2 x Quick & Easy Icebreakers for Meetings

Continuing the series of videos I have produced with good friend and colleague Chad Littlefield, this week’s post highlights two of our all-time favourite icebreakers for meetings.

As we mention in the first few seconds of our recording, we have led these two super-easy, simple & fun icebreakers with 100K+ people, and they have not flopped yet!

Enjoy!

ps: be sure to watch to the end to catch the links to some free bonuses.

Say NO to Dull Meetings That Don’t Start on Time

If you are like most people, you probably feel that most meetings you attend are either unnecessary, dull or both.

Chad and I are on a mission to transform your meeting experiences to something that (a) people are motivated to attend on time, and (b) are enjoyable and productive.

But first, a disclaimer – there is no icebreaker or team experience we know that can excuse meetings that waste people’s time. For example, if the purpose of your meeting is to communicate some ‘important’ message, write an email. In most cases, meetings are only helpful if they intend to speed up the decision-making process.

So, presuming there is a GOOD reason to be meeting, why not leverage the tangible results of getting together?

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Here is a quick overview of each to the two activities we share in the video:

Story of Your Name

This partner-sharing exercise is described in the video but click here if you want to see me introduce it to a real group. You will note that my particular story often triggers laughter at the end, but humour is not the critical ingredient. It’s success is found in the sharing between two people, not to mention the energy generated in the room.

Imagine, starting your meeting with this type of energy. It will take all of 2 to 3 minutes before you move on your agenda. At first glance, it may seem that this experience is utterly irrelevant to the purpose of your meeting, indeed, your business. But, a second glance will reveal that it is inextricably woven into the success of your group because it helps to build and strengthen relationships. And there is NO group or business I know that could not benefit from this type of investment.

Story Swap

Armed with a deck of We Connect Cards, or a bunch of Ice-Breaker Question Exchange cards (you can freely download,) you will be equipped with dozens of ways to invite your group to play, interact and share with one another.

And as described above, you can never have too much interaction and sharing in a group.

In the context of a meeting, it could look like this: as your group starts to arrive, invite them to grab a random card sitting on the table as they enter your room, and ask them to find a partner to share with. Then, swap cards and repeat with a new person, perhaps someone who has just arrived.

Do this for a few minutes, maybe even earlier than the scheduled meeting time, and you will note a look of bemusement when your latecomers arrive. They will sense that they have missed something, something fun. And, tingling with a sense of FOMO – a fear of missing out – they are more likely to turn up on time next time. Or not, it’s their choice, but at least you have taken some responsibility for giving your team a reason for turning up on time. This is what I call the unofficial start principle.

The variations are endless, but you may choose to pose one or more of these questions within the context of your circumstances, eg school, business or community group context. For example, one question asks “What is stuck to your refrigerator door?” You could ask people to pair up and share what is stuck to the wall or cubicle or room where they work. Same same.

Again, success is found in the sharing, not so much in the question. That said, the types of questions you ask do matter, which is why we recommend the We Connect Cards or the questions you can download from Ice-breaker Question Exchange.

Looking for More Icebreakers for Meetings?

Contributor Mark