2. Why icebreakers?
Introductory – names & job
positions
Learning more about colleagues
Set the tone for the day
Get delegates used to speaking up
3. Icebreakers – a story in 2 parts
How to mix people Discovering each other
4. Checklist
Tone of Resource
Participants? Day? s?
• are they new • Co- • Budget for
to one operative? props?
another? • Serious? • Space to
• have a • Light? move?
degree of • Physical • Time?
familiarity? contact?
• long standing • Breaking
colleagues? down silos?
5. Good practice points
Have clear objectives
Keep it simple
Prepare 2 or 3 icebreakers in case one flops
Create a level playing field between cultures,
knowledge levels, seniority etc
Focus on similarities not differences.
Everyone should feel comfortable (so maybe no
physical contact activity unless that’s going to be
an integral part of the team building activity).
Rehearse.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. Attributes for the human shopping
list
• Is a grandmother/father • Has a degree totally non-
• Enjoys walking related to their current job (you
• Served in the Armed Forces can argue about zoology).
• Isn’t on facebook • Is a “hunt and peck” two
fingered typist
• Is a member of a voluntary • Has worked for this firm for
group less than one year
• Person & partner have always • Has developed a computer
lived in this town training course
• Have visited Ouagadougou ( • Is a task analysis expert
or somewhere you can
pronounce more easily) • Has done cold calling
• Writes poetry • Is a trained first aider
• Plays (played) in a band
• Is a DIY -er
• Is a sports coach in their spare
time
14. Questions for first introductions
What’s your name, where do you work and …
What’s your preference - words or
numbers, pictures or sounds?
What festival would you most like to attend and
why?
What is your passion in life?
Where would you most like to visit/travel?
What would you change (in this country/the world)
if you could?
What music/food/weather do you most enjoy?
What’s your dream holiday?
15. Finish the sentence
This group/session...
Today I want to achieve…
I don't want....
I have....
My fear today is.....
Today I feel....
16. Learning a bit more about each other:
What's the most you've learned for the least
cost/effort and the least you've learned for
the most cost/effort?
What's the most valuable learning you've
obtained in the past month/year and how did
you get it?
What is your most under-used strength?
What is the most interesting factoid you've
learnt on a social networking website?
What special thing do you want to achieve (at
the event, or in life generally - depending on
the situation and group).
17. Deeper still…
What did you learn on a social networking website
that's most changed your life?
If you only had 30 seconds left in life, what thirty
seconds of your life would you most want to re-
live?
If you died tomorrow, how would you want to be
remembered in life?
What joy/stimulation have you added to other
people's lives?
What has been the major achievement in your life
so far?
If you could start your own business, what would it
be and where in the world would you locate it?
What special thing do you want to achieve in life?
18. Quick opinions about work– finish
the sentence
My Boss is...
The Team Briefing is...
The (ABC) Policy in this / your organisation
is...
The (XYZ) Initiative in this organisation is...
The Such and Such Meeting is...
The Thingummy Process is..
19. Deeper work related questions
What training and development have you found most
helpful and enjoyable?
What extra training would you like in your job?
What would most improve communications within
this / your organisation/your department?
What improvements can be made to (customer
service and relations)?
How would you describe the culture or 'feel' of this /
your organisation?
What would most improve communications and
relations between departments in this / your
organisation?
20. Deeper work related questions 2
How could this /your organization reduce stress
levels among employees?
How could the /your organization make better use of
your time and skills?
How can this/ your organization gather and make
better use of the views and experience of its
people?
What extra responsibility would you like in your job?
Give 3 words that describe the culture of this / your
organisation?
What would help you/ your department work better
with other people/departments?
21. Learning related questions
What training /courses have you found most helpful
and enjoyable?
What extra training would you like in your job?
What did you learn on a social networking website
that's most changed your life?
What's the most you've learned for the least
cost/effort and the least you've learned for the
most cost/effort?
What's the most valuable learning you've obtained in
the past month/year and how did you get it?
What did you learn yesterday?
22. What did you learn yesterday –
follow up questions
Was it learning for work or life?
How did you learn it?
Could you value this learning?
What would you have paid to have learned it
earlier?
Is this just the start of the learning process–
if so, how does it continue?
23. Team Building in Scotland?
Contact us if you need a facilitator or some
highlight activities for your team event.
Check out our website for activities that will
add fun to your day or subtly help
participants to discuss their team values.
www.TeamAct.co.uk annie@teamact.co.uk
tel:0844 811 9776
Hinweis der Redaktion
Compile about 20 attributes into shopping lists, each with a different set of attributes. (You can also make these bingo cards or autograph collections or portrait galleries where each person adds a little matchstick drawing of themselves) Get everyone hunting to tick off all on their list, introducing themselves each time and noting the names of the people who fit each attribute on their list or card. With a portrait gallery, the little matchstick drawing reinforces later recognition. Give an apple/ company pen to the person who gets all their names first and something else for the person who comes last.If you’ve got a lot of people and can make teams, you can get people to work as a syndicate and the winning team will be the one that has got all its lists ticked off first. The names found don’t necessarily need to come from within the team. The strategists will make themselves known but whether anyone listens to them will be a different matter – and perhaps one of the lessons of the exercise.
Brainstorm your own list of attributes to get those that suit your participants.
Write up dance cards as for an old fashioned ball with any dances you fancy from ballroom to bollywood. First round, everyone gets another person’s name written next to an each dance. That person writes the corresponding date on their clock face/dance list. Round two, each person goes to meet their first dance partner for 2 minutes and so on.
Take the airplane icebreaker introductions further and get participants to introduce the person who picked up their airplane to the person whose airplane they themselves picked up.
You don’t have to be setting up a training event to talk about learning!
