Here is our list of the best virtual team huddle ideas.
Virtual team huddle ideas are interactive initiatives and activities you can participate in during your short team meetings. Examples include playing icebreaker games, celebrating success, and sharing feedback. The purpose of these activities is to keep your team engaged during your 15-minute remote huddles.
These ideas are similar to examples of virtual team meeting ideas, virtual employee engagement activities, and how to make virtual meetings fun.
This list includes:
- free virtual team huddle ideas
- virtual team huddle board ideas
- virtual team huddle activities
- virtual team huddle games
Here we go!
List of virtual team huddle ideas
Virtual team huddles are short 15 to 20-minute meetings where teams get together to discuss important topics and priorities. These short meetings are a great way to connect with your team at the start of the day. Here are ideas for virtual team huddles to keep your employees excited and on-task.
1. Set a game plan
One of the first steps to take when planning a virtual team huddle is to create a brief agenda. Your agenda for a huddle will not be as long as an agenda for a traditional meeting. In fact, you should only touch on two to three key topics. After that, you can leave the rest of the time open for roundtable discussions.
In your huddle agenda, you can include topics and projects that are a high priority for your team to focus on for the day. For example, if you have a deadline for a report approaching, then you can add this project to your schedule. Then, during the huddle, you and your team can brainstorm different ways to tackle the project and assign responsibilities. Taking this initiative during your team huddle can help you reach your deadline on time.
Agendas help keep your team on track, even for short meetings. Without a plan for your huddle, your team might detour and discuss topics that do not relate to important projects and updates.
2. Choose a theme
If you want to make your virtual team huddle fun, then we recommend adding a theme to your meeting. Here are a few examples of themes you can incorporate into your next virtual team huddle:
- Decades, such as the 60s, 70s, or 80s
- Hawaiian
- Red carpet celebrities
- Zombies
- Television and movie characters
- Safari
- Seasonal
As part of the theme, you can encourage team members to choose appropriate virtual backgrounds and dress up in fun costumes. You can also create short games and activities related to the theme, such as a trivia game. Adding a theme to your virtual team huddle is an easy way to get employees engaged and a great conversation starter.
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3. Bring a cup of coffee
If your team huddle is in the morning, then we recommend hosting the meeting over a cup of coffee. Before your huddle, you can encourage team members to come to the meeting prepared with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.
You can make the huddle more engaging by encouraging employees to drink out of their most fun and creative mugs. Then, you can comment on each team member’s unique mugs throughout the meeting.
Bringing coffee and other hot drinks to the team huddle is a creative way to make the meeting more casual. With this approach, you can think of your team huddle as a virtual coffee chat or a way to reconnect with your teammates over a cup of coffee.
Check out this guide to virtual coffee breaks.
4. Share roundtable priorities
One way to remain organized and up-to-date on key priorities is by incorporating time for a roundtable discussion at your virtual team huddle. As part of this exercise, you should ask each team member to share their top priority for the day.
For example, one employee may share that they are working on finishing their first draft of a blog post, while another employee might share that their priority is to reach out to potential customers to schedule intake calls.
This exercise should feel like a speed round discussion. It would be best if you did not spend too much time focusing on one team member, as this can limit speaking time for other teammates. Instead, you can encourage your team to think of this activity as a rapid roundtable in which they should share quick updates that are important for the entire team to hear.
5. Create a running document
Creating a running document is one of the best virtual team huddle activities for focus. A running document is a Microsoft Word or Google Document that any team member can continuously edit.
We recommend creating an ongoing document for this activity to house all your team huddle updates. At each huddle meeting, this document can serve as a makeshift plan. In this file, you should list current key projects and initiatives. Then, throughout the huddle, you can scan the contents and make updates on each item.
To get your team involved in this activity, we suggest assigning a different team member to update the document at each huddle. By creating a running record, your team can collaborate more in making updates and staying organized on crucial projects.
6. Determine a speaking order
If you would like to keep your team huddle as organized as possible, then you should determine a speaking order for the meeting. With a speaking order, you should have one team member serve as the moderator. This moderator can call on teammates to speak during the session.
Having a moderator can help you better manage the meeting and avoid the chaos of remote meetings. With a moderator, you can choose the order in which each teammate speaks and allow enough speaking time for each team member. Maintaining a speaking order throughout the meeting will ensure that each employee gets their voice and opinions heard without having team members speak over each other.
7. Play virtual improv
One of the most fun virtual team huddle games is by conducting a virtual improv activity. Virtual improv games are exercises in which players must use creativity to improvise their lines on the spot.
To begin the game of virtual improv, you should have one team member start by making up the first line of a story. Then, the next person in the group should come up with the second line for the story. The third player will then contribute the third line, and so on until all players have contributed a part. The only rule of virtual improv is that each player can contribute only one sentence. At the end of the game, you should be left with a creative and outlandish story created by your team.
Virtual improv is an excellent way for your team to unleash their creativity. This game is fun and can help your team members de-stress and re-energize. In addition, virtual improv can also improve your team’s trust, communication, and collaboration skills.
Here is a list of improv games for Zoom.
8. Host a five-minute meditation
If you want to help your team members focus on their health, then incorporating meditation into your huddle is a great idea. Meditation is an exercise in which participants practice focusing their minds to obtain peacefulness and tranquility. Meditation is a fantastic practice for employees to decompress and remain calm during a busy work day.
Here are a few best practices to keep in mind for your team’s meditation session:
- Find a quiet location
- Sit down comfortably
- Close your eyes
- Clear your mind
- Take deep breaths
- Avoid getting distracted
- Remain calm
While meditating, you should ask all participants to ensure they are in a quiet area of their home, free from noise and distraction.
We recommend selecting a pre-recorded five-minute meditation session for your next team huddle. Luckily, you can easily find many pre-recorded meditation sessions online. You should use this activity to show your team how much you care about their mental health and wellness. Using meditation as a team huddle activity can help your team understand the importance of mindfulness and its benefits.
9. Start the day with stretching
A great way to promote wellness on your team is by hosting a brief stretching session during your team huddle. Stretching sessions can be as short as three to five minutes, making this activity one of the best free virtual team huddle ideas.
As part of your stretching session, you should turn on your video camera and take your team through a series of stretches focusing on different body areas. For example, you can lift your arms for arm stretches and roll your shoulders to release tension in that part of your body.
Stretching promotes good posture, which is especially important for employees who sit at their desks all day. In addition, stretching sessions can help keep your team members mentally and physically healthy.
10. Perform desk exercises
If you are looking for free virtual team huddle ideas, then desk exercises are a great option. Desk exercises are quick and easy exercises you can do right at your desk.
A few examples of desk exercises include:
- Arm circles
- Chair squats
- Calf raises
- Desk push-ups
- Neck rolls
- Shoulder rolls
- Wall sitting
We recommend sticking to beginner exercises that all team members can perform for the desk exercise activity. Desk exercises are a great way to promote fitness among your team. Plus, most team members cannot oppose desk exercises due to how easy and convenient these exercises are.
Here are some online fitness class ideas.
11. Contribute to a vision board
One of the best virtual team huddle board ideas is to create a team vision board. A vision board is a collection of pictures, quotes, and words representing wishes and goals. Vision boards are meant to serve as motivation and inspiration.
If you are looking for a creative team huddle activity, then you should start a virtual vision board. You can use collaborative platforms like Google Slides, Microsoft Powerpoint, or Miro to house your team’s board.
We suggest having one team member contribute to the vision board during each daily huddle. When contributing to the board, team members should present a picture or quote to add. When adding their contribution, team members should briefly explain why they chose this picture or quote and what it means to them. Vision boards are a great way to motivate and inspire all team members.
12. Hold a show and tell
One of the best virtual team huddle activities is holding a show-and-tell event. At a virtual show and tell, participants are tasked with choosing one object to share with the group.
To make this activity fun for a team huddle, we recommend giving employees 60 seconds to grab an object within arm’s reach quickly. Then, you should go around the Zoom call and have team members share their objects with the group.
Virtual show and tells are exciting because your team may be surprised at a few of the items that appear. In addition, this activity can help teammates laugh together and have fun before getting back to work.
13. Ask icebreaker questions
If you are looking for virtual team huddle games, then you should consider starting with icebreaker questions. Icebreaker questions are quick and simple questions you can ask your team at the beginning of a huddle meeting.
Here are a few icebreaker question suggestions:
- What was your first job?
- What was the best piece of advice you have ever received?
- When you are not working, what is your favorite hobby?
- What is your ultimate dream job?
- What would your superpower be and why?
Icebreaker questions can help you get to know your team while having fun. In addition, this activity can bring your team closer and help you become more united.
Check out this master list of icebreaker questions.
14. Celebrate your team’s success
If you are looking for a virtual team huddle idea to make your team members feel appreciated, then you should incorporate moments of recognition into your meetings. For example, if one of your employees worked late to complete a project, you should express gratitude to this team member during the huddle.
Celebrating success is vital in showing employees that you appreciate their hard work. Creating a culture of recognition and thanking your employees during team huddles will make a positive workplace for all team members to enjoy.
Here is a list of virtual employee appreciation ideas.
15. Tie up loose ends
If you want to be productive during your team huddle, we recommend using this time to tie up loose ends. Be sure to take time at the beginning of your huddle to wrap up any pending work from the previous day. For example, if your team did not get to finish finalizing a sales report the day before, then you should finish this project at the beginning of your morning huddle.
Using your team huddle to wrap up projects is a great way to promote productivity while staying organized on critical initiatives.
Conclusion
Virtual team huddles are a great way to connect with your team in a remote work environment. These meetings are also crucial in helping you and your team stay updated on essential projects, priorities, and deadlines. Although virtual team huddles are shorter than traditional meetings, huddles can help improve employee engagement and well-being.
We suggest incorporating fun exercises and activities into your team huddles, such as icebreakers, virtual improv, and vision boards. Adding some fun to your meeting can help lift each team member’s mood, even during a challenging and busy week.
For more resources, check out virtual meeting games and online team icebreakers.
