Office meeting games are used as icebreakers or as a springboard for team building. The right games can help launch meetings with a positive tone, get training off to a good start, and forge new relationships in a team building effort.
Do Games Belong In Office Meetings?
Some people may argue that an office meeting is no place for games, but in actuality choosing the right games can make a big difference in the effectiveness of your meeting. In fact, when the right games are added to the agenda it can be an asset to accomplishing your training or team building objectives. Using games effectively within the business meeting setting can even boost your reputation as an effective facilitator.
One factor to consider when choosing games to be used in an office meeting setting is the size of the group. Some games work better for smaller groups and others are designed for more people.
Icebreaker Office Meeting Games
Office meeting icebreaker games are used in settings where most of the people don't know each other. They provide the perfect way to ease into introductions. Games chosen for the purpose of helping "break the ice" need to be easy to understand and should cause those in the meeting to mix. Icebreaker games provide a way to learn names of those in attendance in a more natural conversational exchange. Often these games include some kind of neutral challenge that gets everyone talking.
Choosing the Right Icebreaker
While icebreakers can put people at ease and help attendees get beyond the awkwardness of meeting with a bunch of strangers, a poorly chosen icebreaker can do more damage than good. Here are a few things to ask yourself when choosing your icebreaker:
- How big is the group attending the meeting?
- What is the purpose of your office meeting?
- What is the reason for the icebreaker? Is it to learn names or something else? (Choose an appropriate icebreaker designed to get the results you're looking for. For example, use a short effective icebreaker to boost energy, or a longer icebreaker when you want participants to learn more about each other.)
- How much preparation and what materials are required?
- How much time will it take to play the game?
Icebreaker Resources
If you're looking for a selection of icebreaker games, the following resources will get your started:
Team Building Games
Team building games are used to offer context to help teach teams to work together more effectively. When choosing a team building game, if you have plans for an outdoor game, be sure to plan a back up indoor game in case the weather doesn't cooperate with your agenda. The following list offers a nice selection of games that promote team building:
Hints to Help Make Games Work for You
- Using games in an office meeting setting may take some creativity on your part. If you find the perfect game but it is for a small group and your have too many people, consider breaking your larger group into smaller ones with maybe four or five people in each.
- It's also a good idea to be prepared with more than one game. If you're first game falls flat, be ready to pull another out of you hat to keep momentum going.
- Be flexible. Icebreakers don't always have to be used at the start of the meeting. Adding it later in the agenda may prove to give a boost to lagging energy levels and may just be what you need to spur creativity.
- If you're in charge of the office meeting games, make yourself a checklist to be sure you have all the items required to play the game.
