Who says remote meetings should be boring? We all spend too long sitting at computers doing things like checking emails and sending messages. Hence, I’m saying “no” to dull meetings. Remote meetings are essential to keep your business going through these times, so they shouldn’t be boring. For many employees, online meetings are the only contact they will have with other people during the average work day. So do something fun to make these gatherings enjoyable for everyone and give a positive vibe to your company’s culture! Have an icebreaker and make sure no one gets left out!
What is an icebreaker?
It can be any activity that gets participants talking with each other. It can also help create instant rapport between new contacts or old friends.
Why use an icebreaker in a Virtual Meeting?
The most common reason we need icebreakers during our remote meetings is that there is so much time spent just waiting around before starting work and when working together. If this happens, people start feeling bored and disengaged, which could lead to them leaving early or, even worse, being rude to others who want to contribute. To avoid this, icebreakers remind everyone that the other people in the meeting are human, too, at a time when we can no longer shake hands or even make real eye contact.
Here are three simple ideas worth trying:
1) Ask questions – Everyone loves answering questions, especially if it’s from someone they don’t know very well.
2) Tell stories – This works best if you ask your team members to tell their favorite story within a group setting.
3) Play games – Games such as “Would You Rather…” are easy ways to pass the time while still keeping everyone involved.
Here are three fun icebreakers that you should try on your next virtual team meeting:
1. Fun Icebreaker questions
You can try these icebreaker questions to start warming strangers up to each other. They can be as simple as “What would you rather eat today?” or “If you had $100,000, what would you buy?”
Whatever you decide to ask, keep it lighthearted. Bonus points if you can come up with questions that have something to do with the topic of the meeting, or which get people telling interesting stories.If you were stranded on an island, who would you rather be stranded with, and why?
– Where would you choose to live if you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything you love with you?
– Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight, or night, and why?
– If you were to write a slogan for your life, what would it be?
– Choose something out of your pocket or purse and let the group know why it’s important to you.
2. Game-ish icebreaker activities
Here is an example of an activity which you can do before you start the meeting.
You can do a scavenger hunt. The idea is you’ll create a list of items or characteristics. You can challenge your teammates to gather the items and show them on-screen to earn points. You can encourage winners of each round to share stories about each item.
Here are some examples to find:
- Something blue
- A book that you didn’t enjoy
- Whatever it is in your jacket
Be creative! The more obscure the object is, the better.
Another idea is to do a four-pictures, one-word activity. Show four pictures that are clues to the word that you’re trying to have the team guess. This activity is not only fun but also helps the team to collaborate in figuring out the answer.
3. Icebreaker Quizzes
A short pop quiz on the board can help loosen everyone up. It also gets them in the right mindset for a meeting. It’s a piece of cake to find quizzes and personality tests on the internet. The sky’s the limit, but try not to be alienating.
You can do quizzes like “Match this line from a 90’s song” to encourage team bonding. You can also do, “Who said this in a movie?” You can even do company history quizzes to encourage newbies to learn more about your company.
Icebreakers are an excellent way to build trust between your team members and help them relax and enjoy their meetings. Running a productive team is essential, especially if you are all working remotely, and giving people opportunities to engage with each other on a personal level is a surefire way to motivate them to help each other.
