Staff meetings are rarely popular activities, especially if the staff thinks they are a waste of time. Fun activities help to motivate employees and boost morale in the workplace. After all, it's much easier to be creative and willing to resolve conflicts when you enjoy coming to work. Well-thought-out activities at staff meetings create a positive work culture, which will hopefully yield higher productivity.

Penny for Your Thoughts

Encourage your employees to get to know each other better by playing a fun, insightful game. Place several coins, such as pennies, in a small bowl. Make sure the years on the coins are within your team's lifespan.

Before starting the meeting or as soon as it ends, tell each employee to draw out a coin. Next, he or she will have to share a life event or something important they went through that year. This can be a great ice breaker and even bring humor into the conversion. Plus, it makes it easier for introverts to open themselves up.

The Deserted Island

Ask your team members to name one book or music album they'd like to have with them if they were stranded on a desert island. This will help you get to know them better and gain a deeper insight into their lifestyle and personal interests. You'd never guess that your IT guy who's always serious and organized loves rock music so much!

Would You Rather?

A good way to find out more about staff and what they expect from you is to turn everything into a game. Divide the room in two with a piece of tape. Place paper notes with questions on both sides and ell your employees to choose a side based on their answers.

For example, you could questions like "Would you rather work from home or arrive later at work?" or "Would you rather prefer a raise or the Employee of the Month Award?"

Truth and Lie

As a team-building activity, work in small groups or the entire staff can work together. Each person spins a yarn about some aspect of his life, such as a vacation, a college experience or a youthful indiscretion. Part of the story will be true and part will be a lie. His coworkers will determine which part of the story is the lie. Employees get to know more about their colleagues and understand one another on a more personal level.

Making Human Words

As a way to improve communication and cooperation, give each person a letter of the alphabet when he enters the meeting. Allow five minutes, or any time allotment you choose, for a group to come together to form a five to seven letter word.

Each employee must go around the room and find other people with letters that can form a word when they stand together. Vote on the most humorous word formed and award simple prizes, such as candy bars or key chains.

Mnemonic Activity

This memory activity gives employees a way to remember key information. Create facts to remember and develop humorous ways to remember them, such as license plate numbers, the definitions of words or a specific company policy. An example of a mnemonic device for remembering the license number BMH270 is “Bring My Honda to Seven Oaks.”

Pairs or groups can devise funny mnemonic devices for the same or different facts; afterwards, read them to the group for a humorous diversion. Transfer the skills you learn to more important pieces of information across the organizational spectrum.

Singing Songs

This fun game is more suitable during a lunch break since it takes more time. Write comical songs based on workplace problems, motivational expressions or a project on which you are working. The organizer can provide music to popular songs and each group will sing in the tune of their choice.

The challenge of creating and cooperating with one another can improve self-esteem and employee relations. This type of activity stretches the limits of your comfort zone and may possibly help you to become a more valuable employee.