Meetings can be a bore. The boss keeps droning on and on while in your mind, you're somewhere else. Then out of the blue, he asks you a question. You're stumped! Time for icebreakers.
Boardroom Scenario
When you have a scheduled board meeting, you know the script. It's the usual song and dance routine. How you wish there could be some meeting icebreakers once in a while like the ones you enjoyed in a regional conference way back. You remember how easy it was to get along with new acquaintances and work together as a team. The meeting icebreakers did that to everybody. These broke the tedium when discussions were becoming a bit too technical or long winded. You agree with yourself that these are the tricks to be adopted and modified for use in the boardroom.
On the way to the meeting, you already imagine co-workers trooping to the boardroom take their seats and try to take the seats farthest away from the boss. So you hurry along, targeting the chair nearest the door before somebody else gets the same idea. You all bring along your laptops or your notepads and pencils (something to doodle with). The moment the boss enters the boardroom, there is a tense silence. Everybody is gauging the boss's mood. When the boss smiles, there's something great going on and everybody relaxes their hackles. When the boss's lips are a thin, straight line, everybody acts like those days when their monthly mortgage payment is overdue. It's real grim when the boss is not feeling kind and this has an impact on the mood of the meeting. But everybody has perfected the art of looking interested and intelligent while the boss jabbers away, so the boardroom is packed with self-made actors.
Get Ideas Going With Meeting Icebreakers
It should not be a fixed notion that small meetings of 10-15 people do not need icebreakers. The boardroom is the sounding board of ideas and strategies. The boss should know how to keep the think-tank going and meeting icebreakers are just what the people need to relax to keep their creative juices flowing.
During small meetings, somebody is assigned or volunteers to be the meeting icebreakers master. He or she simply comes up with little games to defuse tension or break the monotony. One of those icebreakers are brief one-liners.
An example would be naming an animal starting with the first letter of the participants' names. The participants choose the animal best suited to his personality. Another would be a funny action song to stretch arms and legs after sitting too long. These usually generate laughter. But don't make your meeting icebreakers too long or too short. If they're too long, these can distract the participants' attention from the serious issues at hand. If these are too short, the participants feel shortchanged.
Why not whisper to your boss's ear that boardroom icebreakers can help? He or she will be thankful for this suggestion. In the midst of all his work and attendant worries, it is understandable that these icebreakers are overlooked.
You can create meeting icebreakers suited to your type of meeting. One is to ask a question related to your corporate activities answerable by yes or no. Pick out two or three people to elaborate their answers. This will set the tone of the meeting in the right direction.
Go ahead and help your boss. You'll rid the boardroom of the boredom and people will thank you for your smart move.
Related Articles
Our Top 10 Meeting Icebreakers
By: Amy Linley | 18/10/2007 | Human Resources
Getting people comfortable in a group setting before a team meeting can be the best investment of ten to 15 minutes of time that you can make. Ice breakers get creative juices flowing, can increase the exchange of ideas, establish team identity, and create a sense of community. All of these items are important in forging top productive teams. But how do you get people to participate and not feel uncomfortable with an ice breaker?
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Careers Articles
Distribute Your Resume Effectively
By: Jason Kay | 29/08/2008
When you're job hunting, success has everything to do with numbers. The more potential employers have your resume in their hands, the greater the number of interviews you'll be contacted about. And the greater the number of interviews you ace, the likelier you are to not only land a job,...
Gold Jewelry Information And Buying Tips
By: Koz Huseyin | 29/08/2008
Are you looking to buy jewelry made from gold? From karats to online and offline stores, how do you choose the right jewelry made from gold to buy? As you read every word of this article, you will find some great tips to buying gold jewelry.
Work At Home Mom - The Secret To Success
By: Jeff Casmer | 29/08/2008
Becoming a work at home mom can be a trying experience. Your patience is tested. Youre making sacrifices you never expected to and youre taking risks that you never had to before. You are suddenly being challenged within many different realms when you become a work at mom or dad for that matter. But this article is about women.
Real Work at Home Jobs - Why Cant You Find One?
By: Jeff Casmer | 29/08/2008
With the rise of work at home opportunists comes more real work at home jobs. But before you start throwing your hats up in the air consider what youre about to read very carefully. The supply will probably never meet the demand when it comes to real work at home jobs.
What Should You Expect From an Accredited Nursing Online School?
By: Sarah Jones | 28/08/2008
When you train to become a nurse from an accredited nursing online school, you will have the credentials and training required for an exciting career that's both secure and financially rewarding.
How to Follow in the Footsteps of Work at Home Agents
By: Kenneth Shorey | 28/08/2008
There has been much interest in work at home agents. Several companies either allow their employees to work from home, or they outsource the work to people who are able to work from home.
The ability to work from home can be liberating. There is no need to commute, thus saving...
4 Legit Work at Home Jobs You Should Seriously Consider
By: Kenneth Shorey | 28/08/2008
There are many smoke and mirrors in the world on home based employment. Millions of netizens surfing the web are looking for legit work at home jobs. There are many scams on the internet. Until the internet becomes more heavily policed, consumers will have to exercise care and caution when...
Plumber Training - The Basic Need Of Perfect Plumbing
By: James Copper | 28/08/2008
A helpful article that will inform you on how to become a plumber
More from Nahshon Mediros
Effective Collaboration With Collaboration Software
By: Nahshon Mediros | 20/12/2007 | Computers
Whether you're dealing with a tech-phobic sales team or client, there's definitive collaboration software that will make the virtual meeting both convenient and efficient. It's high time to capitalize on the marketing tool, but you can use this too with friends and family. Online collaboration has never been this easy...
Remember The High School Prom? Share Memories With Cool Group Collaboration Software
By: Nahshon Mediros | 20/12/2007 | Relationships
After the much-awaited high school class of 1985 reunion, you've caught up with the lives of your long-lost friends. Keep the momentum going and invite them to fun collaboration. Share photos and experience and just enjoy.
A Hang-Out In the WWW
Yes, you and your friends can hang out on the World...
Lead Your Teen To Online Aa Meetings And Save His Future
By: Nahshon Mediros | 20/12/2007 | Parenting
The worst nightmare every loving parents fear is losing their children to substance addiction. It is often too late that the problem is discovered. Once you detect your teen is mired in this habit, get professional help and lead him to those online AA meetings. The road to recovery is...
Let A Webinar Hosting Service Free You To Read Body Language
By: Nahshon Mediros | 20/12/2007 | Marketing
After stewing over the perfect schedule for a product launch and preparing all the advertising campaigns and materials, your staff will have little energy left over to smooth out the creases for the upcoming webinar. Give them a break and let a webinar hosting service take it from there.
Be On...
A Career In Webinar Hosting? Why Not?
By: Nahshon Mediros | 20/12/2007 | Business
If you're still marinating the thought of a second income generating project, how about a career in webinar hosting? Your ebullience and charisma will carry the whole thing, even if you failed a screen test at Fox Pictures. How about trying it?
What is Webinar Hosting?
If you're beginning to be confused...
Power Up With Powerpoint Presentation Tips
By: Nahshon Mediros | 20/12/2007 | Careers
If you've got something really explosive to say, say it and rev up your showpiece with the PowerPoint presentation tips you've hoarded from various sources. But no matter how much you've loaded up, it's still your game on the line. But practice makes perfect.
Why Dazzle Them With Your PowerPoint Presentation?
Convincing...
In Step With New Technology: Cool Collaboration Tools And Snap Decisions
By: Nahshon Mediros | 20/12/2007 | Computers
Business or not, most decisions must be made in a snap. Now what if you're still using the old technology of distributing emails and waiting for responses from co-workers and clients, or even your friends and relatives? You'll be missing some opportunities if you're not using collaboration tools that go...
Get Rid Of Those Pre-Webinar Blues
By: Nahshon Mediros | 18/12/2007 | Internet
All stressed out for the next webinar for a new product launch? Relax. You just need a few tricks to get your work done without the tension that a frazzled wedding planner undergoes.
101 Details To Look Into
If preparing for a big event is not your specialty, you have to prepare...
Careers 
