Creating polls in Slack with Botimum is a simple yet powerful way to gather team input on various topics. Follow these steps to create a poll that will help you make decisions quickly and effectively.

Before you begin managing a poll, ensure that Botimum is installed in your Slack workspace. If it’s not installed, visit this link to see how to install it.

1. Create new poll

Invite Botimum to Your Channel

Before setting up a stand-up, ensure that Botimum is added to the relevant Slack channel where the stand-up will take place. You can do this by

• Go to the channel that you want to set up your stand-up
• Send @botimum, Slack will ask you to invite Botimum to the channel

For optimal performance, it’s recommended to invite the @botimum bot-user to the relevant channels (both private and public) before starting any workflow.

Start the Poll Creation Process

There are several ways to create a poll in Botimum, depending on your needs:

• Using Slash Commands:

- To create a standard poll, use the /poll slash command followed by your question and options. Example:

/poll "What day works best for the meeting?" "Monday" "Tuesday" "Wednesday"

- For a simple yes/no question, use the /yes_no slash command followed by your question. Example:

/yes_no "Are you available for the team meeting?"

• Generating a Poll from a Message:
  Thanks to Botimum’s Gen-AI capabilities, you can also create a poll directly from a message in Slack. Simply hover over the message, click on the "More actions" (three dots), and select the option to generate a poll. Botimum will automatically create a poll based on the content of the message.

• Using Botimum’s Dashboard:
  If you prefer a more guided setup, you can open Botimum’s dashboard by using the /botimum slash command in the Slack channel. From there, click on "Create a Poll" to begin configuring your poll with more customization options.

• Creating a Poll from the Web Console:
  You can also create a poll through the Botimum web console. Visit https://app.botimum.com and log in with your Slack account. Once logged in, click on the "New Workflow" button, then select "Poll" to start setting up your poll with the web interface.

Configure Poll Settings

Define Your Poll Question or Topic

In the "Your Question or Topic" field, enter the question you want to ask your team. For example, "What did you hate sharing as a kid?" This is where you’ll capture the main focus of your poll.

You can also enhance your question by using keywords such as <date>, <time>, and <channel> to dynamically insert these details into your poll.

Choose the Question Type and Add Options

Botimum offers a variety of poll types to suit different needs:

• MULTIPLE_CHOICE: Participants select one or more options from a list.
• RATINGS_0_10: Rate an item on a scale of 0 to 10.
• RATINGS_1_5: Rate an item on a scale of 1 to 5.
• AGREE_DISAGREE: Participants indicate their agreement or disagreement with a statement.
• SATISFY: Measure satisfaction levels.
• YES_NO: A simple yes or no poll.
• OPEN_ENDED: Participants provide their responses in free-text format.

In the "Options" field, list the possible responses for your poll. For example, if you choose MULTIPLE_CHOICE, you might list options like:

• Monday
• Tuesday

For RATINGS_0_10 or RATINGS_1_5, participants will rate based on the scale you select. For AGREE_DISAGREE or SATISFY, predefined options will be used.

Select the Channel for the Poll

Choose the Slack channel where you want the poll to be run. Make sure @Botimum is a member of the selected channel. 

Add Context (Optional)

If you’d like, you can provide additional context for your poll by adding a URL or a brief description. This could include links to related resources or an explanation of why the poll is being conducted.

Set the Start Time

Botimum allows you to schedule your poll based on your specific needs:

• One-Shot Poll:

  • Immediate: The poll will start as soon as it’s created.
  • Future Time: Schedule the poll to start at a specific time and date in the future.

• Recurring Poll:

  • Daily: The poll will recur every day at the specified time.
  • Weekly: Choose specific days of the week for the poll to recur.
  • Monthly: Set the poll to recur on a particular day each month.

When setting the schedule, simply choose the option that best suits your requirements. The "Next Poll" field will display the scheduled time based on your selected settings.

Configure Poll Settings

After setting up your poll question and schedule, you can further customize your poll with the following settings:

• Poll will automatically close after (minutes):
  Set a timer for how long the poll will remain open. Enter the number of minutes before the poll automatically closes. If set to 0, the poll will remain open until manually closed. Once the poll started, you can also close it manually.

• Make Poll Anonymous:
  Enable this option to keep the identity of respondents anonymous. This encourages more honest feedback by ensuring that individual responses cannot be traced back to specific users.

• Allow Adding Choices:
  If enabled, participants can add their own options to the poll. These new options will be available for everyone to select, making the poll more dynamic and inclusive.

• Allow Multiple Choices:
  By activating this setting, participants can select more than one option in response to the poll. This is useful for questions where multiple answers may be relevant.

• Show Poll Result:
  Choose whether to display the poll results in real-time as participants vote. If you prefer to keep results hidden until the poll closes, you can later opt to send the final results to your team.

These settings give you control over how your poll operates and how results are managed, allowing you to tailor each poll to your specific requirements.

2. Launch the Poll

Once you’ve filled in all the necessary details, review your settings. If everything looks good, go ahead and launch your poll. Botimum will post the poll in the selected Slack channel, and your team members can start voting right away.

Accessing Poll Results

Once your poll is complete, the results will be displayed directly in the Slack poll message card, providing immediate feedback to your team. This real-time display allows participants to see how the group responded as soon as the poll closes.

Additionally, poll results are accessible from the Botimum web console. By logging into the web console, you can view not only the results of the current poll but also gain deeper insights into historical data, particularly for recurring polls. The web console offers detailed analytics and trends over time, helping you make more informed decisions based on past poll data.

3. Managing a Poll

Once you have created a poll, you may need to manage it to ensure it meets your needs. Here’s how to effectively manage your poll:

• Access the Poll Management Interface:
  You can access the poll management interface using the /botimum slash command in Slack or by logging into the Botimum web console.

• Edit Poll Details:
  If you need to change the question, options, or type of poll, select the poll from the dashboard and choose to edit its details.

• Adjust Poll Settings:
  Modify settings such as the anonymity of responses, whether to allow multiple choices, and how the results are displayed.

• Schedule Changes:
  If you need to adjust the polling schedule, you can do so from the management interface, whether it’s a one-time or recurring poll.

• Close the Poll:
  When you’re ready to close the poll, select the option to end it. This will finalize the results and prevent further responses.

• Delete the Poll:
  If you decide that the poll is no longer needed, you can delete it from the management interface. Warning: Deleting a poll will remove all associated data, including responses and results.

By utilizing these management options, you can ensure that your polls remain relevant and engaging for your team.

Tips for Effective Polls

• Keep It Simple: Clear and concise questions get better responses. Avoid complex or ambiguous language.
• Choose the Right Channel: Make sure your poll is posted in the channel where the relevant participants are active.
• Use Polls Regularly: Polls are a great way to engage your team and make decisions quickly. Use them regularly to gather feedback and opinions.