Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

BRIAN COLE MILLER is the principal of Working Solutions, Inc., a management training and consulting firm whose clients include Nationwide Insurance, Kellogg's, and the Ohio State University. He is the author of Keeping Employees Accountable for Results and other popular books.

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QUICK MEETING OPENERS FOR BUSY MANAGERS

AMACOM

Contents

Acknowledgments..................................................................ixIntroduction.....................................................................1CHAPTER 1. Activities That Are Super Quick and Easy..............................5CHAPTER 2. Activities for Grouping People........................................11CHAPTER 3. Icebreakers for Introductions.........................................23CHAPTER 4. Activities Best for Small Groups (Under 20)...........................61CHAPTER 5. Activities Best for Large Groups (12 to 40)...........................97CHAPTER 6. Activities Best for Huge Groups (Up to a Billion).....................125Index............................................................................169About the Author.................................................................175

Chapter One

All the activities in this book are quick and easy. But sometimes you don't have even 5 minutes to prepare for an activity. In these cases, use one of the following two meeting openers or one of the dozens of variations listed. Both of these activities are the quickest and easiest to facilitate ever!

What these two activities lack in terms of a "wow" factor, they make up for with maximum flexibility for use with any group size, group configuration, time frame, materials required (none), and prep time (a few seconds).

IF I WERE A ______

This is ...

* An activity in which participants imagine they are someone or something else and discuss it.

Use it to ...

* Warm up the group before a meeting.

Best group size ...

* Unlimited.

Materials you'll need ...

* No materials are necessary for this activity.

Here's how ...

1. Participants finish the statement, "If I were an animal, I would be a _________ ."

2. Participants form pairs, small teams, or one large circle, or they mingle about to discuss their answers.

For example ... * "If I were an animal, I would be a cheetah. Cheetah's are fast and seem to always be focused on their objective—just like me."

* "If I were an animal, I would be an eagle. I've always wished I could fly!"

Tips for success ...

* Don't give too many examples; let the participants be creative.

* Don't be too strict on the rules. For example, if someone says he or she would be a bee, allow it, even though a bee is an insect, not an animal.

Try these variations ...

If I Were a _______________

* Fruit

* Cartoon character

* Automobile

* Food

* TV/movie character

* Superhero

* Piece of jewelry

* Key on a computer keyboard

* Color

* Toy

* Machine

* Piece of sports equipment

* Beverage

* Monster

* Musical instrument

* Toiletry or grooming accessory

* Piece of clothing

* Dessert

* Magazine

* Item in a mail order catalog

* Foreign country

* Plant

* Appliance

* Piece of furniture

* Item of footwear

QUESTIONS

This is ...

* An activity in which participants respond to a thought-provoking question about themselves.

Use it to ...

* Help a group warm up and start talking.

Best group size ...

* Unlimited.

Materials you'll need ...

* No materials are necessary for this activity.

Here's how ...

1. Participants answer a question, such as, "What's your middle name, and why did your parents give it to you?"

2. Have participants form pairs, small teams, or one large circle or mingle about to discuss their answers.

For example ...

* "My middle name is Kay. I have no idea where it came from. I think my parents just liked the way it went with my first name."

* "My middle name is John. My father wanted to honor some guy named John who had been like a father to him when he was growing up."

* "My parents never gave me a middle name. They assumed I'd get married, take my husband's name as my last name, and then use my last name as my middle name. So far this hasn't worked out for them!"

* "My middle name is Geneal. My mother wanted to name me after her favorite aunt, but my dad wouldn't let her, so they compromised and made her name my middle name."

Tips for success ...

* Don't force people to go in order if you are seated in a circle. Some may need more time to think of a response or get the courage to share their response.

Try these variations ...

* What kind of car do you drive and why?

* What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

* What would you like to be famous for?

* How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

* What's the biggest mistake you've ever made?

* Where would you live if you could live anywhere?

* What's one thing you would like to change about your physical appearance?

* If you could travel in time, when would that be?

* What did you want to be when you grew up?

* What song makes you start to dance every time you hear it?

* What's your best celebrity sighting?

* What is your biggest fear?

* What is one thing you want to be sure to do before you die?

* What habit do you wish you could break?

* Who would you love to have dinner with some evening (choose anyone living or dead)?

* If you were stranded on a deserted island and could have only one thing with you, what would it be?

* If you could have three wishes granted by a genie, what would they be?

* What was your first job?

* What one charity would you give a million dollars to if you could?

* What home improvement project would you love to have done?

* What song always gets stuck in your head once you hear it?

Chapter Two

Often activities work best when people are grouped together somehow—in pair, trios, or small groups—or when the whole group is split in half, into thirds, and so on. This chapter includes dozens of ways to do both.

The first section has techniques for getting participants into a specific size of team—pairs, trios, and foursomes, as well as any other size group you may want.

The second section has methods for getting a group split into a specific number of smaller groups, regardless of their size—two groups, three groups, four groups, as well as any other number of groups you may want from the whole.

When the activities in Chapters 3 through 6 call for the group to be divided up somehow, use these ideas for a seamless experience.

Grouping People by the Size of Team Regardless of the Number of Teams

Use these ideas and instructions for getting the group into pairs:

1. Turn to the person immediately to your left (or right, or behind you, or in front of you).

2. Find one other person with shoes similar to yours.

3. Find someone who lives in a different zip code than you.

4. Find one other person...