Icebreaker: Getting to Know Each Other

Every now and then I develop a tool for a client that could be useful for other people. In this case the client is running a short get-to-know-each-other and get-organised session for a workgroup that is usually separated geographically.

I offered to provide a short activity that could be used to get to know each other. Having pondered for a while I turned to a trainers' resource you should be familiar with called Google. Thanks to Kristin Bird who writes on Yahoo Voices, I was able to provide the activity below...

Go around the room taking it in turns finishing some sentences. Only introduce one sentence at a time. You might need to repeat the sentence for participants who are caught up in the activity. Pick 3-6 of the questions below (based on suitability), or write some of your own:

1. “My name is …”
2. “My organisation is in the business of …”
3. “I’m here because …”
4. “I think our clients could benefit from …”
5.  “If I wasn’t here, I would be …”
6. “When I feel nervous, I …”
7. “The most important contribution I make at work is …”
8. “In groups, I like it when the leader …”
9. “If I was in charge today, I would make sure to …”
10. “My favourite character from television or movies is …”
11. “If there were no such thing as gravity, I would live in a …”
12. “When my mobile phone rings at 11pm, I think …”

This exercise is adapted from Kristin's original post. She suggest some more and different questions, so for more ideas, read her post: Group Activities: Ice Breakers to Help People Get to Know Each Other.

...Geoff
www.performancepeople.com.au

Introductions

Introductions Slide (all rights reserved)

When I ask everyone to introduce themselves by going around the room, I usually ask who they are, where they are from within the organisation, and a question that is relevant to the topic.  For example:
1. Your name.
2. Your role and workgroup (or something similar).
3. A significant issue you have to deal with when managing projects.
OR
3. Your biggest challenge in managing your time.
OR
3. The nature of your leadership responsibilities.
OR
Something similar.

This is useful for me, to 'place' people in their role and in terms of their situation; and so I can refer to them by name throughout the session.  It is also useful for the other participants who get to know their fellows, and hear where they are from too.


...Geoff
www.performancepeople.com.au

Taking Note of Names

Seating Plan (all rights reserved)

After setting up the room I usually draw a rough mud-map of the room, with a place for each seat.  As people arrive and seat themselves, if I have met them before or if we are introduced (or even if I overhear their name used by someone else), I write it down.  I fill in any gaps as people introduce themselves around the room.

...Geoff

www.performancepeople.com.au

A Smarter Intro

Water? (All rights reserved.)

Yesterday I attended an Urban Water Security Symposium held by Queensland Conservation with support from CQUniversity Australia and other organisations.  It was a fantastic event with excellent speakers and topics, and great technical content clearly presented and supported with examples of real world application.

Alan Hoban of Water by Design started his presentation with:  "Imagine that an alien came down to Earth.  How would you describe what water is?"

Alan went on to talk about water being colourless and odourless and transparent; and how we often talk about water in terms of the aspects that are not water, like whether it is salty or fresh.  And then he was off and away telling us about significant design projects harnessing the qualities of water.

In a leadership training session I recently asked the audience to chat among themselves and try to answer the question:  "What is this leadership thing about?"  This question was purposely extremely broad.  It is also very intentionally not a definition from the Shorter Oxford Dictionary, or even the (unsourced) Google Dictionary.

Think about starting your next session by asking people to try to explain the thing you are to discuss.  This could work for any topic from organisational growth to genetic mutation to genealogy to governance.

...Geoff
www.performancepeople.com.au

Get Started (1)

Starting out is one of the most important, and sometimes nerve-wracking, things you'll do as a facilitator.

I always tell myself it will be fine.  I sometimes even believe myself.  And most times it is.  In fact, almost invariably it goes well.

I am not sure what I'm afraid of.  Maybe that they'll smell my fear and reject me.  Or that they will refuse to participate.  Or ...

There are some things you can do to improve your chances of getting a good outcome.  Such as:

• Being genuine and caring about what you are doing.
• Knowing the participants (especially their attitude to what you are doing).
• Keeping your introduction brief and relevant.
• Finding the balance between 'showing off' and 'communicating your credibility'.
• Getting them to do something worthwhile. (You might need to explain why it is worthwhile.)

But most of all, know what you want to accomplish and how, and be open minded about changing the latter.

...Geoff
www.performancepeople.com.au