Icebreakers for facilitation, learning, business meetings

Icebreakers are a wonderful facilitation technique for creating individual engagement in meetings, workshops and agile ceremonies. A great icebreaker will;

• introduce the person so that 'people' become present rather than just another worker

• create engagement of attendees by the method of having them participate from the get-go

• give the facilitator an opportunity to look each individual in the eye, acknowledge them and hold a welcoming space

• warm the team up, relax them and set the mindset of collaboration (because they take out the knowledge gap between who we are)

Icebreakers also provide facilitators an opportunity to engage introverts and provide obvious support for their efforts to be vocally open infront of a group. For example; Lets walk through the simple ice-breaker ' Name & favorite past-time on the weekend' 1. Prepare prior a poster with a title 'who's who'& give it a frame 2. Provide the instruction, and use yourself as an example 3. Give everyone a minute to write on a sticky note: 'Name & favorite past-time on the weekend' 4. Invite people to stand, place their sticky on the poster and then introduce themselves to the group - this will be quite easy for most people. - For the introvert be mindful of; - maintaining eye contact, as they will look to you - the facilitating leader because it's much safer than looking at the group. This gives them affirmation that you will support them throughout this process. Generally as sessions go on, introverts will continue to talk to the group by talking to you because that connection is safe for them.

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