Most meetings aren’t as effective or engaging as they could be. 70% of meetings are even seen as unproductive, affecting both employee satisfaction and, ultimately, the company's success. This highlights the need for better engagement to improve teamwork and communication.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! If you want interactive meetings that are both lively and productive, we’ve put together some great team engagement ideas, questions, and activities that can help top managers.
Asking the right questions can help you break the tension, keep the conversation going, your employees engaged, and get honest feedback. According to a study by Gallup, companies experience 23% higher profitability, 81% lower absenteeism, and a notable reduction in turnover when employees feel engaged. These questions also give team members a chance to learn more about each other and a foundation for real collaboration.
Depending on the purpose of the meeting and your team's needs, you can use different types of questions, such as icebreakers, opinion-based, and problem-solving questions.
Icebreakers can create a comfortable space where people feel at ease around each other. The right icebreakers build real connections that encourage ongoing teamwork and positive group interactions. If you're ready to try some team icebreaker questions, here are 10 employee engagement ideas to get you started.
These questions encourage employees to share their thoughts and experiences, making meetings feel more open and personal. 74% of employees say they perform their jobs more effectively when they feel heard. They’re more likely to stay engaged, connect with each other, and come up with creative ideas together. Plus, opinion-based questions can help break the ice and set a friendly tone for productive collaboration. Here are ten opinion-based questions to try in your next meeting:
These questions encourage team members to think critically, share ideas, and tackle challenges together. When people are asked to contribute to solving issues, they feel more involved and invested in the outcome, which helps build teamwork and keeps the meeting productive. Problem-solving questions also help teams identify potential risks and consider different perspectives, leading to better decisions.
Reflection lets us look back on what’s happened and think about where we want to go next. By doing this, we can see where we’ve spent our time and energy, what’s been important to us, and what we’ve learned. When we share these reflections at team meetings, we create a chance to align on shared goals, set priorities, and find ways to work better together.
Here are some questions to help you and your team start reflecting on the past and planning for the future:
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Running an engaging meeting doesn’t have to be difficult, especially if you know a few simple tricks. Whether it’s a small group, a large gathering, or a virtual meet, these tips will help you start conversations and build connections with ease.
If you're with a team that regularly works together, try asking questions that encourage collaboration, like “What’s one thing we could do to work better together?” or “How can we better support each other?” These types of questions help increase employee engagement and help build stronger connections in the workplace.
To make sure these team engagement questions are effective, it’s important to create a friendly and supportive meeting environment where team members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and concerns. Whenever you go over new agenda items, ask employees for their thoughts to encourage engaging conversations. Make sure to invite quieter team members to share their opinions to create a comfortable environment. This involvement can lead to better ideas and solutions, promoting teamwork and increasing motivation and productivity.
Try asking open-ended questions and see where the discussion goes. These questions are meant to start conversations rather than just firing off quick questions. Open-ended questions help keep distracted attendees engaged, making them feel like valuable contributors instead of just observers. This shows engaged employees that their input matters.
For meetings to succeed, it’s essential to create a safe space where everyone feels free to share. According to studies, teams that focus on psychological safety are better at gathering different ideas and performing well. Leaders should actively build an environment of trust where team members feel they can speak openly without fear. Set aside time in a meeting to discuss how to work together and create a space where everyone feels safe and encouraged to participate constructively.
Team engagement activities are events where employees work together and share ideas with one another. These activities aim to spark group discussions, build camaraderie, improve communication, and boost employee engagement. Using these activities helps employees work in a more collaborative and interactive environment.
Brainstorming sessions are a useful way to make meetings more meaningful and productive within a set timeframe. You can use different brainstorming tools to capture and organize your ideas and turn them into action steps. These tools include mind-mapping software, online whiteboards, flowchart apps, AI tools, note-taking apps, and interactive slide templates. They offer everything from a blank canvas for jotting down ideas to virtual spaces for live team brainstorming.
Adding some fun to team meetings can lift spirits, encourage teamwork, and make everyone look forward to the next one. From trivia and bingo to answering simple team-building questions, these activities are designed to energize your team, break the routine, and increase engagement. Here are some ideas for your next meeting:
Team Charades: Teams compete in a friendly game of charades, cheering each other on. This activity helps build teamwork and fosters collaboration that extends to work projects.
Team Trivia: Start meetings on a high note with team trivia. Customize the quiz to your team’s interests or the season, and add a prize—like a free coffee or lunch—to make it more exciting.
Two Truths and a Lie: Perfect for welcoming new hires, this game lets team members share fun facts about themselves, helping everyone get to know each other in a relaxed way.
Would You Rather: Also known as This-or-That, this low-prep game lets teammates share funny and interesting choices, giving everyone a chance to connect over personality quirks without any competition.
Meeting Bingo: Keep everyone engaged by making a bingo card with common meeting phrases or habits. It’s a playful way to stay attentive while sharing a laugh over familiar meeting routines.
Role-playing boosts engagement in meetings by encouraging creativity, confidence, and skill-building. Start by choosing realistic scenarios, like handling a tough client or negotiating a deal. Assign clear roles based on skill or interest, and set rules for respectful participation. After the session, debrief with employee feedback to reinforce learning and improve teamwork.
A meeting energizer is a quick activity that boosts energy and engagement during a meeting or group session. It gives everyone a short break to reset, helping them stay focused and productive afterward. Energizers can be simple games, stretches, quizzes, online mini-meditations, or doodling.
Technology-driven activities can make meetings more engaging and interactive, allowing everyone to participate easily. You can use tools like Slides with Friends, which offers interactive slide decks that allow team members to respond to live questions during the meeting, play games, or answer polls, like the one where team members rate team engagement quotes.
Other tools like virtual sticky note boards and group chat platforms let people add ideas or comments in real time, keeping discussions dynamic. Quiz platforms can also break up content with short, fun quizzes that keep participants focused and involved. Using these types of tech tools makes meetings more lively and encourages everyone to take part.
Live polls are a great way to make meetings more engaging, transparent, and enjoyable. They boost employee job satisfaction and make the session more memorable. Polls and employee surveys - used during or after meetings - help gauge participants’ knowledge or opinions, making everyone feel like active contributors. For example, you can create a poll, let participants vote, and see instant, real-time feedback. Tools like Slides with Friends make it easy to create interactive polls and employee engagement surveys for teams of any size, adding a fun, engaging touch to meetings.
Collaborative document editing is especially helpful for remote teams. Online tools like Google Docs allow team members to work together as if they were in the same room. One key benefit is that it enables real-time teamwork and immediate feedback. This stronger teamwork boosts morale and can lead to higher productivity.
Virtual reality meetings might sound like a thing from the future but all it takes is a VR headset and collaboration software. A VR meeting is an immersive and interactive way to meet remotely, making it more engaging than regular video calls. Using VR, businesses can create virtual spaces - like a VR office - that encourage teamwork and connection. With VR headsets, participants can move around, interact, and collaborate in real time using tools like virtual whiteboards, sticky notes, and 3D models.
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Worried that making meetings fun will lead to chaos? Here are some tips to add excitement to your next meeting while still keeping things productive and on track.
Clearly state the meeting’s purpose and goals in advance, and make sure activities match these goals. This focus is important, even in a casual setting, to keep discussions on track and aligned with the meeting’s objectives.
When picking team engagement activities, think about the size of your group, what they enjoy, and what resources you have on hand. Activities that work well for smaller teams might not be as effective for larger groups, and knowing your team’s preferences helps ensure everyone feels comfortable and included. For example, some teams enjoy energetic, interactive games, while others may prefer quieter discussions or reflective activities. Also, consider the resources available, like time, space, and budget, to choose activities that fit smoothly within your meeting setup.
A good meeting activity should last around five to ten minutes. Any longer, and it might take away from the main purpose of the meeting. Keep in mind, the icebreaker is just there to set the stage for what’s more important.
After an engagement activity, take a few minutes to review and discuss its impact with the team. A quick debrief helps everyone reflect on what they learned, what worked well, and how the activity supported team goals. Ask team members for feedback on what they enjoyed or what they’d improve for next time. This reflection time not only shows that you value their input, but it also helps in fine-tuning future activities to be even more effective.
