Fundamentals of Strong Icebreakers

A good learning environment is set by the Facilitator, so is a bad one. The tone of an entire training (be it 1 hour, 1 day or 1 week) is set in the first few minutes. Because most presentations begin with an ice-breaker, it is critical to set the tone, even in this light hearted "getting to know you" intended activity. The course of the training is definitely set by the leader, and more often than not, it is set before the ice breaker has ended.

The most important thing to heed in the introductory activity called an ice breaker is to lead by example. Smile if you want the participants to smile. Participate if you want them to participate and share if you want them to share. But most importantly, stay professional if your aim is to enlist cooperation from attendees.

Get Personal with Caution

A good icebreaker is geared to get personal a little. As a leader in the room, the last thing you want to do is go too far. It is best to avoid ice breakers that require too much open ended personal information.

Some icebreakers sound like a good idea, but they venture into this realm. An example of this would be to ask the audience to write down something about themselves that no one in the room knows, collect the papers, read them out and have everyone try and guess who wrote it. Sounds like a good idea, right? Wrong. Though most people stick to things like. "I like cats." There is always someone that presses the bounds. Before too long, there may be a response like, "I was a pole dancer." Or "I was black-listed in Vegas." This can create an uncomfortable environment and as the facilitator you have now just contributed to creating boundaries between your participants instead of breaking them down. The mistake is on the leader for asking for something that had no boundaries which can lead to too much information.

Participants in the Spotlight

There are far too many training experiences where the facilitator's idea of controlling the class is talking the whole time, or being the entertainer. An accomplished facilitator knows that a good learning experience leads the participants to water, but lets them learn for themselves. And the best facilitators do that by encouraging collaboration, letting participants learn from each other. It's not at easy as it sounds, but the less airtime (or talk time) the leader in the room has, the more likely it is that they are fostering a good learning environment. This is a precedent that needs to begin with the ice breaker. It is the first impression and it sets the tone.

When facilitating an ice breaker, make sure participants are in the spotlight. Keep the ball in their court. Have an activity for them to do, and make sure they have time to share what they did. This interaction from them and with one another is what sets the mood for a collaborative training experience.

Aim for A Smile

The aim of any good ice breaker should be to loosen up the crowd and get them in the spirit of wanting to get involved. Ultimately, aiming for a smile is critical. There have been far too many conferences and seminars that ask for things like your favorite movie. Though a movie choice can reveal a lot about a person, it isn't likely going to make anyone smile, or laugh. A stale icebreaker is almost as bad as no icebreaker at all because you are setting the tone for a predictable experience and that is...just boring.

Even if an instructor is not a comedian, a good plan with a little research can usually unearth a smile. A strong teacher looks at what has been learned and applies it. Online resources are bountiful via keywords like: Icebreakers. Even if you or your employee is not creative, there is no crutch. The World Wide Web is an open door to those who have gone before and proven "this works."

Turning the Tide Back to Business

As a leader in the room, it is your primary goal to keep everyone on task. Doing so involves taking a light hearted icebreaker back to business. There are key phrases that can turn the tide. But the surest way is to thank the participant for their contributions and use the point of maximum involvement to set the expectation. Sentences like, "I am so glad we had fun with that. I hope we carry that into learning. And speaking of, let's review our key points for the day..."

Especially when dealing with adults, it is critical to remember that you are not pulling one over on them. They usually understand your motive or are looking for it. It adds credibility to just say it. Try something like, "Obviously, that was fun. I had fun. And I hope the fun continues in our learning." It is an honest approach that yields the best results.

Everyone in the room knows they are there for a reason, and you aren't fooling anyone with an icebreaker. So, allow them to smile and turn the tide to business with warm, honest approach. You will be valued for it.

Overall, when breaking the ice, it is important to lead by example, get personal with caution, and put your participants in the spotlight. In addition, you would probably be failing yourself if you didn't aim for a smile. And, you would fail your company if you didn't turn the tide back to business with honesty. Accomplishing these things will allow you to enter a learning experience with credibility in your tool belt and keep participants on the edge...ready to participate. It is then, that we will know learning can be fun, but make no mistake; it is the leader who determines it...in the icebreaker.