Academic Medicine Open Forum

Whether you are convening a virtual happy hour or need to breathe new life to a staff meeting, check out these ideas for creative online team-building experiences:

• Theme. Choose an era/decade (roaring 20s, disco, 1980s), a popular TV show (Game of Thrones - the series may be over, but it's still the best!), or vacation location (wear a Hawaiian shirt). Dress the part, use themed background and props.
• Music. Play music as people arrive. Or, prior to the event, create a playlist of everyone's favorite songs and let them guess who selected the song playing.
• Dress up. Ask everyone to wear a specific color or their favorite sports team colors or jersey.
• Temperature check. Ask everyone to share in the chatbox one word to describe how they are feeling. Display the answers into a word cloud for all to see.
• Conversation prompts. To keep the conversation moving, the host prepares specific interesting questions to prompt the conversation.
• Start the meeting with something interesting, intriguing or informative. A magic trick, a piece of trivia about your organization, or a little known fact.
• Scavenger hunt. Ask the team to search for something in their home that is a specific color, the closest picture in a tabletop frame, their favorite shoe, their favorite snack food out of their pantry. Take a quick break to get the item and then show it on camera.
• Time capsule. Ask the team to bring one item that they would want to put into a "COVID-19" time capsule. You can collect the items to be opened at a later date.
• Show and tell. Ask each team member to bring in (or wear) something significant and then have each person share the item and explain the significance.
• Contests. Give a prize to the person with the best virtual background, best decorations, most creative cocktail, cutest pet, funniest coffee mug.

- Curated from Chief Executive magazine.

Whether you are convening a virtual happy hour or need to breathe new life to a staff meeting, check out these ideas for creative online team-building experiences:

• Theme. Choose an era/decade (roaring 20s, disco, 1980s), a popular TV show (Game of Thrones - the series may be over, but it's still the best!), or vacation location (wear a Hawaiian shirt). Dress the part, use themed background and props.
• Music. Play music as people arrive. Or, prior to the event, create a playlist of everyone's favorite songs and let them guess who selected the song playing.
• Dress up. Ask everyone to wear a specific color or their favorite sports team colors or jersey.
• Temperature check. Ask everyone to share in the chatbox one word to describe how they are feeling. Display the answers into a word cloud for all to see.
• Conversation prompts. To keep the conversation moving, the host prepares specific interesting questions to prompt the conversation.
• Start the meeting with something interesting, intriguing or informative. A magic trick, a piece of trivia about your organization, or a little known fact.
• Scavenger hunt. Ask the team to search for something in their home that is a specific color, the closest picture in a tabletop frame, their favorite shoe, their favorite snack food out of their pantry. Take a quick break to get the item and then show it on camera.
• Time capsule. Ask the team to bring one item that they would want to put into a "COVID-19" time capsule. You can collect the items to be opened at a later date.
• Show and tell. Ask each team member to bring in (or wear) something significant and then have each person share the item and explain the significance.
• Contests. Give a prize to the person with the best virtual background, best decorations, most creative cocktail, cutest pet, funniest coffee mug.

- Curated from Chief Executive magazine.