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Warm Up A Room With An Icebreaker by @ceotwit

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by Allison De Meulder

How many Zoom (insert virtual method of choice) meetings can one attend in one day or even one week? Apparently, the answer can be stunning. We start to dread the meeting invitation lurking in our inbox, as another disturbance in our productive day. Perhaps we have forgotten how valuable meetings can be, because much of the life has been sucked out of them. Meetings are essential to flush out problems and collaborate. So how can you make your meetings just a tad more enjoyable and not dry as a bone? Get to know your coworkers. No matter how long you have worked with someone, you do not know everything about them (nor should you). So why not break the ice! 

Here are two reasons why you should incorporate icebreakers into every meeting, regardless of how long they are or who is in attendance:

Knowledge is Power

Through quick icebreakers you can learn snippets of information about a coworker that can actually benefit both of you. Through an icebreaker you can learn about their skills, talents, pain points and experience. Consider leveraging their skills and abilities next time you have a work problem.  Build your network of those you can work with or seek help from at work by understanding what they bring to the table. 

Perhaps Danielle in accounting is a superstar at Illustrator and you need a collaborator on a graphic design project. She could help your project. Don’t forget about elevators. Have you ever avoided an elevator for fear of the silence lurking in that small space? If you remember something from an icebreaker and you’re in an elevator, pull out your knowledge of the person you’re cramped in there with and strike up a quick conversation. You’re not only passing the time, you are building rapport.

Fun is Contagious

You may not know how funny David is in finance or how witty Rose is in Strategy, so icebreakers can surprise you. Not only are you building camaraderie and shared knowledge of each other, but you are having some fun along the way. Those that share in laughs together are more likely to turn to one another at work for collaboration. There is a trust that is built from sharing about yourself, even the smallest of details. If a question can elicit a laugh or a smile, you’re on the right track. 

Don’t be pressured, not all icebreakers have to be funny. Here are a few examples of ways to easily break the ice at a meeting.

Here are two examples of icebreakers that are sure to warm the room.

Food is Supreme

People love talking about themselves first and food second. So, food is pretty important. You can be as simple or intricate in these questions as you like. You may even find out a coworker is pescatarian, allergic to cilantro, or ate chili in a hut in Norway. The food possibilities are endless. 

Multiple choice questions: breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner, which do you prefer?

“Or” questions: strawberry or mint chocolate chip?

Open ended questions: your favorite restaurant in any state or country?

Takeaway for later: See your coworker in the elevator who said brunch was their favorite meal, and ask for their favorite brunch spot recommendation.

Travel is Top of Mind

Besides food, people love talking about travel, where they’ve been and where they want to visit. You may even find out your coworker is an avid mountain climber, has sailed across the English Channel or swam with sharks.

Multiple choice questions: tropical island, big city, rural campground, surrounded by mountains, which do you prefer?

“Or” questions: Tahiti or Aspen?

Open ended questions: if you had a paid vacation for one month where would you go?

Takeaway: See your coworker in the elevator who said they ski every year, and ask for tips on the cheapest airline for your next ski vacation.

Icebreakers have many benefits and connecting with others is both personally and professionally rewarding. Consider an icebreaker like a primer, if most of the attendees are warmed up, then the mood is lightened and everyone is ready to solve issues and collaborate. So warm up that room!

 

How to Run a Collaborative Brainstorming Meeting by @ceotwit

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by Allison De Meulder

What do pasta and brainstorming meetings have in common? They can both be sticky. Brainstorming in my company was focused on leading others in a way where collaboration was key. We needed to accomplish various goals, including: bringing new products to market, surviving during economic downturns, and creating revenue generators. I recommend doing this together, and that means, whether you are in the shipping area or IT department, you’ve got ideas, and they need to be heard. So how do you collaboratively brainstorm and throw pasta at the wall and see what sticks? 

Bring together a mish mosh of people.

Group staff together in a room. Bring together 1-3 representatives from each team or department, so you only have a few from each area and together you have one melting pot of people from all areas of your company. A good mush pot includes, production, design, accounting, IT and management. The various vantage points of the company are sure to come out when idea generation kicks in. The more varied the teams are, the more varied the ideas will be. You don’t want groupthink, you want the creative juices flowing. You need a problem solved or a revenue generating idea, you don’t want everyone in the room regurgitating the same thing.

Be simple and to the point, don’t get saucy.

State what the meeting is about. For example, if the meeting is about bringing in more revenue for the holiday season, state just that. Don’t give too much background as this leads to appropriate or the right answers. At this moment, you want mostly viable but out-of- the-box ideas. Once ideas have been generated you can get down to the nitty gritty of those details. Sometimes knowing less is giving you more to work with. 

Start placing the pasta.

Have a white board, mine is floor to ceiling and after I have stated the problem or question at hand, I call for staff to call out ideas. No idea is too small, too big, too intelligent or too silly. Everything goes. So, proceed to write absolutely everything on the board. You are haphazardly placing your pasta pieces, filling up the board with words placed vertically and horizontally. Throw in that creative flair.That is what is so amazing about the process, is that there is no judgement. The person at the board gives nothing away, keep that poker face on! Just keep writing. What you will find is, one person’s idea leads to another idea and another one, and they feed off of each other for an amazing brainstorming session.

Now it’s time to pull out the special sauce.

Now you are going to navigate through all of the ideas. In the room, go one by one, you can wait for a collective “yay” or “that’s not going to happen” or you can cross off some answers yourself and do others as a group. Feel free to apply judgement at this point because the initial creative process of the idea generation is over and now it’s time to turn on the “MOADIS” hat, made up of management, operations, accounting, design, IT, sales and marketing, and see how the ideas fit in with the reality of “MOADIS.” Always be kind and respectful.  It is essential not to be overly critical of an idea but rather give reasons it could or could not work. Idea generation should be a safe space.

Once the process of throwing pasta on the wall is over, and you and your team have gone through the list, it is a good idea to narrow down to five viable options. Take these finalists away from the meeting by circling them and giving a round of applause not only for these sticky ideas, but to everyone who participated in the brainstorming. For many, this was out of their comfort zone. So their efforts should be applauded. Mull over these finalist ideas on your own, with management, or with key decision makers. See what sticks and utilize collaborative brainstorming to keep your organization delicious!

Shhh! I’m Trying To Be An Introvert Over Here by @ceotwit

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by Allison De Meulder | Featured Contributor

Some of the most successful people I know appear to be introverts. There is an enigma that surrounds timid entrepreneurs and it is up to us to use this to our advantage, yet still exhibit our cogitative personalities.

I am a self-proclaimed introvert. When I was young I was terribly shy. Hiding behind my mother’s skirt still did not offer me the comfort I needed. Through the years, I found my voice and developed a mastery of speaking with authority (and actually enjoying it). This type of learning did not happen in a bubble. It happened with exposure, getting to know myself better, and with motivation and drive.

Many of us have that ten-year-old voice inside of us that sometimes comes out unwantedly, and rears its insecure head. It was until I started my business at twenty-three that I realized that I could retain my introvert status, yet be a functioning and successful entrepreneur.

Shhh! I’m Trying To Be An Introvert Over Here

You don’t have to be the life of the party, you just have to be a decent guest.

Often introverts are pensive and can appear brooding. This is not how I want to come off at a networking or industry event. My strategy is not to talk to as many people as possible but rather to focus on a select few. When you are in a smaller group it is easier to bring out your true personality. Perhaps have some jokes in your back pocket or a few stories on hand to tell that relate to the topic of the meetup. Personally, I am more effective one-on-one. I also find that these deeper interactions yield better business results for me.

Change the weather forecast that surrounds you.

Don’t appear unapproachable. I found that my reticence was a turn-off and creating a cloud around me that others did not want to permeate. One of the things that helped me become more approachable was public speaking. I actually have always enjoyed public speaking. Yes, I am a walking contradiction. After my talk, people would come up to me and I felt very comfortable with this. I do understand that not all introverts are comfortable with being the center of attention or public speaking. It could be something to try out in a small setting. Another way to look at things is, when you are the center of attention, you don’t have to fight for the attention that you do in a group setting. The work is essentially done for you.

Stop hiding behind Mommy’s designer dress.

Having an air of mystery surrounding you can be endearing, yet short lived. Ultimately, an entrepreneur who can exhibit transparency is able to develop a respect and following. You can be both an introvert and transparent. Just like you can be charismatic and alluring and be an introvert. I love to hole up in my office and hide behind my computer, it’s where and how I think best. It’s not easy to get to know all of the facets of me, yet I’m learning to talk more about myself, and trying is the best thing you can do. I realize that at the end of the day, the voice and image of a company is best represented by the founder. Through our social media we are transparent about what we do. With each day, and here I am sixteen years into this, I see the benefits of the company founder being that big voice of the company. So each day I try to share something about the company on the website or on social media so people can appreciate us and the work that goes into our products even more.

Plenty of contemplative thinkers and diffident souls can flourish in the business world. Just because you are introverted, does not mean that your company cannot be the boisterous popular kid.

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allison demeulderSuccessful entrepreneur, creative genius, passionate leader. They may seem like buzzwords, but nevertheless they describe Allison De Meulder. In 1999 she launched InvitationConsultants.com, one of the first online retailers of personalized invitations and announcements. In 1999, she was a true pioneer. In 2015, she remains at the helm of one of the few original online invitation companies that has survived the dot com bust and the wave of consolidation in the industry. The company is still privately owned and never accepted any capital or debt.

In December of 2013, she successfully launched the wholesale line Matrick & Eve, a strong brand of paper and gifts sold in brick and mortar stores. She saw an opportunity in the market for creative, fun and unique products. The line features greeting cards, coasters, notepads, stationery, and more.  In one year, the line went from zero to over three hundred stores, including museums, boutiques, home decor shops, bookstores, and stationery and gift stores, and is still growing strong.

She enjoys spending her free time traveling with her family, watching chick flicks, listening to 80’s music, collecting interior design books, walking, writing, reading, dreaming of new products, touring universities and working on interior design projects that focus on rustic chic and modern vintage decor. She and her husband have three children and four chickens.