I'm quite careful in using icebreakers...having heard from a number of my
introverted friends that they despised and abhorred the torturous and
invasive icebreakers that they had experienced. They also told me that
the typically extroverted facilitaters with whom they had shared this
information before hadn't "heard" this complaint, and simply patronized
them with a "there there...it isn't so bad is it?"
So, knowing how condescending and arrogant some facilitators/trainers can
be...and how important it is to truly listen to others speak from the
heart, I decided to use building in some socializing time before most of
my activities among groups that don't know one another. A little
chit-chat, coffee/tea/etc, and brief introductions (including why I'm
here) is about as far as I go now.
I'd like to hear from some of the introverts in this group about how they
feel about icebreakers...I know that, though I'm only marginally
introverted, I find them a pain in the butt that generally only pleases a
few of the people who are breaking the ice.
regards,
Doc
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