Ice Breaker Warm Up Activities - Suggestions for Meetings?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone hates the forced work ice breakers.

I really like them! Maybe I’m the only one. As an introvert with a little anxiety, I like being told exactly how to introduce myself. I like learning things about people (strangers and not) without having to ask or engage in an agonizing conversation. Assuming this is a group who will be collaborating or otherwise benefitting from interacting, this type of start i helpful to me.
I’m fairly new at an org that is all business, no introductions, no ice breakers. I feel like I don’t know people. I haven’t made any work friends here bc people think they are too busy for things like taking 10 min to introduce ourselves and why we are here. It’s ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says their name, where they’re from, and what the worst thing they have ever done is.

Then I’d have to kill the entire group?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says their name, where they’re from, and what the worst thing they have ever done is.

"Not today Mr. undercover Detective! Not today!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I walk out of meeting that start with ice breakers or any type of activity. Don’t waste people’s time and treat people like adults.

Good response. It's a waste of company time also.

I'd fire any employee trying to play childish games on company time like that. Get to work!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I HATE this kind of thing.

I'm a teacher and our admin waste so much of our time every week with pointless "ice breakers" and childish party games at the start of each of our many (largely pointless) meetings. The pattern is that we have multiple admin who really don't do much actual necessary work, so they create more and more meetings and busy work to justify their positions, all at the expense of people who have a great deal of real work to complete.

Everybody is busy and has real work to do. Nobody wants to do your stupid icebreaker, OP. They only want the essential information so that they can go do their actual job.

I could give you a list of asinine ice breakers our admin has forced us to do over the years, but I won't because I am a considerate person and I pity your audience.

Instead of an ice breaker or stupid party game, I suggest:

1. Start the meeting on time without dithering or telling stupid jokes or anecdotes about yourself or your family.

2. Don't read slides at people.

3. Give essential information as concisely as possible.

4. If you find that the essential information could be presented in one clear email, DON'T WASTE PEOPLE'S TIME and cancel the meeting.

Another teacher and I agree with all of this.

Icebreakers are a waste of time. I have a massive list of things to accomplish in my classroom. Show respect by keeping the meeting useful and short.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone says their name, where they’re from, and what the worst thing they have ever done is.

I always like to say that I killed a man as my fun fact. Keeps the group on their toes and ensures they treat me with the proper respect.

This is why "2 Truths and a Lie" is a better icebreaker. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont have any corporate training, but was recently at a business dinner that needed some livening up and asked the group to name the most famous person they've met and how they met the person. There were some wild and interesting stories that had the table laughing/ engaged. Some named famous chefs, authors and politicians, others movie stars (Elizabeth Taylor!). Just a thought - it's totally superficial, but fun.

Sounds fun but the most famous person I've seen in real life was Sharon Pratt Dixon Kelly walking down the street in DC. I bet most people wouldn't even remember her. I have also been in large group meetings with F500 corporate CEOs. Fortune or Forbes readers might vaguely know who I was talking about. I would definitely be the boring one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please don’t. No adult wants to do an ice breaker.

If you insist, have them break into random groups of four for a few minutes and just talk with one another. Then later split into a different group of four and talk with those people. (Or assign tables to random groups at a breakfast and lunch)

This. We have to do these a few times every year at professional development and they are the worst.

-a teacher

[Anonymous]

Good question re: difference between a fun fact and an interesting fact. The line can be blurred, but IMO, a fun fact would be something entertaining, like "I worked as a clown in the circus one summer". An interesting fact would be "I helped start up, and currently manage, a volunteer organization to remove the trash people left behind at our local park".

[Anonymous]

The reason I said don't do fun fact is because some people may not have a fun fact (or even a very interesting fact to share, for that matter). I hate ice breakers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pitchers of margaritas and play spin the bottle.

Definitely would break some ice and liven things up.

Or just get on with the meeting and do your jobs so everyone can get out of the office sooner.

Gross. I don't need to think that deeply about my colleagues, even the nice ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don’t. No adult wants to do an ice breaker.

If you insist, have them break into random groups of four for a few minutes and just talk with one another. Then later split into a different group of four and talk with those people. (Or assign tables to random groups at a breakfast and lunch)

This. We have to do these a few times every year at professional development and they are the worst.

-a teacher

What a scam and joke all that professional development stuff is for teachers. They narrowed summer vacay from 3 months to just about 2, then make you take those waste-of-time seminars and junk and they always offer them in the middle of your summer break, just to screw with teachers more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you must, just ask them to introduce themselves. Please don't ask for a fun fact.

Ask for favorite movie, book, or food - something neutral that everyone has.

I once was speed dating and my first question was a good book. I got blank stares. So I changed it to book, movie, show, or podcast. I still mostly got blank stares. It was weird / surprising.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I walk out of meeting that start with ice breakers or any type of activity. Don’t waste people’s time and treat people like adults.

You sound like a peach. I bet nobody wants to get to know you.

I am a peach because I don’t treat adults like kindergarteners?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you must, just ask them to introduce themselves. Please don't ask for a fun fact.

Ask for favorite movie, book, or food - something neutral that everyone has.

I once was speed dating and my first question was a good book. I got blank stares. So I changed it to book, movie, show, or podcast. I still mostly got blank stares. It was weird / surprising.

Surprised that speed dating still exists. It's a neat concept.