How to Warm Up Any Meeting: Setting the Stage for Success

Meetings are often seen as a necessary evil. Whether it’s the dreaded Monday morning sync or a high-stakes strategy session, people come in with varied energy levels, focus, and expectations. But what if there was a way to break through the tension, spark creativity, and make every participant feel engaged from the very beginning?

Warming up a meeting is not just a “nice-to-have”—it’s an essential part of creating a productive and enjoyable experience for your team. At PlayforResult, we use creativity, collaboration, and gamestorming techniques to ensure every meeting starts on the right note. Here’s how you can do it too!

Why Warming Up Matters

The start of a meeting sets the tone for the entire session. A well-executed warm-up can:

• Foster connection: Break down barriers and encourage open communication.

• Boost energy levels: Transition participants from their previous tasks or distractions to being present.

• Encourage creativity: Shift the mindset from “business as usual” to “let’s think differently.”

• Clarify focus: Align everyone around the meeting’s purpose and goals.

5 Proven Ways to Warm Up Any Meeting

1. The Check-In Round

• What it is: A simple, quick round where each person shares something personal or work-related, like “What’s one word that describes your mood today?”

• Why it works: This creates an immediate human connection and lets the team gauge each other’s energy levels.

• Pro tip: Keep it short—1-2 sentences per person is enough.

2. Draw Your Mood

• What it is: Hand out paper and markers and ask participants to draw how they’re feeling in one minute.

• Why it works: It encourages playfulness, bypasses overthinking, and sparks conversations.

• Gamestorming angle: This technique taps into visual thinking and can help uncover unspoken emotions in a non-threatening way.

3. 30 Circles Exercise

• What it is: Give participants a sheet with 30 blank circles. In two minutes, they must turn as many circles as possible into recognizable objects (e.g., a sun, a basketball).

• Why it works: This classic gamestorming exercise activates creative thinking, loosens up the brain, and encourages collaboration if done in pairs.

• Pro tip: Reflect afterward on how creativity varies under time pressure.

4. Rose, Thorn, Bud

• What it is: Each participant shares one Rose (something positive), one Thorn (a challenge), and one Bud (a potential opportunity or something they’re excited about).

• Why it works: It creates a balanced discussion of current feelings and uncovers areas for focus during the meeting.

• Gamestorming angle: This technique can double as an icebreaker and a way to identify shared goals or concerns.

5. Silent Post-It Brainstorm

• What it is: Before diving into the meeting agenda, give everyone a prompt (e.g., “What’s the biggest challenge we’re here to solve today?”). Ask them to write their answers silently on Post-its and stick them on a wall or virtual whiteboard.

• Why it works: It gets everyone thinking about the topic without groupthink or pressure, and it also sets the stage for productive discussions.

• Pro tip: Group similar ideas together to identify themes quickly.

How to Choose the Right Warm-Up

Not all meetings are the same, so your warm-up should align with your goals:

• For small teams: Focus on connection-building activities like the Check-In Round or Rose, Thorn, Bud.

• For brainstorming sessions: Use creative techniques like 30 Circles or Silent Post-It Brainstorm to get ideas flowing.

• For high-stakes meetings: Opt for exercises that clarify focus, like a brief visualization exercise where participants imagine a successful outcome for the meeting.

A Warm-Up Recipe for Success

Here’s a quick checklist for running a great warm-up:

1. Keep it short—5-10 minutes is usually enough.

2. Make it inclusive—Choose activities that everyone can participate in comfortably.

3. Set the tone—Match the energy of the warm-up to the meeting’s purpose.

4. Encourage fun—A little laughter goes a long way in building team spirit.

5. Debrief—If relevant, reflect on the warm-up to connect it to the meeting’s agenda.

Final Thoughts

Warming up your meeting doesn’t have to be complicated. The goal is to create an environment where people feel ready to contribute their best ideas and energy. With the right warm-up techniques, you can transform even the most routine meeting into a space for creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

At PlayforResult, we specialize in designing and facilitating workshops that use gamestorming and design sprints to achieve impactful results. Ready to elevate your meetings? Let’s work together!

Contact us today and make every meeting a success.