For many of us, the past 19 months have been disconcerting. For some, we’ve experienced working remotely, virtually connecting with our teams, and serving our clients and members in an online world.
For those of us who are preparing to spend more in-person time with others, and for those of us who continue to minimize our in-person contact during the pandemic, things can still feel awkward. As we enter any type of human interaction, we may wonder: Will we remember how to interact with one another? How much about each other will we recall after a long time working apart? Will we need to rebuild social skills that were once second nature?
We at MHQ have found that ice breakers can be a fun, low-pressure way to help folks re-connect. They can build stronger, trusting bonds, and even help to increase productivity. Here are three ways that we at MHQ “break the ice” in our full team meetings:
- How We Lived Our Values. Our team members take turns sharing how we have lived the MHQ values of Compassion, Openness, Service and Integrity. Typically, folks share how we witnessed and appreciated another team member living these values.
- Personal or Professional Proud. We ask our team to share something that they are particularly proud of accomplishing, either professionally or personally. With this, we’ve gotten to know one another more deeply and have celebrated life occasions with one another. Some recent highlights include children earning drivers’ licenses, new pet adoptions, engagements, and community service.
- Headlines. We start every meeting by asking folks to share “headlines” or key happenings that relate to what we are meeting about. Sometimes, we stick to the business of the meeting, sometimes we get a little goofy and have some fun with headlines. Weather reports, lunch menus, and minor injuries have all been included in recent meeting “headlines”.
Overall, the purpose of an ice breaker is to notice and appreciate the humans with whom we are spending time. These activities can help us connect and enjoy one another as we prepare to produce great results together.
About MHQ
Management HQ (MHQ) is an accredited, full-service association management company. Our diverse team does our work through a lens of equity. We support boards so boards can focus on mission. MHQ manages the full business of client membership-based organizations, including providing each client an executive director and a full management and operations team. MHQ serves associations and their members in these sectors: Government, Information Sciences / Education, Human Services, and Identity-based Associations. For more about MHQ, visit https://www.management-hq.com/.
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