You know what they say about all work and no play making Jack a dull boy, right?
I say that all work and no play makes work dull as well. So why not try adding some play to your next meeting?
I learned this from my friend Vicki Guinn who works with Cru’s music and arts ministry called Keynote: to keep the creative juices flowing at meetings she would bring in things to play with like modeling clay, finger paint, markers, jacks, etc. At one meeting she had someone craft a replica of a 1700’s sailing ship out of popsicle sticks!
At our program team meetings for the winter conference, I lay craft paper down on the tables so people can doodle as we plan. We also take breaks to play games like MadGab and Guesstures to keep the meeting lively and fun.
For creative people, instead of this being a distraction, this actually helps them stay engaged in the discussion. And it sends a signal that says, “We don’t want business as usual here. We want you to think creatively and out of the box.”
If you’re a Cru staff person or student reading this, odds are you have some lengthy planning meetings coming up here at the end of the semester or quarter.
Why not stop by the dollar store on your way to the meeting and pick up some play things? Throw them out at various points in the meeting to stimulate fun and creativity.
Who knows, you might actually have people saying, “That all day meeting was fun!”
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