(Keep reading and you may earn a free book!)
Ok, so you are having another boring corporate meeting meeting. Nobody wants to be there, and the doughnuts are just not enough to get people in a good mood, much less a creative and success-minded mood.
What do you do? Well, I have a ton of ideas for meeting ice breakers and warm ups, but one of my favorites is to print out an odd or unusual photo from the internet or some magazine, and have a brainstorming session of possible captions for that photo.
Before you give it a try, know that you’ll need to set some ground rules for this ice-breaker.: The rules for the brainstorm session need to be made clear. I use something like this in my creativity seminars:
“Ok let’s see if we can come up with some easy rules before we start. First of all, can we agree that only one person talks at a time?” (Of course they’ll agree.)
“Can we agree that there will be no bad ideas…. all captions are good, because we’re going for volume, not quality…. deal?” (They’ll agree, because nobody will want to feel stupid if they come up with something lame. Sometimes I take this a step further and ask them if they think that anybody who says ANYTHING negative has to put a dollar in the middle of the table for next week’s doughnut upgrade. This is really fun… they’ll love it.)
“Our goal is to just find a bunch of captions… not to be funny. So if you come up with a funny one, that’s great. But don’t feel pressure to be funny… just come up with a caption. Deal?” (If you set the goal to find a “funny” punch-line or joke, many people will seize up and shut down. Just tell them that you want a bunch of captions, and trust me, the funny will happen.”
That’s it! It’s easy. Just have somebody write down the ideas on a dry-erase or even a note pad. See how many you can come up with, and then increase that number at your next meeting. Set a time limit of 3 minutes or so, but if they are cranking them out at minute 5, let ‘em!
You’ll be amazed at the positive creative energy you’ll create with this simple little task.
What’s that? Put my money where my mouth is? Sure, glad you asked.
Earn a Free Book!
My entry for the mock caption:
“You should see what the Tin Man got!”
Brad Montgomery
Motivational Speaker, Humor in the Workplace Seminar Leader, Corporate Comedian
PS. Submit your caption to th at lion-and-woman photo and win a free copy of my ebook Humor Me!
A caption for the woman and lion:
I tried the frog last time!
Woman and Lion photo
- you have a little somehting right there. Here, let me get that for you.
- this is how they do it in the French Congo
-you are a cagey beast
- I wonder if his eyes are closed too?
- One one thousand, Two one thousand, Three
- Sigfried and Roy will never know…or care
- Carnivore, Shmarnivore. Just lick me you fool.
Caption for woman and lion photo –
“Thank heavens for conjugal visits!”
Lion: “You’re right. They DO taste like chicken!”
CAPTION FOR WOMAN AND LION
“I WONDER WILL SHE FIT THROUGH ?”
So… who won?
You did say that it is volume that counts, right?
Brad, thanks for a great site and newsletter.
Palmo Carpino
Calgary, Alberta
Kiss a frog, get a prince
Kiss a lion, get a King
The latest in Diversity Training –
leading by example – this “king” facilitator shows the other animals that people are animals too!
She wasn’t lion – she did kiss a king!
“We’ve got to quit meeting like this!”
Not now, my husbands/boyfriends looking!
I didn’t know lions kept thier cycs closed when they kiss.
MMMM-I hope no one is looking.
Note to self…no more liverwurst for lunch.
“Hey buddy, not on the first date.”
“I don’t care if you are king of the jungle. You watch that tongue of yours!’
“Hey pal, have you been chewing on sandpaper.”
“What d’ya mean welcome to Honolulu? This is Africa buster!”
I’ll give you here kitty, kitty, kitty.
“Wow…those pheromones really do work!”
- It takes a WOMAN to tame a beast!!!
- (Lion) If I give you a kiss, will you let me out of this cage?
- Ooo—You are the KING!!!
- (Woman) Hey, can I have my gum back please???
Love at first “bite”
I told you you could get ANYTHING at Walmart!
You may now kiss the bride.
Love has no BARS; no age bar, no sex bar, no money, no religion and now no species……!!!
King Karl Kissed A Kook
Loony Lady Loves a Lion
Lady Kisses Lion: Lives to tell Story.
Lion kisses Lady: gets laughed at by friends.
beauty and the beast.
“I need to check what I put for my profile on e-Harmony.com”
“Have to stop wearing polka dots…gives the beasts the wrong idea”
Ok, one more, but leo this is the last time…. I think Juan suspects something.
His paws are gentle but oh so rough!
(woman) What part of NOT FRENCH don’t you understand?
“Get a Room”
“Mom, is that what you mean when you talk about why heavy petting before marriage is bad?”
“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size.”
“I thought the sign said no feeding the animals?
“Mom, I thought you said it wasn’t good to play with your food?
“Look inside your self Simba, you are more than what you have become, Remember who you are…. “
Ma’am, this will have to be the last time.
You don’t taste like Tony the Tiger!
Let me Go, I said only 1 night.
So this what was behind door number 3
I’ll be out soon baby! These bars won’t hold me back forever!
Certs is TWO, TWO, TWO mints in one.
(They don’t pay me enough for this line of work)
Try something hard, can makes you below ordinary people
Lady to lion – “Here, let’s see if this works, I’ll suck you right out of this cage”.
So You Want To Be a Banquet Manager
- Please Do NOT FEED THE ANIMALS…
- You know.. I didn’t say anything when you slept with all my friends, my brother and my buisness partner but you have to draw the line somewhere…
- Lion: “Yep, They’re real”.
Hey Aida, I know you liked your men hairy, but really????
“ERHHHHHHHH–COURAGE!”
Watch the tongue baby!
Two eyes and a mouth; nothing else required.
“As long as you have two eyes and a mouth nothing else is required to add humor to your meeting”.
Lion to woman–Ca’mon these conjugal visits are getting really embarassing…