I recently got back from a work retreat which was a good way to start another business year (insert smiling smiley) it was an exclusive time for staff to get together, have fun, brainstorm, and check in on certain pertinent developments within the organization, I couldn’t help but notice how well I got to know my colleagues and it hit me that I didn’t have to wait around for another annual work retreat to bond with my TEAMMATES after all we are a team right?
I decided to adapt creative staff meeting ideas from high-performing companies I would love to share with you because there’s no reason why we can’t have a fun staff meeting with high levels of event engagement.
GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH YOUR INNER CHILD
Who said coloring is just for kids? Choose a day of the week to include this activity Maybe on Thursdays and host a creative brainstorming session. Where staff can talk, color, and decompress together before finishing the week strong. this will help foster Engagement with employees while stimulating their minds in a whole new way which can promote out of the box thinking.
MAKE THEM DROP AND GIVE YOU 50
Imagine if my company decides that keeping meetings on track and on time is so important to their productivity that if they were forced to extend beyond the scheduled time, the last person to walk in would have to do 50 pushups. This physical challenge is a funny gag that inevitably will lead to team bonding.
DONATIONS
Introduce a put their money where their mouths are jars at internal meetings to help punctuality. At every meeting, set a stopwatch for 10 minutes, any employee that comes in after the stipulated time is asked to a certain amount into their team fun jar. This Fun rewards mixed with a little friendly public humiliation typically make for a productive internal meeting atmosphere or Have a strict policy for phones being on silent or switched off during internal staff meetings. To support this, you can introduce a rule where staff whose phones ring during meetings are made to donate to the company’s fun jar. Not only will it cut down on disruption during the event, it will also help towards funding staff fun days such as TGIFs.
(image of a money jar)
START AT A WEIRD TIME
Switch up your meeting time, choose unusual start times (like 8:48am) so employees can remember when they’re supposed to arrive. The extra effort required to register and remember such an odd number in their otherwise uniform schedule helps them stay on track. As an added bonus, it also serves as a little memory game for participants.
CREATE A UNIQUE RITUAL
This is an interesting idea for starting or ending meetings. Introduce what is called a “moment of Zen”. During this moment, take time as a group, to learn something new or reflect on their day. Oftentimes you can share an inspiring quote or a fun news tidbit. Sometimes team members will highlight interesting notes from the work of other colleagues during the week.
By zooming out of their immediate business, the team is able to bond over bigger picture ideas. This relationship building tactic helps build stronger collaboration over time. You can also merge team-building with refreshments on breaks especially for long meetings, this break has to be rejuvenating and focused with variety of tasks and games that require team collaboration. Try solving puzzles, performing short skits, interviewing each other about their childhood dreams, and everything in between. This breaks up the pace of what could otherwise be a series of presentations or reports and brings in a refreshing and productive alternative. Games plus food, what’s not to love?
SHOOT SOME HOOPS
It makes sense that a gaming company would use a game to influence the success of their internal meetings. We know that physical activity is a great way to both access to parts of the mind we don’t use while seated at a desk and give a daily work routine a much needed breather. They find the quick games of basketball help them think more creatively while adding an element of play to the process. Whether you have direct access to a professional court or use a door hanger nets, it’s possible to incorporate this sporty element into any internal meeting setting.
Remember no matter what you choose to include, meetings are a great way to continue bringing people together and pushing them towards their highest potential.
