  If you do use a physical journal, using loose leaf paper in a binder will allow you to add pages as you go. This is useful for keeping track of all the data in one place instead of switching to additional notebooks when you run out of room.  There are many elegant, decorated bullet journal page layouts out there. Many invest time into making them artistic with drawings, decorative tape, and cut-out images. This isn’t necessary for project management, but it may be a fun activity outside of work.  Bullet journals can use several different layouts. The most common is a two-page spread that includes a month-long calendar on one page and a breakdown of goals for that period on the other. The latter will help you keep track of all the dates and commitments that are important to you as you get closer to starting a new project. The two-page spread makes it easy to see where you'll be working most efficiently in the coming weeks. It's ideal for people who manage multiple projects simultaneously. You can also create a view of the next six months within your bullet journal project management layout. This is called a future log. A future log is a calendar that lets you keep track of important events and dates for long-term projects. How do you use a bullet journal in project planning? Projects are essentially collections of notes and tasks that are linked to a common goal. They can be pulled together in a bullet journal for you to easily see all of the work related to that specific project. To start, you’ll need to list out your goals.  Create a list that includes every project goal you or your team can think of. Sort them in order of importance. Ideally, these smaller project goals will align with your organization’s big-picture goals.  Once you know what you’d like to accomplish, you can begin your bullet journal. Start by breaking down your number one goal into a project action plan. This can span days, weeks, or months. Then, break down your project action plan into individual tasks. Determine what the task is, who will be in charge of getting it done, and when it needs to be completed.  After that, you’re ready to use your bullet journal for project planning.  Step 1: List out your sections Number your pages if they aren’t already. At the beginning of the bullet journal, write the name of the page on the left side and the page number on the right.  Step 2: Add your key You may use symbols and abbreviations throughout your project planning. Put these at the beginning of the journal either after or on the same page as your key. Use color coding to signify which symbols belong to each project if you have more than one.  Step 3: Write out your future log A future log is a list of key dates and tasks that aren’t part of your immediate three-to-six month plans but are important to keep in mind. Add this after your key and leave space for other items as they come up.  Step 4: Create your calendar This can be in the form of a traditional calendar page. Some people like to hand draw them. However, you can also print, cut out, and paste a blank monthly calendar page into your journal too.  Step 5: Track tasks Create sections for monthly, weekly, and daily task lists. You can organize these in a few ways. 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You can also rapidly log your thoughts for the day to boost your creativity and clear out emotions that no longer serve the project.  Combine your bullet journal for work with your personal goals. It will be easier to prioritize and accurately schedule tasks when you have your entire life laid out in front of you on paper.  Another benefit of using a bullet journal for work is that you can either DIY a notebook or use a planner you already have. It’s not so much what you use but how you use it.  And bonus: bullet journaling only takes five to 15 minutes a day. Whether it’s reviewing tomorrow’s meetings or crossing off today’s tasks, a bullet journal practice is easy to build into your schedule no matter how busy you are.  The disadvantages of using a bullet journal in project management While bullet journaling project management is great for keeping track of key project details, many project managers need a separate system to manage their meetings and reports.  Having more than one journal or calendar to manage at one time can be confusing. Add more than one project to the mix, and it may be counterproductive to use a traditional pen and paper bullet journal to accomplish your goals.  Another disadvantage of using a bullet journal in project management is your lack of ability to collaborate with others. When writing on paper, you have to either show your team the notebook in person or scan the pages and share them online. Either way, it’s not ideal for large, remote, and/or revolving teams.  The other thing to know about bullet journaling before diving in headfirst is that it can be quite time-consuming. If you do a crafty layout with calligraphy and scrapbooking accessories, then it may even take several days to finish.  And once you do have your plans laid out, they can be hard to change. Rewriting, erasing, and making more space for things that come up are essential for project planning. For that reason, we suggest using an 11 inch by 7 inch grid lined notebook to give yourself extra space.  Also, you can outline headlines and calendars with a pen or marker if you like the look. But stick to pencil for any factual information that is subject to change throughout the lifetime of the project. If you don’t do this now, you may end up having to scrap entire pages and start over later on.  Bullet journal alternatives you should consider Bullet journals are fun, unique, and creative. But there are some projects where they just aren’t the best possible option for managing it all. The project may be too complex or too large for a single notebook. There may even be so many updates needed that a physical notebook doesn’t make sense for your project.  If you’re facing any of these issues, you can try any of the following bullet journal alternatives:  Digital calendar and list app combo Bulletin board, sticky notes, and shared files Project management software Project management software is the top choice for bullet journal alternatives. Not only is it flexible, but it can make project planning more productive.  Wrike is the ultimate platform for customizing your own bullet journal project management processes. With over 30 predefined apps you can use to sync all your project data in one place, it's the most versatile platform for managing complex tasks. As a single source of truth for a project, team, and entire organization, project management software offers more advanced features than a simple notebook can. Instead of writing everything down on a few sheets of paper, Wrike acts like a living document. And unlike other digital organization tools, Wrike is specifically built to optimize project performance and success.  Wrike's tools are designed to work seamlessly with any team. Anyone who has permission to access the project can share files and tasks quickly and easily. Once uploaded, collaborators can visually edit and obtain files.  They’ll also have access to reports and tasks that are simple to understand at a glance without losing the details in the process. This allows all managers to gain visibility across departments and groups. Wrike is the ideal solution for teams that want to grow and operate efficiently with the help of cutting edge technology. 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What Is The Pomodoro Technique and How Does it Work?

Endless tasks and expectations from colleagues and employers can make getting things done hard. There’s always something else to add to your to-do list and, as that list grows, it starts to feel like there’s never enough time to do it all. Productivity hacks can seem gimmicky and semi-helpful at best. But what if there was a time management strategy that could help you tackle your to-do list, meet others’ expectations, and help you feel more productive and balanced?  That’s where the Pomodoro Technique comes in. This popular time management strategy can help you better plan your workload, overcome distractions, and check tasks off your list. And it doesn’t require working overtime or jamming more work into your day. Instead, it encourages frequent breaks in between stints of work. Perhaps one of the best aspects about it is that it’s easy to use.  We’re here to help you make your workdays better and more productive. In this guide, we’re breaking down the Pomodoro method — how to use it, why it works, and its advantages and disadvantages. And don’t worry, we’ll cover what Pomodoro means while we’re at it. Add reading this guide to your list of to-dos for today, and let’s get started.  What is the Pomodoro Technique? The Pomodoro Technique is a productivity or time management method created in the early 1990s by Francesco Cirillo.  A university student at the time, Cirillo struggled to focus and get his assignments done. Feeling overwhelmed, he realized he needed to try a new way of working and held himself accountable for committing to 10 minutes of focused time while studying. As he committed to the challenge, he found a tomato-shaped timer (you guessed it, Pomodoro is “tomato” in Italian), and the Pomodoro Technique was born. Cirillo wrote an entire book about the Pomodoro Technique, but the gist of it is simple. The method encourages short bursts of manageable chunks of work with breaks built in between. With this method, you work for 25-minutes sessions separated by five-minute breaks. After every four or five Pomodoros (think of these as work sessions), you indulge in a more extended break for 15-20 minutes. With a sense of urgency built into it, the method forces you to think through your to-do list and eliminate distractions while progressing on your tasks for a limited amount of time. And you can eliminate distractions knowing that you have breaks built into your day to look forward to. Let’s start by understanding what exactly the word “Pomodoro” means and where it came from. What does Pomodoro mean? Pomodoro quite literally means “tomato” in Italian. But what does a tomato have to do with time management?  Like we mentioned earlier, Cirillo used a tomato-shaped timer to help him manage his focused work time. He later named his famous technique after the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that helped him do his best work.  When we talk about the Pomodoro Technique, a Pomodoro also refers to one 25-minute focused work session. You’ll use a timer to work for one Pomodoro. Get it? Don’t worry — we’ll walk you through the nitty-gritty of how to use the Pomodoro Technique next.  How to use the Pomodoro Technique One of the best parts of the Pomodoro Technique is that it’s super simple to use without any training. Depending on who you ask, these steps may vary slightly. But that’s one of the best parts about the method — you can customize it.  Here’s how Cirillo’s Pomodoro method works: 1. Make a list of the tasks you need to accomplish To make the best use of your Pomodoro sessions, consider starting your day by creating a to-do list and outlining the tasks you need to accomplish. Don’t panic if your list becomes lengthy! Remember, you’re going to split up your work so that it’s more manageable throughout the day. You just need to make a note of what you need to accomplish today.  Tip: When you make a list of your tasks, think about how much time you need to complete each task. For example, one task might take you a full 25-minute Pomodoro. Or you might have three short tasks that you can group during one Pomodoro. Write down how many minutes each task will take. That way, you can pair up tasks that will take less than 25-minutes to complete. Your estimations don’t have to be perfect, but you want to avoid having gaps of time to fill or going past time during your Pomodoro sessions. 2. Set a timer for 25 minutes You don’t have to mimic Cirillo exactly and use a tomato-shaped kitchen timer, but to live the complete Pomodoro Technique experience, give a real timer a try. It doesn’t matter if you use a virtual or physical timer; any will do. Here are a few options to choose from when selecting a Pomodoro Technique timer: Pomodoro tomato timer Online tomato timer Focus Keeper app Pomodoro Timer Lite app The timer you use doesn’t need to be overly cumbersome or have any fancy capabilities, so don’t get caught up in the details. Keep it simple to make it most effective.  3. Focus on your tasks until the timer goes off This is the tricky part. Once you’ve set your timer, you need to work on the task or tasks you’ve chosen for 25 minutes without any interruptions throwing you off track. Combating distractions is no easy feat, and it may take practice to nail this step.  Tip: If possible, alert those around you when you’re using the Pomodoro method. This can help reduce interruptions and external distractions.  If you find yourself with spare time during a Pomodoro and aren’t sure what to focus on, Cirillo recommends taking advantage of the opportunity for overlearning. Use the time to make improvements and tidy up your work, reflect on the tasks you completed, or make a note of what you’ve learned until the timer goes off. Use the 25 minutes as best you can and avoid starting your break early if possible. 4. Enjoy a short break for five minutes You made it! Time is up and you can enjoy a break for five minutes or so. Consider using this time to use the restroom, grab a snack, or fill up your water bottle. Give your eyes a break and try to limit screen time if you can. Get up and stretch your legs or move your body around. Taking care of your well-being will help you stay motivated throughout the remainder of the day. 5. Repeat steps the first four steps Are you getting the hang of it? Rinse and repeat the above steps. After you’ve completed four Pomodoros, skip step four and jump straight to step six. 6. After every four or five Pomodoros, enjoy a more extended break You’ve earned it! Enjoy a longer, restorative break this time. Take 15-20 minutes to rejuvenate yourself. Maybe it’s time for breakfast or lunch. Or perhaps you want to spend a few minutes outside in the sun. Whatever the case may be, use your break wisely and prepare to jump into more Pomodoros after the break. That’s it. The Pomodoro Technique is an easy-to-use system, which means there isn’t much of a learning curve to start using it to your advantage. Does the Pomodoro Technique work? It sounds simple, right? That means you might be asking yourself whether the Pomodoro method truly works or not.  Reviews of the method spread amongst the internet suggest that many have seen success when using the technique. One person found that the Pomodoro Technique was a great solution for monotonous tasks on the to-do list. Knowing that they only needed to work on a task for 25 minutes encouraged them to get started on those dreaded, tedious to-do’s. Another person found success using the Pomodoro Technique and later adapted the method to fit their specific needs. The Pomodoro Technique helped them define a practice of self-discipline to expand on and boost productivity.  But what is it about the Pomodoro Technique that makes it work? Studies suggest that brief mental breaks help keep you focused. Frequent distractions rob us of productivity at work, but the Pomodoro method helps eliminate distractions for more focus in the workplace.  As with any time management strategy, what works best for some may not work well for others. Give the Pomodoro Technique a try and tailor it to your individual needs to ensure it has the most payoff for you.  The advantages and disadvantages of the Pomodoro method As with any time management strategy, the Pomodoro Technique has both benefits and drawbacks to consider before experimenting with it. Let’s take a look at both, starting with the advantages. Advantages of the Pomodoro Technique Break the habit of multitasking  When you follow the Pomodoro Technique, you’ll break the habit of multitasking. While multitasking might seem like a great way to get more done, it’s distracting and actually hinders your productivity. With the Pomodoro method, your goal is to dedicate your focus to any given task at hand — and save the rest of the items on your to-do list for another Pomodoro.  Reduce or prevent feelings of burnout Looking at your neverending to-do list can feel overwhelming and stressful, and working through that list without a strategic plan in place can cause feelings of burnout. The Pomodoro Technique not only encourages frequent breaks but it builds them directly into your schedule for you. You can reduce or prevent stress and burnout by taking full advantage of your breaks when you have them. Reduce procrastination We all procrastinate now and then, but the Pomodoro Technique ignites a sense of urgency in the day, which reduces or eliminates procrastination. There isn’t any time to scroll through your favorite social media platform, grab another snack, stare out the window, or engage in another distraction when you know you only have 25 minutes to complete a task. (Don’t beat yourself up — we’re all guilty of these things!) Disadvantages of the Pomodoro Technique Some tasks take more than 25 minutes  The Pomodoro method is said to be beneficial for tasks like writing, coding, and studying. It also comes in handy when needing to work through some monotonous to-dos like cleaning out your inbox or digging into some administrative items. But some tasks are bound to take more than 25 minutes to complete, which means the Pomodoro Technique may not always work for every type of project or task. If you’re in the middle of a project and are in a solid flow state, you might want to keep working past the 25-minute timer mark, which will interrupt all subsequent Pomodoro scheduling. You know your work styles and productivity best, so you’ll be in charge of making the judgment call on whether you need to work past the timer’s buzz.  Meetings could interfere with your Pomodoro planning  The Pomodoro method sounds particularly beneficial to those who have full control over their schedules. But many career professionals are bound to be interrupted by planned and unexpected meetings. Your meeting schedule could interfere with how you plan your Pomodoros or could interrupt you in the middle of a Pomodoro session.  Every time management strategy comes with advantages and disadvantages, and no method is guaranteed to be one-size-fits-all. Since the Pomodoro method is easy and comes without cost, consider giving it a try to see if it works for you. Remember, you can always tweak it to suit you best.  How to use Wrike to plan your Pomodoros  To set yourself up for success when using the Pomodoro Technique, you’ll want to have a to-do list prepared. A project management tool like Wrike can help you organize your tasks so that you can dive right into your Pomodoros (without wondering what you should start with).  With Wrike, you can: Manage and prioritize your work Use templates to organize and break your projects down into manageable tasks Track your time to understand how you’re spending it Manage workloads with resource management capabilities  You’re on your way to a more productive workday. Start your free trial of Wrike and begin planning your Pomodoros today.

Moore’s Law and the Productivity Problem

As the year draws to a close, developing strategies for how to be more productive and finish the year off strong is on every team’s mind — regardless of department or industry.  According to a study by California-based management platform Redbooth, the month of the year that we are at our most productive is October, followed by November, then September. The fall provides a feeling of a new start for many businesses, with the desire for shiny new productivity tools and aids bringing us back to our school days. But, while a new pencil case or a multi-colored pen can work wonders, today’s organizations are looking to much more sophisticated tools to boost their productivity. Note-taking apps, instant messaging platforms, virtual to-do lists, calendar tools — our desktops are overflowing with software designed to make us our most productive selves. But, with so many conflicting apps clouding our vision, it can often be difficult to get anything done at all.  So, why are we so inclined to constantly invest in new technology, believing it will exponentially increase our productivity levels? This concept is commonly referred to as Moore’s Law, and it’s important to understand it if you’re concerned about your team’s or your own productivity levels. What is Moore’s Law? Let’s start off with a simple enough question: what is Moore’s Law? The origins of Moore’s Law lie in IT and computer hardware. It is the principle that the speed and efficiency of a computer can be expected to double every two years, while the cost decreases by half. Moore’s Law is named after Gordon E. Moore, the co-founder of Intel, who made this observation of exponential growth in 1965.  You will have no doubt experienced Moore’s Law for yourself over the last decade, as the need to purchase a new phone or laptop normally begins to creep up every two years or so. While the technical capabilities of your gadget will have grown hugely, the price largely remains standard. We then begin to fall into a cycle of purchasing new technology as a habit, stretching our view to include phones, computers, exercise aids, entertainment systems, and, yes, productivity tools. Moore’s Law and endless productivity tools Of course, Moore’s Law has huge benefits for the technologically-driven society that we live in. The standards of the technology that we rely on can even be linked to Moore’s Law. The overarching idea of Moore’s Law — that speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of technology is constantly evolving at a rapid pace — could apply to productivity tools and solutions. The need to update and reinvest in the ever-growing ecosystem of productivity tools and software every few years sees many teams losing themselves to too many apps.  In 2015, the average number of cloud applications per company was 73. In 2020, that number had increased to 163. So much so, that 56% of IT executives are now reporting having to use manual spreadsheets to keep track of all their SaaS apps — defeating their productivity goals before they’ve even started. This concept is commonly known as ‘SaaS sprawl,’ a term that refers to the dilemma of an organization’s tech stack being so expansive that it becomes unmanageable and causes visibility problems across departments. $40 billion is estimated to be spent on unused software each year, and the number of apps we are downloading continues to rise.  Many teams believe themselves to be more productive than ever, when really, spending so much time flicking between apps, tools, and software stifles creativity and raises burnout to an all-time high. How your team can effectively invest in productivity If your organization has fallen foul to overindulgence in productivity tools and gadgets, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to empower your teams and teach them how to be more productive without overwhelming themselves with dozens of productivity platforms.  Consider toxic productivity The concept of toxic productivity relates to an unattainable desire for increased productivity, at the expense of other priorities, such as family or health. Toxic productivity is a real issue for many teams, especially if both our personal and work devices are overrun with technology that is constantly drawing us back to working mode. Consider whether your team could benefit from a digital detox of work-related technology, and set boundaries for after-hours work communication. Turn your attention to other methods of increasing productivity There are plenty of ways to increase productivity and wellbeing at work that have nothing to do with technology. For example, has your organization invested in a flexible work structure, allowing employees to choose where they work best? Could your business go the extra mile and trial a four-day workweek? Could your employee recognition programs use some extra love? These are all areas to consider when brainstorming how to be more productive across the board. Making the most of all-in-one technology like Wrike Of course, technology will always be a cornerstone of a successful business, and continuing to use productivity tools in some way at work is non-negotiable. But which tools should you invest in? What are the most important features of work management software that can actually increase productivity by up to 40%? Workflow automation: With Wrike’s custom request forms and automated task assignment, your team will never miss important tasks and details because of a cluttered workspace. App integration: Using so many apps can be tiresome and inefficient, with details and updates often being missed by team members. Wrike’s work management includes over 400 app integrations, so the constant context switching can stop. Single source of truth: Trawling through emails and messaging apps to find important documents and updates is time-consuming and frustrating for teams. Keeping everything organized in one centralized hub, where users can comment, edit, and give feedback, is a life-saver for teams who wish to be more productive. Collaborative features: Whether your team works in-office, remotely, or under a hybrid model, breakdowns in communication are one of the most common challenges to successful projects. Wrike’s collaborative features, including @mentions, real-time editing, and email and chat app integrations means that your team all have the same view, no matter where they are. Want to know more about how Wrike can boost your team’s productivity? Try out a free two-week trial today.

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Best Practices

How to Use the MoSCoW Prioritization Method in Agile Project Management

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If a genie granted you one wish, what would you ask for? To retire at 40? A second home in Hawaii?

What if he granted you three wishes?

Since this is just fantasy, let’s go ahead and dream really big…..imagine you had ten!

Chances are, with ten wishes, you’d be tied up in knots, flummoxed, trying to find clarity amongst your “must haves.”

Identifying priorities in a really complicated project feels about the same.

When looking through the product backlog feels like rifling through the kitchen catch-all drawer, how do you distinguish the “must-dos” from the “must-do-right-nows”?

Even when you know the deadline, and a lot of other constraints, it’s hard to know where to actually begin.

When you’re tangled up in a must-trap, it feels like the only way out is for a genie to appear, sort through everything, and tell you: “Here. This is what you need to work on Right. Now.”

The truth is, you can get untangled yourself. The MoSCoW Method of prioritization lets you know what you need to work on now, and what tasks can be put off until tomorrow. And it’s really simple to boot!

That’s not too hard to believe, is it?!

The Moscow Method Defined

When you hear about the MoSCoW Method for the first time, it probably conjures up images of St. Basil’s Cathedral, the Kremlin, and Red Square.

The truth is, however, that the MoSCoW Method has nothing to do with Russia at all!

It was developed in 1994 by Dai Clegg, a software developer working at Oracle. MoSCoW really represents the acronym, MSCW. The vowel sounds are added to make it easier to pronounce (and it makes it sound pretty cool, too!).

Each letter in MoSCoW represents a separate layer for task prioritization: Must , Should , Could , and Won’t . By organizing tasks into these categories, a team finds clarity around what it needs to work on right now, and in the near future.

Here’s a breakdown of the kind of tasks that go in each category.

• Must A must is any task that’s essential to a project. It’s part and parcel to the overall objective, and not doing it would create a bottleneck. Musts include any feature requirement from a client. These are the things to put into a sprint backlog for the upcoming iteration.
• Should Shoulds are things that need to be completed, but aren’t on the front burner. These can stay in the product backlog for a later i
• Could Coulds are ancillary tasks; things that would be nice to do, given that resources are available. They don’t need to happen in this iteration or the next. Coulds go into the product backlog.
• Won’t Won’ts are any tasks that just can’t happen within the constraints of the project, and aren’t required to meet basic requirements. Won’ts are removed from the product backlog. Won’ts are also sometimes referred to as “would haves” or “wish to haves,” because they can be things that would improve a deliverable, but are just outside of the scope or budget.

An Example Using MoSCoW

It’s all pretty simple, huh? The MoSCoW Method is helpful in the initial stages of project planning, as it’s about clarifying and crystallizing what the project really is all about. It helps to manage expectations for all stakeholders.

Let’s look at an example of using the MoSCoW Method at the beginning of a project. Let’s say you’re planning the remodel of a kitchen.

The musts include the primary reasons for the remodel, such as moving the dishwasher next to the sink, improving the lighting, and increasing the size of the sink.

The shoulds are things that need to be taken into account, secondarily. This may include things like putting outlets in the right places.

Coulds are special things to add, such as custom cabinets or a tile backsplash, so long as they work into the time frame and budget.

Won’ts are things that just won’t happen, given the overall constraints. These might include things like adding a Viking stove, because it’s too expensive, or a marble countertop, as it wouldn’t handle moisture.

Strengths of the MoSCoW Method

MoSCoW makes it easy to chart a course at the beginning of a project. Let’s look at a few reasons the MoSCoW Method assists in successful project implementation.

A Simple Conceit

The MoSCoW Method, as you’ve just witnessed, is pretty easy to explain and understand.

Unlike scrum or many of the principles in agile, anyone can figure out MoSCoW in just a few minutes.

This simplicity allows the business, customer, developers, and any other stakeholders in a project all to participate and make meaningful contributions toward determining the musts, shoulds, coulds, and won’ts of a project.

Broad Buy-in

When all stakeholders are able to participate in discussing projects, and all of the tasks are ordered and prioritized, it makes the entire project transparent.

It’s much easier to get stakeholders on board when they see all the cards laid out, and can offer their own perspective.

And as any project manager will tell you, having every stakeholder understand the goal and constraints of a project from the beginning is critical to its success.

Crystal Clear Objectives

When a project has too many North Stars, or there’s some sort of a “let’s do this” mentality without much of a plan, the team flails and it creates a lot of dissension later on.

The MoSCoW Method creates clarity around what a project sets out to do (and what it won’t do) from the very beginning. This is perhaps its greatest strength.

When all the stakeholders understand a project’s final objective, it really helps to manage expectations down the road, and decreases the likelihood of having to change course late into the project.

As you can see, Clegg was really onto something when he developed the MoSCoW Method. It didn’t catch on just because of the great name.

Nor is it sheer perfection, however.

Weaknesses of the MoSCoW Method

Although an effective project management tool, The MoSCoW Prioritization Method isn’t fool-proof. Let’s look at a few of its flaws.

It’s Too Simple

But wait! Isn’t simplicity one of MoSCoW’s strengths?

Well, as with so many things in life, one of the strengths of the MoSCoW Method is also one of its biggest weaknesses.

Although MoSCoW is a great way to plot out a project at the beginning, this isn’t a stopping point.

Simply putting tasks into four categories doesn’t provide enough clarity to move forward. When you have six to eight things in the “must” category, it’s necessary to dig and refine a bit further to determine where to actually begin.

Additionally, if these “must” tasks are really huge, they need to be broken down and simplified into stories that can be completed in a sprint.

For larger complex projects, it’s also helpful to organize stories into epics, themes, and features in order to find clarity around priorities and determine what to put into a sprint.

Bogus “Musts”

A project with a lot of stakeholders generally means a variety of interests and motivations.

An agile team plans each iteration with the end user in mind. However, managers higher up in the chain of command may well work toward different incentives, and create “musts” that don’t really benefit the project, but that are motivated by politics or pay.

With a variety of conflicting “musts” , the agile approach of working toward the end user gets sidelined, and a team may end up having to complete a “must” that doesn’t really improve the deliverable at all.

Fixation on Musts

The MoSCoW Method is a bit like waterfall in that it creates a set of priorities at the onset.

The team can easily become cemented into these objectives, even when the client’s needs change, or the market changes in the duration of the project.

As it wouldn’t allow for fluidity and change, depending entirely on MoSCoW Method may lead to a dissatisfied client.

As you can see, although MoSCoW has a lot of strengths, it’s not something that a team should lean on entirely. It’s important to be aware of this method’s shortcomings as well, and to use it judiciously.

MoSCoW With Agile Teams

Using the MoSCoW Method really helps agile teams prioritize the product backlog for the upcoming iterations. Plus, it keeps the team from wasting time on pointless tasks.

However, when using the MoSCoW Method, it’s necessary to keep the principles of the Agile Manifesto front-of-mind as well.

Here are a few pointers.

Gather Input from All Stakeholders

Although a scrum team in isolation can easily come up with its own musts, shoulds, coulds, and won’ts, this list would look pretty different than someone else who has a stake in the project.

The Agile Manifesto says to value “individuals and interaction over processes and tools” and that “our highest priority is to satisfy the customer.”

In creating the product backlog, a team needs to gather input from all stakeholders.

An integrated list of priorities that considers all perspectives makes a project better poised to chart a path that satisfies the end user.

Use Mental Agility

Although it’s helpful to us MoSCoW to identify a project’s “musts” and “shoulds,” an Agile team also needs to be cognizant of the principle from the Agile Manifesto that states: “welcome changing requirements, even late in development. Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage.”

Mental agility refers to a team’s ability to adapt and course correct.

When a team identifies that the client’s needs have changed over the course of a project, it uses this mental agility to scrap some of its plans, and readjust.

Clarifying “musts” and “shoulds” provides much-needed guidance. But it’s just as necessary to allow for course correction.

Stay in the Weeds

The MoSCoW Method can look a bit like a gantt chart: it plots out an entire project at the very beginning.

This big-picture approach goes against the agile process of creating increment during each sprint, reflecting then pivoting.

In order to be agile, teams need to keep the big-picture approach, but to focus on each sprint as well. The increment, feedback and reflection may alter the course.

In sum, the MoSCoW Method is a helpful tool for an agile team. But it shouldn’t be used like a compass. Some of the rigidity implicit in the MoSCoW Method really brushes against the agile methodology and could chart the team off course.

Have you ever seen that hilarious motto people have on t-shirts and mugs that says, “I can only please one person per day. Today isn’t your day. Tomorrow isn’t looking good either.”?

Ha ha, at least it’s honest. Determining our musts, shoulds, coulds, and won’ts is a skill we use in all the areas of our lives.

The MoSCoW Method provides a simple approach to prioritization for projects.

This simplicity allows a team and all the stakeholders to work collaboratively and chart a clear course at the beginning of a project.

But it’s not entirely perfect. When using MoSCoW, an agile team first and foremost needs to bear agile principles in mind.

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