You can use Whispers as an opening activity before a meeting begins to encourage the sharing of definitions for what makes a meeting successful.

Synopsis

The participants explain their individual definitions of a successful meeting. Each participant predicts the answer of the person seated to the right. The facilitator relates this activity to the success of the ensuing meeting.

Purpose

To identify key features of a successful meeting

Participants

Minimum: 3

Maximum: Any number

Best: 5–10

Time

5–10 minutes

Flow

Brief participants. Ask the participants to envision the ensuing meeting. Encourage them to think of an answer to this question: How would you define the success of the meeting?

Encourage reflection. Pause for about a minute to give the participants time to come up with their best answer to the question.

Ask for predictions. Instruct each participant to turn to the person on the left and whisper their prediction of how the person on the right will answer.

Ask for responses. Tell participants in each group to take turns giving their personal response to the question.

Give feedback. If a participant's response matches the prediction made by the person on the left, then congratulate the predictor for his or her empathetic thinking ability.

Link to the Meeting

Tell the participants to begin the scheduled meeting. Encourage them to work through the meeting in such a way as to achieve their definitions of success.