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More Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers
November 11, 2008
"Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers, Chapter 3" by Brian Cole Miller
By Brian Cole Miller
Here are some more quick meeting openers from "Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers, Chapter 3" by Brian Cole Miller:
CHAMPIONS
This is. . .An icebreaker activity in which participants introduce each other so that others see what strengths they have.
Use it to. . .Introduce participants to each other in a positive, upbeat way that emphasizes each participant's value to the group.
Best group size. . .Up to about 20.
Materials you'll need. . .No materials are necessary for this activity.
Here's how. . .
1. Have participants pair up.
2. Allow 5 minutes for participants to interview each other and learn more about each other.
3. Each participant then introduces his or her partner to the group.
4. The introduction should "sell" the person on how great he or she is and on how he or she will significantly contribute to the meeting or the task at hand.
For example. . .
• "This is Heidee. She's been with the company for only a short time. She brings a different perspective, yes. But more importantly, she's very good at helping people work together. She helps find bridges and commonalities among differing opinions, and she can do this without making anyone feel like they 'won' or 'lost.' "
Tips for success. . .
• Make sure participants understand that the goal is not just to introduce their partner. The goal is to champion them, to show the rest of the group what a great asset their partner is to the meeting, team, or work group.
Try these variations. . .
• Have participants work in teams of three. Two people introduce and champion the third one.
• If time is limited, or if you want to reinforce self-confidence, don't have participants pair up. Rather, each participant introduces himself or herself. During their introduction, participants champion themselves, explaining what value they bring to the group.
• This activity can work for much larger groups by first dividing them into smaller teams.
DO YOU KNOW ME?
This is. . .An icebreaker activity in which participants ask questions of each other about one other person in the group.
Use it to. . .Help large groups mingle a bit and better get to know at least one other person in the group.
Best group size. . .Up to about 40.
Materials you'll need. . .Index cards with a different participant's name on each one.
Here's how. . .
1. Distribute the cards to the participants, making sure no one gets his or her own name.
2. Have the group mingle while holding their cards out and asking, "Do you know me?"
3. When someone answers "yes," the participant will ask a few questions about the name he or she has and can jot down notes on the card.
4. Then the two move on and gather more information.
5. After several minutes, have participants find the person whose name they have and introduce themselves briefly.
For example. . .
"Do you know me?"
"Yes."
"Great, so which region do I work in?"
"Region 4."
"Okay, and how long have I worked for this company?"
"Oh, I'd say about 5 years, I think."
Tips for success. . .This activity works best with large groups in which everyone knows only a few participants well.
Try these variations. . .
• For smaller groups: after step 4, have each participant introduce the person whose name they researched.
• This activity also works well when two groups that know themselves but not each other are coming together. In this case, make sure they all get each other's names.
HANDSHAKES
This is. . .An icebreaker activity in which participants mingle and shake hands with each other several different ways.
Use it to. . .Loosen the group up, meet several other participants, and get physically active.
Best group size. . .Unlimited.
Materials you'll need. . .No materials are necessary for this activity.
Here's how. . .
1. All participants mingle with each other.
2. Participants shake hands with the first three people they meet and then introduce themselves.
3. Participants give a "high five" greeting to the next five people they meet and then introduce themselves.
4. Participants "hit the rock" (butt fists together) with the next three people they meet and then introduce themselves.
5. Participants create their own unique greeting (different from a handshake, high five, or fist butting) and use it with the next three people they meet and then introduce themselves.
For example. . .Amanda has met three people. Adam has met only two. When Adam and Amanda meet, Adam will shake hands with Amanda before introducing himself. Amanda will then give Adam a high five before she introduces herself.
Tips for success. . .Always follow the protocol. It may help to post the order for all to see.
Try these variations. . .Have participants go in order of the greetings for three rounds. Rather than greet the first three people with a handshake, greet the first with a handshake, the second with a high five, and so on. After all four greetings have been used, go back to the first one (the handshake) again, and so on.
LOGOS
This is . . .An icebreaker activity in which participants put a logo on their name tag that they most identify with.
Use it to. . .Help large groups start to learn each other's names and get to know each other better.
Best group size. . .Unlimited.
Materials you'll need. . .
• A name tag for each participant.
• A pen for each participant.
Here's how. . .
1. Have participants write their name on their name tag.
2. Next to their name, participants are to put a corporate logo that they identify with strongly.
3. Have the participants mingle, sharing with each other why they chose the logo they did.
For example. . .
"My name is Rosie, and this logo is the Nike swoosh. I chose it because I tend to be impulsive and 'just do it' when faced with a situation. I also like sports."
"My name is Kiki, and this logo is from a bed and breakfast I stayed at in Portland, Maine. I identify with it because it just feels calm and even keeled, which is what everyone says I am: calm and even keeled."
Tips for success. . .Allow the group to use logos that are famous or create their own. Beware that creating their own will take most participants much more time, though.
Try these variations. . .
• Rather than logos, have participants use a famous tag line or marketing slogan.
• Break the group into small teams of four to six members. Have the team choose a logo that best represents them. Alternatively, choose a logo that best represents the project or the whole work group they belong to.
MIND READER
This is. . .An icebreaker activity in which participants ask each other yes/no questions in an effort to guess what is on the other's mind.
Use it to. . .Help large groups start meeting each other.
Best group size. . .Unlimited.
Materials you'll need. . .No materials are necessary for this activity.
Here's how. . .
1. Participants mingle freely.
2. Each participant tries to read someone else’s mind by coming up with an idea and then testing it by asking yes/no questions.
3. As long as the response is "yes," participants keep asking more questions. Once a response is "no," it is the other person's turn to ask questions.
4. When a "no response" is given, both move on to other people.
For example. . .
"Do you love chocolate?"
"Yes."
"I knew it! And do you eat chocolate at least every day?"
"Yes."
"And is your favorite chocolate dark chocolate?"
"No."
"Hmm, okay, your turn."
"Okay, do you wish you were somewhere else than here?"
"Yes."
"Do you wish you could be at the beach relaxing with a Margarita in one hand and a good book in the other?"
"No."
(Both participants find a new partner to mind read.)
Tips for success. . .
• Don't limit the topics. Half the fun is the way different people will ask about bizarrely different topics.
• Encourage them to not try too hard—it's supposed to be more fun than accurate!
Try these variations. . .
• Have the group form trios to ask the questions, two on one.
• Provide focus by giving the group a topic to learn about. For example, the goal could be to mind read others’ favorite food, so the participants ask questions only about food.
MY LETTER
This is. . .An icebreaker activity in which participants introduce themselves with words that all begin with the same letter—a letter they chose for themselves.
Use it to. . .Help groups get to know each other better than just their names.
Best group size. . .Up to about 20.
Materials you'll need. . .No materials are necessary for this activity.
Here's how. . .
1. Have everyone select a letter from the alphabet and announce it to the group or at least to a neighbor.
2. Give participants 2 minutes to think of as many words as they can to describe themselves. All words must begin with their chosen letter.
3. Have each participant share the words with the group.
For example. . .
"My name is Amin, and my letter is K. The K words that describe me are kind, knuckleheaded, kisser, and king-like."
"My name is Greta. My letter is P. My words are patient, practical, (o)pinionated, and pretty creative!"
Tips for success. . .
• When sharing the words, participants do not elaborate or embellish, just say the words.
• It's okay if several people choose the same letter.
Try these variations. . .
• Have participants write their words down and mingle with others, showing their words but not talking. They are encouraged to later follow up with people they found intriguing.
• Have participants post their words with their names on the walls for everyone to view throughout the day.
• This activity can work for much larger groups by first dividing the group into smaller teams.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONS
This is. . .An icebreaker activity in which participants write a physical description of themselves and then others try to match the descriptions with the right person.
Use it to. . .Help the participants meet each other quickly.
Best group size. . .Up to about 40.
Materials you'll need. . .
• An index card for each participant.
• A pen for each participant.
Here's how. . .
1. Give participants 3 minutes to write a physical description of themselves on their cards.
2. Shuffle the cards and redistribute them, one to each participant.
3. Participants read the description on their card, find the person who wrote it, and introduce themselves to that person.
For example. . .
"I'm average height for a man. I shave my head bald and have a goatee. I have blue eyes and a fair complexion."
"I'm short, fat, and old! Actually, I just look old. I got this gray hair long before I should have. Also, I'm only a little fat. I need to lose about 25 pounds."
Tips for success. . .
• Encourage participants to write legibly so that others can easily read the description.
• Make sure no one gets his or her own card.
• Instruct participants not to include a description of the clothes they are wearing (this makes it too easy).
• Help participants who are having trouble finding the person described on the card.
Try these variations. . .
• For smaller groups, after step 2, participants try to guess who their card belongs to (without asking anyone) and write that person's name on the back. Then, participants swap cards and do the same with the next card. After several rounds, continue with step 3.
• This activity can work for much larger groups by first dividing them into smaller teams.
SURVIVOR
This is. . .An icebreaker activity in which participants mingle with a team and then vote two members off of the team.
Use it to. . .Warm up the group and have some fun.
Best group size. . .Unlimited.
Materials you'll need. . .No materials are necessary for this activity.
Here's how. . .
1. Have the group divide into teams of five to seven members.
2. Allow 5 minutes for team members to introduce themselves and get to know each other a little bit.
3. Tell the teams they must now vote two people off of their team by choosing the two who "fit in with the group a little bit too well" (leave this ambiguous!).
4. Those voted off now go join other teams. Each team can take only two new members in, and they can't both be from the same prior team.
5. Give the teams 5 more minutes to get acquainted with their new members.
Tips for success. . .Don't give any more information about how the teams are to vote people off. Let them create their own criteria.
Try these variations. . .
• Have teams vote people off who would make the best leader or the best communicator or some other complimentary attribute.
• Play another round. This time the team members who were voted off during the first round are immune to the next voting. Alternatively, they are the only ones who vote this time.
TWO CIRCLES
This is. . .An icebreaker activity in which participants form two circles and introduce themselves to each other in the circles.
Use it to. . .Help people meet and get to know each other quickly.
Best group size. . .Unlimited.
Materials you'll need. . .No materials are necessary for this activity.
Here's how. . .
1. Divide the group in half.
2. Form two circles, one inside the other.
3. The participants in the inside circle face the participants in the outside circle.
4. All participants have 30 seconds to introduce themselves to the person opposite them in the other circle.
5. After 30 seconds, everyone takes a large step to the right, faces another person in the other circle, and again introduces himself or herself to the person opposite.
Tips for success. . .It helps to give participants one or two topics to discuss as they introduce themselves (favorite animal, number of years in their field, birthplace, etc.).
Try these variations. . .
• Rather than taking one step to the right, have the circles walk in opposite directions until you give the signal to stop, meet, and greet.
• After several rounds, have participants turn to the people on either side of them within their own circle to introduce themselves.
Adapted from QUICK MEETING OPENERS FOR BUSY MANAGERS by Brian Cole Miller © 2008 Brian Cole Miller. All rights reserved. Published by AMACOM Books.
www.amacombooks.org. Division of American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.
Sales & Marketing Management Magazine
This article is brought to you by Sales & Marketing Management, the leading authority for executives in the sales and marketing field.
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