Some activities vary from quick icebreakers to longer games, thereby ensuring that there is something for any kind of meeting and team character.
Sharing the Best and Worst Moments of the Week
Start your meetings by “Sharing the Best and Worst Moments of the Week.” Each member of your team shares “high” and “low” moments on a rotational basis. This simple exercise spreads out sincerity as well as improves understanding among themselves to foster relationship building.
Highs and Lows Activity Steps
- Team members share their “low” moments of the week.
- This will be followed by sharing their highest point.
- Everyone should listen attentively while providing supportive comments or suggestions.
Apart from breaking the ice, this activity also facilitates a supportive atmosphere where members feel recognized and listened to.
Fun and Unique Icebreaker Questions
To begin with, fun and unique icebreaker questions can be asked during these meetings. Instead of asking the usual ones, find out what people think about career advice or which karaoke song they love most. They can be humorous or insightful, creating more rapport among everybody.
Examples of Icebreaker Questions
- For your career, which piece of advice has been most helpful?
- What song do you use for karaoke when the need arises?
- What did you have to eat first thing this morning?
- Which person professionally motivates you?
- In the next five years, what are your greatest aspirations?
They can help begin interesting conversations and enable members of a team to understand each other’s characters and dreams.
Interactive Conference Call Bingo
Make longer meetings more engaging with Conference Call Bingo. Create bingo cards with items specific to your team, such as “someone wearing glasses” or “CEO takes a sip of water.” This game encourages attentiveness and adds a fun competitive element to the call.
Creating Your Bingo Cards
- List common phrases or actions specific to your team.
- Use a bingo card generator to create the cards.
- Distribute the cards before the meeting and explain the rules.
Playing bingo during a call can keep the team engaged and attentive, transforming mundane meetings into enjoyable experiences.
Show and Tell: Pet Edition
Brighten up your meetings with a “Show and Tell: Pet Edition.” Allow team members to show off their pets during the call. This activity boosts morale and can become a fun tradition. You can even give awards for the most creative pet names or feature a “pet of the month” in your internal communications.
Organizing a Pet Show and Tell
- Allocate 5 minutes for the activity.
- Encourage team members to introduce their pets and share fun facts.
- Consider giving out awards for creativity or unique pet stories.
Pet of the Month
Feature a “Pet of the Month” in your internal email bulletin. This can motivate team members to participate and look forward to future meetings.
Quick and Fun Scavenger Hunts
Organize a quick scavenger hunt to energize your team. Give team members a time limit to find specific items around their home. This activity provides a fun break and gives everyone something to discuss.
Scavenger Hunt Items
- Favorite mug
- A souvenir from a vacation
- An online shopping box
- A movie from before 2010
- A high school or college diploma
Conducting the Scavenger Hunt
You should follow just a few steps:
- Set a 5-minute time limit.
- Announce the items to be found.
- Have team members show their items on camera when they return.
This activity is a great way to inject energy into a meeting and prompt spontaneous sharing among team members.
Virtual Background Challenges
Encourage creativity with virtual background challenges. Ask team members to use themed backgrounds related to holidays, seasons, or personal interests. Discussing these backgrounds at the start of the meeting helps break the ice and sparks conversations.
Suggested Themes for Virtual Backgrounds
You can use these ideas:
- The best place you’ve ever travelled
- Favourite sports team
- The best gift you’ve ever received
- Your “current mood”
- Something you collect
How to Organize Virtual Background Challenges
- Issue the topic before the meeting.
- Assign a few minutes at the beginning of the meeting for everyone to talk about themselves.
- Nurture creativity and individuality.
Such encounters enable members to share their identities and hobbies, which can be an effective way of encouraging team spirit in the organization.
As a result, introducing these activities into your video meetings will greatly improve team cohesion and participation, thereby enhancing motivation. From personal stories to virtual background games and scavenger hunts, you name it, depending on your teamwork dynamics.