Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers: More Than 50 Icebreakers, Energizers, and Other Creative Activities That Get Results - Softcover

Miller, Brian Cole

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0814409334 ISBN 13: 9780814409336

Publisher: AMACOM, 2008

Synopsis

How effective a meeting will be depends on the tone set in the first few minutes...and it's up to the person running it to set that tone. Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers gives readers the tools, activities, and advice they need to create the kind of open, energetic, and relaxed atmosphere that lead to effective meetings and serious results. Designed to take the anxiety out of meetings and encourage creative and practical discussion, the book contains meeting starters that will help managers, team leaders, and facilitators: ease introductions for people who don't know each other • warm up the group before moving them into more difficult territory • generate lively dialogue and sharing of ideas • effectively split attendees up into work groups • expedite brainstorming and promote problem-solving • and more For anyone charged with the task of running meetings, this book is the answer.

About this title

About the Author

Jerry S. Wilson (Atlanta, GA) is a noted speaker and senior vice president at The Coca-Cola Company.

Ira Blumenthal (Atlanta, GA) is a highly respected brand consultant, author, speaker, and university educator who has counseled high-profile brand clients such as Coca-Cola, Disney, Marriott, Nestlé, and American Airlines.

From the Back Cover

If you could corner the world’s top financial advisors and convince them to divulge the secrets of their success, it’s fairly obvious what questions you would ask them. You would want to find out what qualities they feel have led to their place among the best, how they set themselves apart from other advisors, what methods they used to get their first—and then, biggest—clients, and whether they had a vision starting out and how their professional game plan may have evolved since then. You would ask them how they structure their time, focus their marketing efforts, and determine their own niche. And then you would try to figure out what these top-of-the-game advisors all had in common.

Based on interviews with 15 mega-successful advisors, each doing millions of dollars worth of business every year, The Million-Dollar Financial Advisor distills their universal success principles into 13 distinct lessons, covering topics essential to your own success, such as how to build and focus on client relationships, have a top advisor mindset, develop a long-term approach, and much more.

In some cases, these principles may confirm what you are currently doing right; in others, they will identify a gap in your business practice that needs to be developed for you to attain the level of success you know you deserve.

The book lays out specific actions you can take in order to put these lessons into practice for your own business — and features two complete case studies: one of a “best of the best” advisor whose incredible career trajectory showcases the power of all the book’s principles working together; the other of a remarkable and inspiring career turnaround demonstrating that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.

Brimming with practical advice from author David J. Mullen Jr. and expert insights from his interview subjects, The Million-Dollar Financial Advisor is a priceless success tool for any and all financial advisors.

Praise for David J. Mullen Jr.’s The Million-Dollar Financial Services Practice:

“…information on marketing, prospecting, sales, and time management techniques is presented clearly and in great detail. The book is one advisors will refer to often.” — Research Magazine

“…filled with valuable information from a smart manager who has been there and done that successfully.”` — On Wall Street

“…a helpful resource for financial professionals who have the motivation and desire to build and maintain a solid business model.” — Agent’s Sales Journal

“…providing clear…processes for defining and implementing proven marketing tactics for financial practices to use as a guideline… give[s] new and existing owners some food for thought.”— Broker Dealer Journal

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

QUICK MEETING OPENERS FOR BUSY MANAGERS

More Than 50 Icebreakers, Energizers, and Other Creative Activities That Get ResultsBy BRIAN COLE MILLER

AMACOM

Copyright © 2008 Brian Cole Miller
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8144-0933-6

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

Activities That Are Super Quick and Easy

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

Activities for Grouping People

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 who is the same height as you.

5. Line up tallest to shortest and pair the tallest with the shortest, then the second tallest with the second shortest, and so forth.

6. Find one other person whose first (or last) name starts with the same letter as yours.

7. Find one other person whose birthday is in the same month as yours.

8. Find someone whose alma mater's colors (or at least one) are the same as yours.

9. Find one other person with the same horoscope sign as you.

10. Hand out dominos randomly to all participants, and ask them to find the person who has a matching domino.

11. Hand out playing cards randomly to all participants, and ask them to find the person who has a matching playing card.

12. Cut pictures from a magazine in half. Hand out the half pictures randomly to all participants, and ask them to find the person with the other half of their picture.

13. Have participants mingle until a prearranged signal is given. Then they pair up with the first person they can find, as quickly as possible.

14. Write corporate slogans on slips of paper. Write the names of the matching corporations on slips of paper. Hand all the slips of paper out randomly, and ask participants to find the person with the slogan or corporation that matches theirs.

15. Write common pairs on two slips of paper (Bonnie and Clyde, salt and pepper, black and white, peanut butter and jelly, etc.). Hand out all the slips of paper randomly, and ask participants to find the person who has the same pair. Note: It's ok if you don't have a different pairing for each pair of people. There can be many "salts" looking for one of many "peppers."

16. Provide name tags made of several different shapes, and ask participants to find someone who has a matching shape. 17. Everyone rolls a die. Those who throw an even number will pair up with someone who throws an odd number.

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

1. Turn to the person immediately to your left and right.

2. Find two people with shoes similar to yours.

3. Find two people who are the same height as you.

4. Find two people who live in different zip codes than you.

5. Find two people whose first (or last) name starts with the same letter as yours.

6. Find two people whose birthdays are in the same month as yours.

7. Find two people whose alma mater's colors (or at least one) are the same as yours.

8. Find two people with the same horoscope sign as you.

9. Hand out dominos randomly to all participants, and ask them to find two people with a matching domino.

10. Hand out playing cards randomly to all participants, and ask them to find two people with a matching playing card.

11. Cut cartoon strips into frames (most cartoons have three). Hand out a frame randomly to all participants, and ask them to find people with frames that complete their cartoon strip.

12. Have participants mingle until a prearranged signal is given. Then they get into a trio with the first two people they can find, as quickly as possible.

13. Write common trios on two slips of paper (Snap, Crackle, and Pop; do, re, and mi; Moe, Larry, and Curly; Big Mac, fries, and Coke, etc.). Hand out all the slips of paper randomly, and ask participants to find two people to complete their set. Note: It's ok if you don't have a different pairing for each pair of people. There can be many "Snaps" looking for one of many "Crackles," and together they will seek one of many "Pops."

14. Write the lyrics of a popular song on three slips of paper (one line per slip). Make enough duplicate slips of paper for everyone. Randomly hand out the slips of paper, and ask participants to find two other people to complete their song lyrics. Alternatively, instead of duplicating the song, use a different song for each set of three slips of paper for every three participants.

15. Provide name tags made of several different shapes, and ask participants to find two people who have the same shape as theirs.

Use these ideas and instructions for getting the group into teams of four:

1. Use any of the activities above that will put people into pairs. Then use it again (or another one) with the pairs so that the pairs pair up.

2. Hand out playing cards randomly to all participants, and ask participants to team up with those who have the other three suits. (The face value of the card is irrelevant.)

3. Write four ingredients for tacos (tortilla, meat, salsa, cheese) on slips of paper (one ingredient on each slip). Hand out all the slips of paper randomly, and ask participants to find three other people who have the other ingredients needed to make a taco.

4. Form a group of four whose alma mater's colors (or at least one) are the same.

5. Cut cartoon strips into frames (use those with four frames). Hand out a frame randomly to all participants, and ask them to find people with frames that complete their cartoon strip.

6. Find three other people born in the three other seasons as the one you were born in (spring, summer, autumn, winter).

7. Form a group of four people, none of whom has the same horoscope sign. Alternatively, form a group of four people who all share the same sign.

8. Find three other people who have the same number children as you do.

9. Have the group mingle until a prearranged signal is given. Then, participants are to team up as quickly as possible with the three people closest to them. 10. Write the lyrics of a popular song on four slips of paper (one line per slip). Make enough duplicate slips of paper for everyone. Randomly hand out the slips of paper, and ask participants to find three other people to complete their song lyrics. Alternatively, use a different song for each set of four slips of paper for every four participants.

11. Provide name tags made of several different shapes, and ask participants to find three others with matching shapes.

12. Write the names of four animals that can be acted out (the monkey scratching his armpits, the bull with horns, etc.) on slips of paper. Randomly hand out the slips of paper. Ask participants to act like their animals and then form groups of four animals with no duplicates in each group. No speaking or noises are allowed.

Use these ideas for getting the group into teams with X number of participants:

1. Write X ingredients for tacos (tortilla, meat, salsa, cheese, onions, etc.) on slips of paper (one ingredient on each slip). Hand out all the slips of paper randomly, and ask participants to find X people who have the other ingredients needed to make a taco.

2. Form a group of X whose alma mater's colors (or at least one) are the same.

3. Cut cartoon strips into frames (use those with X frames). Hand out a frame randomly to all participants, and ask them to find X people with frames that complete their cartoon strip.

4. Form a group of X people, none of whom has the same horoscope sign. Alternatively, form a group of X people who all share the same sign.

5. Form a group of X people, all of whom have the same number children.

6. Have the group mingle until a prearranged signal is given. Then they are to team up as quickly as possible to make a group of X.

7. Write the lyrics of a popular song on X slips of paper (one line per slip). Make enough duplicate slips for everyone. Randomly hand out the slips of paper, and ask participants to form groups of X people to complete the song lyrics. Alternatively, use a different song for each set of X slips of paper for every X participants.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from QUICK MEETING OPENERS FOR BUSY MANAGERSby BRIAN COLE MILLER Copyright © 2008 by Brian Cole Miller. Excerpted by permission of AMACOM. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: AMACOM
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814409334
• ISBN 13: 9780814409336
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192