Would you like to foster community in your workplace, yielding more collaboration and better work among your colleagues? If so, consider using icebreakers at the start of some meetings, especially introductory meetings.
Some people may think icebreakers are “boring, silly, or awkward.” However, icebreakers can be fun, easy, and quick. They can be done during in-person, virtual, or hybrid sessions. Through icebreakers, people can learn about each other and/or collaborate in ways that improve office camaraderie, morale, working relationships, and performance.
Icebreakers do not have to be elaborate. They can just be simple questions, such as:
- What is the most interesting fact you know?
- What is your favorite activity in [the city or state of the meeting location]?
- What is your favorite food to cook or bake?
- What is your motto in life?
- What is the most over-played song?
- What would you do during your ideal day?
- Would you rather skydive, bungee-jump, or engage in space tourism?
- What is the most important lesson that you’ve learned?
The following are two general suggestions:
- Use a variety of icebreakers.
- Encourage, but do not force, people to participate.
Icebreakers can be relevant to the meeting’s topic. For example, if you are hosting a training about a new software program, you could ask people to discuss their knowledge of or experience with that program.
Sample Icebreakers
In Freeze Frame Storytime, participants take turns telling a story. Every person is required to end their turn while posing dramatically. Then, the next individual continues the story from the same pose.
In Name Game, participants sit in a circle. One person says their name aloud. Then, one of the people next to the original person says their own name and then the first person’s name. The pattern continues people reciting increasingly more names. It is important to say that it is OK if individuals at the end have trouble remembering names. People can help others.
In Quotes Game, pairs of people recite quotations from movies, songs, books, and television shows. Other pairs guess the source of the quotation. Every correct answer is worth one point. Whoever has the most points wins. Bonus points can be earned for naming the person who said the quotation. Hints can be given.
In Psychiatrist, after one person (the “Psychiatrist”) leaves the room, the rest agree to have the same condition. For example, a condition could be that people answer as if you are the person to the right. Another condition could be that all individuals must mention a U.S. president in their answers. Then, the Psychiatrist returns and asks questions to determine the condition. The game can continue with a different psychiatrist.
In Two Truths and a Lie, everyone says two factually correct statements and one believable lie about themselves. Then, other participants guess which statement is the lie. Sometimes, lies can be partly true. If using this icebreaker, you should discuss this activity with your group before the meeting so people can come up with three statements.
Three sample statements are: “I met President Bill Clinton and then scored a goal in a soccer game during one morning,” “I can recite the U.S. Presidents in order forwards and backwards,” and “I missed voting in a certain Presidential election by 17.5 hours.” Which statement is the lie? The third one.
Conclusion
Have fun while building community and improving work with icebreakers.
Miriam Edelman, MPA, MSSW, is a Washington, D.C.,-based policy professional. Her experience includes policy work for Congress. Miriam’s undergraduate degree is from Barnard College, Columbia University, with majors in political science and urban studies. She has a master’s in public administration from Cornell University, where she was inducted into the national honorary society for public administration. She has a master’s of science in social work (focusing on policy) from Columbia University. She is a commissioner of the DC Commission on Persons with Disabilities. Miriam aims to continue her career in public service. She is especially interested in democracy, civic education, District of Columbia autonomy, diversity, health policy, women’s issues, and disabilities.
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