Keeping members engaged during chapter meetings can be a constant struggle for the leadership of any chapter, no matter the size, time, or place. Universally, successful chapter leaders have to innovate to keep things fresh and interesting for their members. This means breaking up all the “usual” activities– information dumps, preaching moments about the “benefits of FBLA”, and announcements — with something that engages everyone in the room. While it’s only appropriate to have in certain instances, an icebreaker can go a long way in achieving just this.
To pull this off, you might have to “push” the group into participation; often, people expecting to sit through another boring slideshow presentation are less inclined to be enthused for anything else. It’s a leader’s job to cultivate this enthusiasm: be loud (but not obnoxious), encouraging (but not forceful), and willing to teach (but not controlling)!
Before throwing them in at random points in your meeting schedule, be sure to consider what an icebreaker really is. It’s a fun game meant to familiarize your members with each other, either by sharing names or getting everyone comfortable. Take note: this means an icebreaker doesn’t necessarily fit when all your members know each other fairly well. The start of the year, however, is a perfect place to include them.
If you’re at a loss for specific icebreakers to include at your meetings, you’re in luck! There’s an “Icebreaker of the Month” article posted periodically on this blog, meaning there are dozens of ideas for you to choose from!
If you’re questioning if it’ll have an effect on your member engagement, give it a try! I promise you’ll notice fewer slumped faces and more wide smiles in no time.
