Fun and Funny check-ins are the best antidote to the isolation your team feels from sheltering in place and running only virtual meetings. If you would like to see my video about these fun check-ins, click here.
Fun is the opposite of boring and we all know what boring meetings feel like. Now that we are virtual full time, keeping meetings fun and productive is even more of a challenge. Doing a five to ten minute fun check-in will help your people enjoy the meeting more, get to know each other better, help them share, build trust, and create a positive atmosphere.
Fun and play are so important to connection. Laughter reduces pain and anxiety, increases job performance, and connects people emotionally. We often say “Laughter, is the best medicine!” Creating a fun environment for your meeting is one way of effectively managing and improving employees’ emotions. It is also proven that fun improves teamwork, builds trusting relationships, and increases employee retention.
As Groucho Marx said, “If you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong.”
Here are 5 ideas for fun ways to start your meetings:
1. TikTok and video shares. TikTok videos are just 15 to 60 seconds, and they are hysterical! Ask everyone to find and bring a funny video to share with the group
2. Make it a contest! Anything can become friendly competition – how about a TP count, and the lowest count wins!
3. Funny Questions. Add one of these check-ins into your meeting:
- If you were a vegetable, which vegetable would you be?
- If you woke up tomorrow morning as an animal, what would it be and why?
- If you were a candy bar, which candy bar would you be? Share why.
- Are you spring, summer, fall, or winter? Please share why.
4. Start your meeting with having everybody change their screen name in zoom to the food they are stockpiling. Renaming is available in the meeting’s participants list.
5. 2 truths and a lie. This oldie but goodie can be played with each person in turn sharing two truths and a lie and the group picking out which is the lie. This is not only fun but you get to learn a lot about people!
Remember, you can also use these ice breakers as energizing breaks during a longer meeting, or as check outs at the end of a meeting. Any way you use them, it will bring fun and connection to your team.
Now more than ever it is essential to start your virtual meetings with some sort of ice breaker to allow people to connect and have fun together. If you have spent time and focus building a culture of cohesion and positive engagement, don’t let this crisis completely undo your efforts. When things get back to normal, people will remember your positive leadership in this crisis.
If you would like to have more support around virtual meeting skills and facilitation techniques, connect with me at EngagingPlay.com to discuss how I can help you and your team.
Stay safe and well and know we are still connected!
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