One Meeting Minute Thought for Your Week
You may not think having someone laughing your during your meeting is a good thing, especially in a business setting.
It’s happened to me and it’s probably happened to you too.
But, have you ever had someone leave your meeting because they couldn’t stop laughing?
I have. And, believe it or not, this was positive for him and everyone else who was there.
As a matter of fact, I couldn’t have been happier.
Here’s the story.
It happened in February 2022 in a hotel conference room in Nashville, Tennessee.
First of all, however, let me clarify something.
You may not consider the setting I was in a “meeting.”
But it was.
It had a designed purpose with a simple agenda. And about 50 leaders of the company in attendance.
It was a team dinner.
The purpose was to connect and build relationships with one another while enjoying a great meal around tables of 8.
We accomplished this using conversation starter cards.
I don’t remember the exact questions on the cards, but they were similar to these.
- Where do you want to visit before you die?
- What do you buy way more of than most people?
- When was the last time you laughed until you cried?
- What was your first car and what memories do you have about it?
- If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?
Each person at the table shared their answer to these questions that were obviously 100% NOT related to work.
Then a person from each table shared their group’s best story.
By the end of the night, we’d all laughed more than we ever had as a team.
And, one guy, with a more reserved personality.
He really got tickled.
No joke – he could NOT stop laughing.
This dude had to leave the room to pull himself together.
Which of course fueled the rest of us to laugh even more.
And provided some of us the perfect answer the next time we’re asked, “When was the last time you laughed so hard you cried?”
I know some will argue this wasn’t technically a “meeting”.
Fair enough. You can call it a team dinner if you want.
But I’m calling it a meeting – a very enjoyable meeting that accomplished its purpose.
The meeting agenda and prepared materials did what we designed them to do.
They enabled us to connect and deepen our relationships with one another.
It was an exceptional meeting for me and many others as well.
Having someone leave with tears of laughter running down their cheeks was a highlight of that week, and maybe even the year.
More Resources to Help You Build Your Career and Your Business
There’s nothing wrong with making people laugh during your meetings – if you do it appropriately of course.
According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter reduces stress and soothes tension in the short term. And, it may have the following long-term effects:
- Relieves pain
- Improves your mood
- Increases personal satisfaction
- Improves your immune system
So, give yourself permission to lighten the mood a bit in your next meeting and give people a chuckle.
If you want some tips, try these resources:
✅ 23 Tips From Comedians To Be Funnier In Your Next Presentation (Click here)
And, if you want to hold your own team dinner event to get your people laughing as they share their personal stories, check out the website, Conversations Starters World. It’s packed with dinner questions, meeting ice breakers, and much more.
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That’s All for this Issue
I shared my story about how a fun dinner exercise worked for our team and I’m curious to hear your experiences.
How do you build connections and deepen relationships with your teams?
And, how do you use humor to make your meetings better?
Please send me a quick email or DM me on LinkedIn (click here). I’d love to learn what’s worked for you.
Let’s lead with kindness and confidence!
Greg
Here are 3 ways I can help you when you’re ready:
- Get more free resources you can use today (Click here to Start)
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