Icebreakers

for corporate events, meetings and conferencesillustrated and step by step

Why icebreakers?

Introductory – names & job positions

Learning more about colleagues

Set the tone for the dayGet delegates used to

speaking up

Icebreakers – a story in 2 parts

How to mix peopleDiscovering each other

Checklist

Participants?• are they

new to one another?

• have a degree of familiarity?

• long standing colleagues?

Tone of Day?• Co-

operative? • Serious? • Light? • Physical

contact? • Breaking

down silos?

Resources?

• Budget for props?

• Space to move?

• Time?

Good practice points

Have clear objectivesKeep it simplePrepare 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. 

Attributes for the human shopping list

• Is a grandmother/father• Enjoys walking• Served in the Armed Forces• Isn’t on facebook• Is a member of a voluntary

group• Person & partner have always

lived in this town• Have visited Ouagadougou ( or

somewhere you can pronounce more easily)

• Writes poetry• Plays (played) in a band• Is a DIY -er• Is a sports coach in their spare

time

• Has a degree totally non-related to their current job (you can argue about zoology).

• Is a “hunt and peck” two fingered typist

• Has worked for this firm for less than one year

• Has developed a computer training course

• Is a task analysis expert• Has done cold calling• Is a trained first aider

IDEAS FOR ICEBREAKER QUESTIONS

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?

Finish the sentence

This group/session...Today I want to achieve…I don't want....I have....My fear today is.....Today I feel....

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). 

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?

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..

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?

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?

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?

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?

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