Leading by Adventure - 049 - About using Breakouts

Creatively organise meetings to utilise the power of different combinations – Structure & equip your breakouts for creative insight & ownership

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Why take this challenge?

Increase the levels of participation and ownership in your meetings

Raise the energy of group meetings by introducing a variety of approach

Get better outcomes and greater confidence in their delivery

Graphic image reflecting different pathways to take the adventure

We called this adventure ‘Shore Parties’ to reflect the idea of small groups of people going off to explore something on behalf of everyone else.

Most of us are used to breakout groups in events and workshops. Splitting a larger group down into smaller ones encourages more people to speak up. It makes it less likely that the overall output is dominated by a subset of stronger, more confident (more dominant?) voices.

The functionality of software like Teams and Zoom makes it so much easier to organise breakouts in virtual meetings. Unlike physical meetings, there is no need to rent or book extra rooms, or to direct people to them. A few clicks and everybody is speaking to a new smaller group of people.

Grouping does not need to be random, and there can be a lot of power in how you select groupings and how you bring them back together. To get a sense of the range of groupings that are available to you, take a look and the grouping options article in the Pack section below.

Furthermore, using jamboards to capture the output from the breakouts gives a great way of sharing this back between the teams.

But it doesn’t need to be complicated. Even the simplest of breakouts can boost the energy and enthusiasm. How often do you set up breakouts in your own meetings? This week’s adventure is about doing it more.

+ Green track - taking it in your stride

Adding a breakout to your team meeting

So your green track adventure for this week is quite simple. It is to read the first item in the Pack section and to add a breakout session to a meeting that doesn’t typically have one. This could be a work meeting, but it could also be a social meeting of some type – perhaps a community or club committee.

Simply find an opportunity on the agenda to get people to tackle that particular topic in smaller groups, and see what they come up with.

If however you already use breakouts to the full extent that you wish then the blue track may be for you. It is about considering how to augment them to get more out of them.

+ Blue track - a bit of a workout (click to open)

+ Red track - stepping up to bat (click to open)

Rethinking your breakout strategy

If the green and/or the blue track have worked well for you, then maybe think about how you can continue to build on this. How not to simply let it slide back to how it was.

Perhaps start by considering all of the meetings that you regularly get involved in, and which ones might benefit from greater participation and ownership. Then think how you might shift your breakout strategy to help that to happen.

The third item in the Pack section may have some ideas to help you.

You may find the following resources helpful in tackling your challenge or in gaining further benefits from the skills and insights you develop

To catch up on past adventures you may have missed, feel free to browse our Adventures Library

Let us know how you get on.
Share your experience, your insights and your observation using the comments section at the bottom of the Linkedin post.

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Useful links:

Introduction to Leading by Adventure  |  What we mean by spirituality?  |  Why Adventure
Adventures to date   |  I did it, but it didn’t work very well   |  How do I know if it is working
Bringing this thinking into your meetings   |  Adventure & Mental Health
Leading by Adventure community   |  Explore Strategic Support options