Icebreakers

Guide to Icebreakers and Teambuilding

Compiled from the Cornell Trainer Network Icebreaker Mini-Conference held on July 2, 1996

The Encyclopedia of Icebreakers (University Associates, 1983) says that icebreakers "are tools that enable the group leader to foster interaction, stimulate creative thinking, challenge basic assumptions, illustrate new concepts, and introduce specific material." (pg. 1). As such, icebreakers can be used nearly any time a facilitator has a need to gather a group, get them together, and help them move forward. Energizers can be used to the same ends, and are generally though of as best for points in the midst of a meeting, training, workshop, or other group learning experience.

The Use of Icebreakers

Although the following points can easily be overdone, it is wise to consider a few basic elements before choosing (or inventing) and using Icebreakers.

Contracting

First, Icebreakers tend to work best when participants have contracted around their participation in the activity chosen by the trainer. Contracting involves giving participants:

1. The rationale for the activity
2. The objectives of the activity
3. The structure of the activity
4. The opportunity to ask questions
5. The permission to participate at their own level of comfort

The last point is critical, and is often missed. A single, prominent, announcement at the beginning of a training program (the point at which Icebreakers are used!) will often suffice for making the point that participants are not "bound" to participation in evert activity. Although this approach may run counter to events when facilitators hope for 100% participation, a bit of explanation may help.

Although participants will not always vocalize concerns to facilitator(s), any given training activity can place undue stress on people for a variety of reasons. Be it the deeply introverted person who is placed in their least resourceful state in high-energy group activities; the person in perpetual physical pain who avoids going "inside" themselves for reasons of pain management; the person with painful memories of a childhood filled with concerns about their physical ability; or, simply, the person who is simply having a "bad day," participants vary in their degree of comfort with Icebreakers and energizers. When they perceive a poor fit between their state of mind and the requirements of the Icebreaker, people will either publicly or privately "opt out" of participation. When given the freedom to choose, people tend to take greater ownership of their participation and are less able to claim "they made me do it." Ironically, when given choice, the vast majority of people will choose participation ofver either public or private opting out. To maximize genuine participation in Icebreakers, it is best to formally state that people have the right to "pass" at any point. When given the explicit option, participants only rarely "opt out."

Examples of Icebreakers

Commonalities: Arrange group into clusters of twos, threes, fours, or whatever suits the mood. Give each group a piece of paper and a pen. The task is to generate a list of things that are common to all the people in the cluster but you would not identify by looking at them. Ask people to come up with a specific number of commonalities or as many as they can in a few minutes.

Motion Name Game: Have everyone stand in a circle. Anyone can begin the game by saying his/her name and demonstrating a (physical) motion to go with it. When the person is done, the entire group repeats the name and the motion. Then, the second person (on either side of the first) introduces him/herself and does a motion. The entire group repeats that name/motion, and then the first name/motion. This will continue until each person has given their name and done their motion, and the entire group has repeated everyone's name and motions.

Human Bingo: Students go around the classroom with a bingo sheet and collect names of people who fit the descriptions on the squares. The objective, like a traditional Bingo game, is to fill five squares in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row. We've provided a sample sheet (PDF), but feel free to design your own!