Productive meetings: get off to a great start with the right warm-up methods

1. Check-in round

The check-in round aims to give participants the opportunity to express their current mood or thoughts briefly. This not only strengthens a personal connection within the team but also creates an open and trusting atmosphere that is conducive to the rest of the meeting. Everyone in the team has the opportunity to feel heard and seen, which promotes collaboration and exchange in the meeting. The check-in round is also useful to gauge the emotional temperature in the room and ensure that everyone is mentally ready to focus on the meeting. This method works particularly well when there is a trusting relationship between the participants so that everyone can speak openly.

This is how the check-in round works:

At the beginning of the meeting, participants are asked to describe in a few sentences how they are feeling or what is on their mind now. This can take the form of a question such as: “How are you feeling today?” or “How are you feeling at the start of this meeting?”. The answers should be short so that everyone has the opportunity to express themselves without taking up too much time. Alternative questions that you can ask at check-in include what the participants’ priorities are today or what they expect from the meeting. Depending on the team, it can also be useful to ask about their current state of mind more visually, for example with the question “How is the weather today?” This way, participants are not forced to address private matters directly.

2. Icebreaker questions

Icebreaker questions aim to create a relaxed, informal atmosphere in which participants can relax and get into conversation with each other more easily. Icebreaker questions encourage personal interaction and help to break down barriers, especially if the participants do not know each other well or if the meeting is taking place in a more formal setting. The questions can be used flexibly and can be adapted to the respective group or context. They usually only take a few minutes, but have a big impact: participants feel more relaxed, open up more easily, and are ready to enter into a constructive dialog.

This is how icebreaker questions work:

The group is asked an open and innocuous question. This should be chosen in such a way that it is easy to answer but still offers enough scope for creativity and personality. The participants answer one after the other, often leading to interesting and sometimes unexpected conversations.

Sample questions:

• What was your dream job as a child?
• What is your personal superpower and kryptonite?
• If you could choose one superpower, what would it be and why?
• What was the highlight of your last week?
• If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
• Which destination is at the top of your wish list and why?

3. Short activation unit

The short activation session is a method of increasing participants’ energy and sharpening their focus before the content of the meeting begins. This method aims to reduce physical and mental fatigue, improve concentration, and shift participants from a passive to an active mindset. Simple exercises help to wake up the body, promote blood circulation, and focus the mind on the tasks ahead. A short activation session can be particularly helpful if the meeting takes place early in the morning, starts after a long break, or if the participants have just come from another, possibly tiring activity.

This is how the short activation unit works:

The facilitator leads a short, simple exercise that activates the participants both physically and mentally. This can include movements, breathing techniques or mental exercises, whereby the exercises should be easy for all participants to perform. The session usually only lasts a few minutes and can be carried out either standing or sitting. Some examples of activation sessions are:

• Stretching: Simple stretching of arms, shoulders and neck to relieve tension and promote blood circulation.
• Power pose: A short exercise in which participants assume a powerful posture for one to two minutes (e.g. standing with legs apart, hands on hips) to increase self-confidence and energy.
• Breathing exercises: A short breathing exercise in which participants breathe in and out deeply to clear the mind and center themselves.

4. Creative exercise

The creative exercise is a method to stimulate participants’ creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. This method aims to open the mind, stimulate thought processes, and create a creative atmosphere that can lead to innovative ideas and solutions. A creative exercise helps participants to break free from stuck thinking patterns and gain new perspectives, which is particularly useful in meetings aimed at problem-solving or strategic planning.

This is how the creative exercise works:

The facilitator leads a creative exercise, such as brainstorming, improvisation tasks, or association games.
The tasks must be simple and entertaining so that the participants playfully get into creative thinking. Some examples of such exercises are:

• Brainstorming with a twist: Instead of looking for a direct solution to a problem, participants are asked to come up with absurd or extremely unconventional ideas. They then look at how these ideas might be feasible or inspiring after all.
• Word association: One participant names a word and the others take it in turns to name the first words that come to mind. The aim is to react quickly and intuitively without thinking for too long.
• Mind mapping: Participants work together to create a mind map on a specific topic by compiling various aspects and ideas on a large sheet of paper or digitally. This aids in visually organizing ideas and uncovering new connections.

5. Positive reviews

Positive reviews are a method of lifting the mood in the team and promoting a feeling of appreciation and shared success. The goal of this method is to highlight positive experiences and successes, fostering an optimistic and motivated atmosphere for the meeting. By sharing positive experiences, self-confidence is strengthened and team spirit is reinforced, which can lead to better collaboration and higher productivity.

This is how the method works:

Each participant is asked to briefly share a success, highlight, or positive event with the group since the last meeting. This can be a professional success, a successful team collaboration, or a personal experience that brings positive energy to the group. The answers should be short and concise so that everyone has the opportunity to contribute.

6. Counting

The counting method is a simple but effective exercise to promote concentration and a sense of solidarity within a group. The aim of this method is to align participants, focus attention and strengthen teamwork. The exercise requires all participants to be mindful and present, which creates a good basis for a focused and effective meeting.

This is how the method works:

The group stands in a circle or sits together and the task is to count together from 1 to a certain number (e.g. 20). Each person may only say one number at a time. However, there is no set order as to who speaks when, so the participants have to react spontaneously. The difficult part is that no one is allowed to speak at the same time. If two people say a number at the same time or there is a longer pause, the group starts again at 1. The exercise therefore requires a high degree of attentiveness and naturally synchronizes the team. The one-word story works in a similar way, where the team is asked to tell a story, but each person only contributes one word at a time.

Tips for implementing the methods

With all these exercises, the moderator must make sure that they do not take too long. Ten to fifteen minutes should be sufficient in most cases so that there is enough time for the actual meeting and the main topic of the meeting is not inadvertently pushed into the background. A warm-up that is too long can also lead to participants becoming impatient or their attention waning. Once you have completed an exercise, it makes sense to try out a different exercise or a new variation at the next meeting. In this way, boredom does not set in and the participants are motivated anew each time.

It is also important to adapt the warm-up to the respective group and the context of the meeting. While some exercises can be carried out well in groups that do not yet know each other, others are better suited to teams that are already familiar with each other. In addition, interactive exercises can be difficult to implement in large groups, which is why they are more suitable for smaller teams. The method should also be adapted to the respective team or the team dynamic itself. For example, there may be team members who do not like to talk about private matters or who may not be able to take part in short activation sessions. It is also important to consider how the team is made up, where there may be different hierarchical levels or important relationships that could influence the warm-up. The context of the meeting is also important. It therefore makes sense to think about what you want to achieve with the warm-up beforehand. For example, is the aim to create a positive atmosphere, do you want to promote the concentration of the participants before a long, intensive strategy meeting or do you want to prepare the team for creative work? Then select suitable exercises.

Conclusion

A well-thought-out warm-up is a crucial building block for successful meetings. It ensures that all participants are motivated and focused right from the start, which improves collaboration and promotes creative solutions. By choosing the right methods and adapting them to the needs of the group, you can lay the foundations for a productive and inspiring meeting.

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