The case for icebreakers
Everybody hates icebreakers, right? They’re awkward, embarrassing and eat into the time that we’ve put aside for real, actual learning. Except they can actually be really useful.
We recently held our Associates’ Day where I led a session on the use of participatory methods within events.
It was a short session, so myself and my colleague Kate Kayley designed it to look at two aspects of training that are often overlooked — icebreakers and ground rules (which I’ll tackle in another post).
Why bother with icebreakers?
The first thing that sprang to mind when discussing icebreakers was pro-social modelling. Practitioners mirror our practice when working with people, so if we don’t take appropriate steps to ensure that we have a relaxed environment at the start of a session, they won’t either. Icebreakers set the tone for the rest of the day i.e. this will be an engaging and participative session.
We spoke a bit about the comfort zones of the facilitator and the participants. It takes confidence to run a participatory exercise, but it does help to establish the right dynamic in the room — that the facilitator actively encourages discussion. It helps to ensure that the event doesn’t turn into a chalk and talk hierarchical lecture. It’s basically all about starting the day as you mean to go on as you’re opening individuals up and setting an appropriate environment for interaction and learning.
This isn’t a one way street either as they don’t just benefit participants. Icebreakers offer facilitators an opportunity to get to know individuals, as well as the group dynamic. They give you the opportunity to see who are the extroverts and who are the introverts. If you’re worried about making introverts uncomfortable, there’s no reason that you can’t tailor an icebreaker accordingly. Once you have a good understanding of their comfort zones you can amend any exercises in the course to better meet their preferences.
Changing the energy of a room
We also looked at using icebreakers as energisers during the day. There are times when people’s energy levels drop (if you’re like me, this will be after making the most of the venue’s lunch as if it was an all you can eat buffet). These exercises can be a great way of reinvigorating attendees.
Learning Styles are not a thing, but no one likes to be talked at all day. Mixing up the activities means that you are more likely to keep people’s attention.*
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
It’s also worth considering Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in all of this. Icebreakers can help to show to participants that they’re in a safe space where they can take part without fear of ridicule.
We often hear the phrase “Show, don’t tell”, particularly in digital spheres (it’s worth checking out this Government Digital Services’ post on their Principles for Prototyping). Icebreakers are an opportunity to demonstrate that participants are in a supportive environment, and that they don’t just have to take you at your word when you say that it is.
I completely understand why some people will need convincing that icebreakers can be helpful. Many of us have had bad experiences of their use. But when used properly they can really improve the learner experience and make the whole session better for everyone that’s involved.
*There’s some bad science in this post, but lots of useful resources
