Funny Meeting Ground Rules That Will Actually Improve Productivity
Optimize team management in minutes with ManageBetter. Start your free trial now and join Uber and Microsoft in boosting performance, gathering insights, and generating reviews—all AI-powered, no writing required.
Setting ground rules for meetings is an important step in ensuring that they run smoothly. Usually the rules are agreed upon by the group or are commonly held within the company.
We’re likely all aware of typical rules that apply:
Start on time, end on time
Follow the agenda
Come prepared
Everyone participates
Don’t interrupt
No judgement of others
Etc.
These are all perfectly good rules to set and uphold in your meetings. But sometimes it’s fun and refreshing to set rules that are a bit out-of-the-box and quirky.
If they are memorable, people should find them easy enough to implement and follow during meetings. This ensures that important standards are upheld. Additionally, funny rules can liven up a meeting, making them more enjoyable for everyone involved.
Here are a few funny ground rules that can help improve the overall productivity of your meetings.
Meeting Rule: Keep things confidential
Problem
We hate it when team members leave top secret plans and conversations out in the open.
Solution
Get your team’s attention with this symbolic twist:
Name a conference room “Vegas.”
Hold confidential conversations in Vegas.
Before the meeting ends, remind the participants that “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
Meeting Rule: No phones or laptops
Problem
People get distracted when they have laptops, phones or other electronic devices in meetings.
Solution
Agree to have less technology present in meetings, except for a designated note-taker who may have a laptop to write meeting minutes.
Have paper and colored pencils available for people to take individual, creative notes.
Or use a big whiteboard to get everyone interacting and drawing out thoughts.
Take pictures of people’s colorful notes or the whiteboard and post to a shared channel for people to refer back to later.
Meeting Rule: Use a “talking stick,” but make it fun!
Problem
When people talk over each other or interrupt, our meeting gets derailed and people get frustrated.
Solution
Yes, it’s somewhat drawn-out and cliché, but this rule works. Designate an item to be passed around the group. Whoever holds the item should be the main speaker and have everyone’s attention.
Pick a “talking item” that is interesting or cute, like a wizard’s hat or a stuffed unicorn!
Name the item, give it a funny personality, show deference or respect to the inanimate object so that the person holding it also commands respect.
Meeting Rule: Parking lot basket
Problem
People bring up valid concerns but they end up steering the meeting away from the agenda .
Solution
Have a small basket designated the “parking lot” to keep track of items that should be revisited outside of the meeting.
Whenever someone starts to get off-topic, have them write down the issue on a piece of paper and put it in the basket. You can even have a few small toy cars to attach the papers to and drive home the “parking lot” aspect.
In action, it might look something like this:
"Okay boss, I think we need to park that item. I'm glad you raised the issue, but instead of a quick rubber neck acknowledgement that was a 5-car pileup!”
[Put a car in the basket with the issue topic attached]
At the end of the meeting, the facilitator or manager can go through these parking lot items and decide how to address them, whether following up individually or putting it in the agenda of another meeting.
Meeting Rule: End on time, or face the music!
Problem
Meetings tend to run overtime, which affects everyone’s busy schedules.
Solution
Set a digital timer on a mobile phone to play music alarms and keep everyone aware of the time.
When there are 5 minutes of the meeting left, have a music alarm play to let the facilitator know it’s time to wrap up.
At the time the meeting is scheduled to end, have another music alarm go off. Pick a song that’s loud and over-the-top, like “Lose Control” by Missy Elliott. It will be a funny interruption that tells the group it’s really time to finish.
Team members can take turns choosing songs for the alarms and may start to look forward to hearing other people’s choices.
We hope you will give these interesting meeting rules a try, or be inspired to make up some unique rules of your own!
Remember, meetings need guidelines and rules to keep them running smoothly. But the rules don’t need to be tedious or generic. Adding a positive twist can help you level up to more productive, enjoyable meetings.
Sharpen Your Leadership Edge: Join 3,000+ executives receiving weekly, actionable insights from industry experts. Subscribe free to The Thoughtful Leader and elevate your team's performance.
