Ice breaker games that you don't hate??

[pastypirate]

I'm doing a session at a team building event tomorrow. What do you not all loathe? I'm doing two truths and a lie so far. It's only for about half an hour and essentially as a team we get on great.

Coffee and cake is a good ice breaker!

For groups who know one another, the most important thing is just to give everyone a moment to have their voice heard in front of the group - you can ask them anything small.

It's not to leave everyone in the group giddy with pleasure, it's a mechanism that changes gear from 'socialising' to 'group work' and helps create psychological safety to share.

Unless, of course, some of the posters on this thread are present (using the session as an opportunity to choose who you're going to dislike? What is wrong with you?) but they're already committed to being miserable so you might as well let them get on with it.

I like to have people in small groups first to finish a sentence stem ("if you really knew me, you'd know..." is a nice one because people can choose how personal they want to go). That takes the edge off for those who don't like big groups. And then come back to the full group to take some shares from people who are OK speaking in front of everyone.

And use at least one example that voices what the most uncomfortable people are thinking: "If you really knew me, you'd know that I hate icebreakers". Let it come from you - it breaks the tension if they know you know and it's OK to say.

Why do you need them? Everyone hates them.

but they're already committed to being miserable so you might as well let them get on with it.

I really hope you don’t lead icebreaker groups. That’s an awful thing to say. It’s virtually bullying. There are lots of people who are introverts, who aren’t particularly at ease in group situations. They do fine at work but aren’t happy about sharing personal information- and why should they? It’s work.

@iklboo that's terrible, I'm glad your colleagues defended you though!

It's also a far cry from the experiences we had with the exercise, everyone just had fun... such a shame that certain people ruin things!

I've been a facilitator and course leader for 17 years - I'm perfectly aware of introversion.

If you re-read my post, you'll notice I talked about SOME of the posters on this thread, not 'anyone who doesn't like icebreakers'.

You'll also notice that I went on to talk about designing my initial interactions specifically to take the edge off for people who don't like large groupwork.

I'm not a bully, I'm experienced enough to know the difference between someone who's genuinely uncomfortable and someone who's just bringing a bad attitude, which can affect everyone in the room - including the poor OP who's probably nervous enough about having to lead this without a barrage of negativity on MN.

She was a nasty piece of work Poppins. She told people she'd been 'headhunted' by another company when she left. She's actually been fired for bullying & incompetence (not me who made the complaint so she must have done it to others too). Well rid of her. The team made a collective sigh of relief!

The only one I’ve enjoyed was with a group of people I knew a bit, but not much - we were asked to form a line from north to south according to the place where we were born. It involved conversation, sometimes an element of surprise and arguing about European and North African geography. It was really interesting

Focus on the opposite person and gradually walk towards each other until your noses touch. Why?????

That'd go down well with 5ft me and 6ft 4 male colleague 😄.

Or make the meeting shorted

This.

a barrage of negativity on MN.

It's probably representative of the way the majority of people feel about ice-breakers. But you carry on not caring about how you're making people feel if you like.

@monsterastuckiosa I’ll tell you what’s wrong with me, I make judgements about people based on their words and actions, I’m guessing you have another mechanism. Fun/interesting facts I have heard: I used to round up immigrants until I broke down the door of a white family, I only date men that drive BMW’s, I think vegans are mental, I got done for drunk driving before I got my licence. I apologise for having feelings about people after learning more about them.

also people who think it’s impressive to take charge and who insist they know the answer get right on my wick too.

i like to think I’m an adult and a professional so can do group work without throwing a beanbag for 20
mins.

Howabout ask each person to write down a quiz question which has only two possible answers

Then do the quiz (work related or not, as you wish) and make people go to one side of the room for one answer and the other side for the second answer. Like the old kids programme Runaround. You can discuss with others for 30 seconds before you have to decide your answer.

After a couple of practice rounds, Everyone on the wrong side is OUT.
Then on to the next question.
Winner gets a prize.

www.britishclassiccomedy.co.uk/runaround

I haven't actually tried this out as I only just thought of it - I always wanted to be on the show, maybe everyone did?

The only one I ever use is "share something positive that's happened to you recently" which goes down well especially as I always start with something really minor do people know it can be anything, like "i got a lie in on Saturday".

I thought I hated them, but the line up north to south sounds quite fun. Banked if I ever need to wheel one out.

I wouldn't like that either. I find all of them so unnecessary. Literally the whole room dreads their turn.

@ColonelNobbyNobbs that's why I picked mainly non achievement related facts. I have an American accent and my thing would be 'I'm not American'.
But looks like the consensus is not to do any ice breakers at all: name rank and serial number is enough!

I don’t think that’s fair either. You don’t know what going on in people’s lives. Some will be having a terrible time and not in a good mental state to see joy in a wild flower. With the growing emphasis on mental health in the workplace, I don’t think this is acceptable. Being able to find something positive in life may be a good thing, but this is not something that necessarily needs to be shared with people you happen to work with.

First jobs, worst job or fantasy jobs creates some fun convos?

Drawing something to represent the theme of the awayday?

Map of the world with pins to show where you’ve lived or worked?

Lining up from place of birth from south to north or names by alphabet?

Im totally fine with truth and lies games

I did one once where I paired people up and give one person in each a picture and they had to describe it to the other to draw without using the words of what of is.
So a red and blue train couldn't be described as such.

People had such a laugh at the crap drawings that they forgot to be pissed off it was an icebreaker

Should probably disclose I attended an awayday making buildings from spaghetti and marshmallows and actually enjoyed it so perhaps I’m not v representative looking at the rest of the thread!

That’s why my line up in first name alphabetical order and birthdate works. Most awkward thing that could happen is it’s someone’s birthday.

I think sorting alphabetically by name or by place of birth north to south are ok, but nothing else, basically, where people have to reveal their personal and private life, thoughts, feelings in a compulsory work event. I feel quite strongly about this. I’ve never worked for any company that would run team-building occasions like this, so I don’t know how common they are.