The chemical symbol for tungsten is the letter W. Why?Because another name for that element is Wolfram. Did my parents intend the comparison?I have never asked, and yet I do feel something of an affinity for this element: a rare metal, renowned for its robustness and exceptionally wide range of applications! Indeed, like most Hamburg natives, I was always going to be a no-nonsense person.Those qualities served me well in my earlier career in the military, in consulting, and in technology. And they were also in many ways the inspiration behind XLeap, the facilitation software platform I have been working on since 2011 (previously under the MeetingSphere brand). I go to meetings and workshops looking for results. And yet so many meetings - particularly virtual meetings - fail to find the focus needed, fail to draw out all the points of view and insights represented, fail to overcome the social dynamics that create echo chambers around the thoughts of the Highest Paid Person In The Organisation or HIPPO. This is extremely frustrating and often extremely costly. The time of your top people, of hired-in experts, and of professional facilitators is too valuable to permit meetings to end inconclusively. Video conferencing has made meetings more efficient. But are they more effective?XLeap begins where video conferencing ends - providing a set of real-time collaboration tools that enable everyone to participate on equal terms. It goes beyond conversations to allow the content to take centre stage. Expert facilitators can make the process of running a successful meeting or workshop seem like a kind of magic, that’s beyond the reach of people like you and I. XLeap was built to put that magic into the hands of every professional who depends on productive, focused meeting outcomes.We designed it so that consultants and facilitators of almost any discipline can enable their processes and methodologies online - but with a big difference. Instead of simply emulating in-person workshops, XLeap overcomes social and process barriers which keep groups from collaborating at their best.If you would like to find out more about XLeap, please visit https://www.xleap.net/ or connect with me and let’s chat.