Remote work is becoming more and more the norm. As your office moves to hybrid work weeks or goes fully online, you will face new challenges in your job. To impress your team with an exceptional level of professionalism, you can learn how to add background in Teams and introduce team-building activities during meetings. Here’s how you can use icebreakers to have a positive effect during virtual team meetings.
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Bringing the Fun to Work
Icebreakers have a certain reputation that might impact your perception of how effective they are, but these games and activities bring a sense of fun to work that can help you relax and relieve stress. Virtual icebreakers have developed with the rise in remote work, and there are many activities to choose from for your digital team meetings. Some quick and fun icebreakers include:
- Two Truths and a LIe
- Would You Rather?
- Virtual Scavenger Hunt
- Word Cloud Poll
- Guess That Tune
Keeping Teammates Connected
Icebreakers are a great way to keep your team connected even though they may be scattered around the globe. You can customize Zoom backgrounds together or get your team’s inputs during an icebreaker activity. It’s best to make icebreaker activities a norm rather than the exception, and you will discover over time which quick games and interactive chats your team responds to the best.
Don’t forget to involve your team when it comes to laying out activities for the month and quarter. Each team is unique, and yours might prefer conversation-based games over scavenger hunts or doodle challenges or vice-versa.
Developing Trust and Community
Though icebreakers are mostly associated with fun and stress relief, they’re also a great way for you to help your team develop trust and a sense of community. As your team gets to know your leadership style, they’ll be ready for any activity you throw at them. You can use these opportunities for more than just surface-level conversations about what superpower you want or what historical period you would visit. If you want to connect your team on a deeper level, you can use icebreaker activities to investigate complex concepts and problems.
When you first begin to use icebreaker activities in your virtual meetings, you may see that your team laughs off any serious questions. But you can lead by example when it comes to vulnerability. Make it a point to pose a more complex question during your icebreakers at least once a week and get your team conversation flowing. You can also use the icebreaker time to recap the challenges you’re facing as a team and initiate feedback and problem-solving circles.
Creating a Positive Work Environment
Icebreakers help dissolve barriers to communication and using them can help you create a positive work environment. When you take teambuilding seriously, your team will do the same, and you’ll notice a higher rate of satisfaction and motivation. Digital spaces can seem sterile, but a Google Meet custom background is a great way to personalize your virtual meeting and inspire confidence in your team. Discover more ways you can customize your online meeting spaces today.
