3 Ways To Improve An “Ice Breaker” For Your Next Workshop

Mitch mcmahon
Aug 23, 2017 · 2 min read

Ice Breakers are a must for any workshop or training session to be successful. As a result, here are three ways to turn your ice breaker from good to great.

  1. Make The Directions Convoluted and Hard to Explain

Ice Breakers should not be explained in easy to understand terms. On the contrary. The more difficult the activity is to explain and the more you have to say “Do you get what I’m saying?” the better results you will have. For example, if you explain an ice breaker and the response goes like this:

Employee 1: Hey. Did you know they took our dental coverage away?

Employee 2: No I didn’t. This place really sucks.

Employee 1: I’m glad we could talk while trying to figure out the rules to this overly complicated and convoluted ice breaker! Want to go out for a drink some time?

The better your workshop will go.

2. Incorporate As Many Physical Obstacles As Possible

I’m talking hosting in a room with hundreds of chairs , making people unable to let go of each other after hand shakes, or inviting the Harlem Globe Trotters to perform in the middle of the room to up diversity numbers. Whatever the case, the harder it is to move the better your ice breaker will come across.

3. Ensure No One Actually Learns Anyones Name

This tip is paramount to an ice breaker and a hallmark to a great workshop presenter. Play loud 90’s music, make it a rule that no one can talk, or count down loudly from 200 over a microphone.

If people aren’t approaching each other a week later in the office and going “what’s your name again?” while awkwardly laughing their shame away then you did not do your job.

Those are just a few tips from a seasoned ice breaking professional. Feel free to take these, run with them, and make them your own!

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