Top 5 Meetings Check-ins to combat Zoom Fatigue

Here we go:

1. A round of applause

The Chair to call out each person in turn. Each team member to say something simple like their name and where they’re calling from. Everyone else to give them a stupidly massive cheer and a clap. Ridiculously simple and fun.

2. YES, LET’S!

Someone suggests an action (e.g. let’s brush our teeth). Everyone responds with “Yes, let’s” and pretends to brush their teeth for a while, until someone else shouts out a new action.
This game gets people to lead, follow, commit and experience collective ownership, all whilst being silly and not thinking too much.

3. Tweet check-in

Everyone to take it in turns to check-in as if it were a tweet or even just a twitter hashtag, describing their day so far. E.g. No time to stop #surviving 

4. Silly sound check-in 

How are you right now? Respond with a sound and an action in a way that’s truthful for you in the present moment (e.g. “BLUUUUGH!” Everyone then repeats it immediately after to show support!. The message it gives is “we support you, every response is allowed”.

5. Wrong-un’s! 

I picked this up on BBC Radio 1. The Chair asks each person a load of questions in a row. They have to respond with wrong answers only. This can even be done with everyone at the same time, with mics on or off. Guaranteed silliness and laughter (even with mics off!).
E.g. What year is it? What does the U.N. stand for? What’s your name? Name an Olympic sport. What’s the capital of Spain?

Go on, be brave! Be the chair that wows the rest!

Credit to these two brilliant improv schools where I picked up most of these: The Maydays and Hoopla Impro.

PS: Oh by the way, are your team drowning in a sea of messy comms? Ask us about our new Supercharge Your Team Comms workshop. I promise it will solve all of your problems.