An icebreaker
is a facilitation exercise intended to help a group to begin the process of
forming themselves into a team. It is also used in the first class of course to
break the ice between people, familiarize the people and create intimacy.
Icebreakers are commonly presented as a game
to "warm up" the group by helping the members to get to know each
other. They often focus on sharing personal information such as names, hobbies,
etc.
There are
many different types of icebreakers. Some of the most common are:
Introductory Icebreakers
Many times when people get together, they
do not all know one another. Introductory icebreaker games and activities not
only help people begin to know each other, but also help them recognize and
appreciate differences and similarities. Introductory icebreakers can be as
simple as asking each person to tell the group their name and one fact about
themselves, or they can be complicated exercises designed to build trust and a
desire to work together.
Getting-to-Know-You Icebreakers
Icebreakers are frequently presented in the
form of a game to “warm up” a group by helping the members to get to know each
other. They often focus on sharing information such as names, personal facts,
hobbies, etc. Getting to know you icebreakers also help people who already know
each other become more acquainted. The outcomes are often humorous and always
interesting.
Team Building Icebreakers
Many icebreaker games are intended to help
a group to begin the process of forming themselves into a team or teams. Some
teamwork icebreakers, such as building activities, aid group dynamics by
building trust, communication, and the ability to work together.
Party (Fun) Icebreakers
No one likes walking into a party where few
people are familiar. For a party to be exciting, guests need to be put at ease.
Party icebreakers serve this purpose, introducing guests to one another. Use
icebreakers that are simple and entertaining to coax people to converse and
laugh. This sets the right mood for the rest of the party.
Icebreaker Questions
As the name implies, icebreaker questions
simply illicit information from people in an effort to get them comfortable and
relaxed. Icebreaker questions can be serious or funny. The best icebreaker
questions are designed specifically for an identified age and purpose and
prepare people for activities or experiences that follow.
Introduction
or warm-up exercises
Examples of
these kinds of facilitation exercises include:
The Little
Known Fact
Participants are asked to share their name,
department or role in the organization, length of service, and one
"little-known fact" about themselves. This "little-known
fact" becomes a humanizing element for future interactions.
Two Truths and a Lie
Participants introduce themselves and make
three statements about themselves — two true and one untrue. The rest of the
group votes to try to identify the falsehood.
Interviews
Participants are paired up and spend 5
minutes interviewing each other. The group reconvenes and the interviewer
introduces the interviewee to the group.
The exercises
are particularly popular in the university setting, for instance among
residents of a residence hall or groups of students who will be working closely
together, such as orientation leaders, perhaps, or peer health teachers.
Group-interaction
exercises
Challenging
icebreakers also have the ability to allow a group to be better prepared to
complete its assigned tasks. For example, if the team's objective is to
redesign a business process such as Accounts Payable, the icebreaker activity
might take the team through a process analysis. The analysis could include the
identification of failure points, challenging assumptions and development of
new solutions — all in a simpler and "safer" setting where the team
can practice the group dynamics which they will use to solve the assigned
problem.
Examples of
these kinds of facilitation exercises include:
The Ball
Exercise
Immediately after introductions, the
facilitator arranges the group in a circle and asks each person to throw the
ball to a person on the other side of the circle while stating their name. When
every person in the group has thrown the ball at least once, the facilitator
announces that "we are going to do it again but this time we'll time
it" and announces the rules. 1) Each person must touch the ball in the
same order as the first round. 2) Each person must touch the ball with at least
one hand. 3) Time stops when the ball is returned to the facilitator. (For
further complication, the facilitator will sometimes introduce three balls in
succession to the process.) Regardless of their performance, the facilitator
expresses disappointment with the group's performance and urges them to do it
again faster. When asked for clarification, the facilitator only reiterates the
rules. An effective team will creatively redesign their process to meet the
requirements of the rules. After several iterations, the facilitator will call
a halt and use the exercise to draw out morals which will be relevant later in
the day such as "Challenge assumptions", "Don't be satisfied
with the first answer", "Be creative", etc.
The Human Spiderweb
The facilitator begins with a ball of yarn.
He/she keeps one end and passes the ball to a participant. Each participant
introduces him/herself and role in the organization then, keeping hold of the
strand of yarn, unrolls enough to hand the ball to another person in the group,
describing how they are dependent on that person (or role). The process
continues, often with multiple dependencies until everyone is introduced. The
facilitator then pulls on the starting thread and asks the group if anyone's
hand failed to move. The facilitator then uses the yarn as a metaphor for the
interdependencies of the group or the process which they will be discussing.
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