"I'll take staff meetings for $200, Alex"

Looking for a prescription for a dull staff meeting? Dawn Westbrook, the client services supervisor at Pine Ridge Pet Care in Andover, Minn., found the perfect solution. She surprised team members with a game instead of the usual policies and procedures discussion. Using the game show Jeopardy! as a guide, Westbrook created Jeopawdy! She developed fun categories, such as "Pet Peeves," which focuses on problems in practice, and "I'm Board," where the questions are related to boarding. Westbrook says it's a fun way to brush up on important facts, like how to describe boarding suites to potential clients and how many potty breaks boarded dogs get a day.

The winner received a prize—a puppy puzzle—and Westbrook says her team members can't wait to play again. "So often at our staff meetings only a few people speak, and the rest listen," she says. "Not only was this approach educational, but everyone participated."