As an introvert or extrovert depending on my mood (actually I would
characterize myself as generally extroverted but moderately private and
inhibited - does that make sense?)..... I generally would say I am not too
thrilled about icebreakers.
Do NOT ask me to give the person in front of me a backrub, do stretches
and exercises, find one or two "nice" things to say to the complete
stranger sitting next to me, run around the room, or make me feel foolish
by having to put a Mr. Potato Head together.... I am thankful that I am
now generally the facilitator and not the participant!!!!
BUT it can be fun to spend a few minutes to do simple, short word,
problem-solving or creativity games. I often use perception
examples/figure-grounds on an overhead to "give a mental break" to
workshop participants. They always get very involved in trying to "see"
the image and end up helping each other and talking a lot (actually it can
be difficult to get their attention again!). I confess to using them to
make learning points (I do like to show some relevance - I think I then
can justify the fun we're having).
I think an overhead of an image (perceptual stuff or something like Scott
Simmerman's Square Wheels) would be a brief but fun icebreaker to a group
new to each other.
Warm regards, Claire
Claire McCarty Kilian, Ph.D.
MR Communication Consultants
16700 County Hwy UN
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
715-726-0561 (phone) 715-726-0563 (fax) ClaireKil@aol.com
Offering "The Team Learning Lab"...a practical program to improve results
through systems thinking, mental models, and shared vision....and 17 other
team learning programs! Check out our website: www.mrcomm.com
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