Web Conference Top 4 Meeting Icebreakers
Tyler Vaughn
Nothing's worse than a stuffy meeting, except maybe a meeting where everyone's afraid to participate. We all know a quick icebreaker can kick things up a notch, but sometimes we forget to include online meetings.
Being in an online meeting is intimidating for many people. They don't know the web conference technology, are unsure how to break in and comment politely, and don't have nonverbal cues to tell them how comments are received.
If you're running an online meeting you'll want at least one of these icebreaker tips:
1. Tell them who you are
You'll always want to at least have everyone introduce themselves. (If I'm in a meeting I want to know who else is on the call, don't you?) If it makes sense for your meeting, have them add something person about themselves. I like to guide the personal side with a question -- favorite pet, something fun about themselves we may not know, best vacation spot, you get the drift.
2. Try a lead-in question
Use a topic-related icebreaker to set the stage for the meeting. (I like icebreakers that do double duty.) For example, ask attendees what question they're hoping to answer, or what problem they most want to solve. Check to see if your web conference software has online chat. If it does you can have participants type their answers and get oriented to the software's feature.
3. Visuals rule
If you use a visual icebreaker attendees will get a chance to make sure their web conference client software works right. Have a visual puzzle? Display it. Not much for pictures? Try putting a few movie quotes on a powerpoint slide and asking where they came from. Or a riddle. Or a sentence completion puzzle.
4. Try a webinar survey
Surveys let attendes participate semi-anonymously. The shyer folks may be more willing to join in and get comfortable. Try one if your software supports group surveys.
Ready for your next online meeting? Take a minute and plan an icebreaker. You'll be glad you did.
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