Ice-breakers to get any meeting/workshop started!

Meetings can be tedious and at workshops and conferences, attendees can be too formal and uptight. Luckily, there are many fun activities that can help the group relax, take part and feel more comfortable so they can get the most of out the workshop. This includes sharing interests, knowledge and objectives with the group.

For all the activities the individuals should be invited to share their name, job title and company details to give context (especially if they have not met before). Here are the three types of ice-breaker activities that will set the stage for a great meeting, workshop or conference

Business focused activities

1. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE WON!

The process:

• Tell the group “Congratulations, you’ve just won ￡1,000.000 (the exact amount would depends on the business size) in grant funding from the government with no strings attached, how would you invest this in your organisation?”
• Deliver this news in envelops to help add a little drama!
• Ask the group to split into pairs and discuss what they would do e.g. hire staff, buy property, acquire a business, by equipment, invest in research and tech etc. and give them a time limit of 3 minutes.
• Then ask them to share this with the wider group listing their ideas (5–10 mins)

The desired outcome:

This will get each team thinking about their future plans and what they need to grow given the right opportunities and how they would invest any funding.

2. SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES

The process:

• Each person in the group shares their biggest success during their career and challenge they are currently facing within their organisation.
• We don’t need to solve the challenges straight away, just sharing is enough for now as there will be time to discuss during the workshop/programme.

The desired outcome:

The group will feel more connected and will learn more about each other. Plus, sharing the challenges is the first step to overcoming them together.

3. LET YOUR DREAMS FLY

The process:

• Everyone writes down what they hope their company will be in 20 years time on a piece of A4 paper. They should briefly the plan and outcome e.g. staff numbers, turnover, profit margins, offices, products, services, exit plan? (3–5mins)
• They all then make a paper plane from this piece of A4 paper.
• The group then launched the planes (a friendly competition to see which one flew the best).
• Then each person picks up someone else’s plane and read out the words.
• The group try to guess who the person/venture is.

The desired outcome:

The group is warmed up, relaxed and thinks about their dreams and opportunities for themselves and their business. Plus they learn a little about each other too.

4. IF YOUR BRAND WAS AN ANIMAL, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

The process:

• Ask the group to answer this question “If your brand was an animal what would it be and why?” (3–5 mins)
• Ask the group to share their answers in pairs, highlighting all the characteristics of the animal that relate to their brand and/or what they hope their brand will become. This may be a mixture of animals or mystical if the group get really creative e.g. Griffin. (3–5 mins)
• Ask the pairs to then share with the wider group. (3–5 mins)

The desired outcome:

The group thinks more openly about attributes of their brand, not just the features, nuts and bolts of the organisation. They start to open their minds to the right side of the brain, the creative bit, and visualise their brand in a new light.

5. SETTING OBJECTIVES

The process:

• Ask the group “What do you hope to achieve from this session/programme and what support do you need to make it happen?”
• If possible these should be SMART objectives (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-sensitive)

The desired outcome:

The group starts thinking about the session/programme, their objectives, learn why others are there, gather ideas other than their own.

6. MOTIVATIONS

The process:

• Ask attendees what keeps you motivated as an entrepreneur/founder?

The desired outcome:

The group starts thinking about why they do what they do and share helpful tips as the startup journey is not always simple.

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Group connection activities

COMMONALITIES

The process:

• List up to 10 interests (outside of work) you have in common with your small group.
• Each group takes notes.
• Each small group then shares their findings with the rest of the group

The desired outcome:

The group is warmed up, relaxed and feels more connected

1. INTRODUCTIONS

The process:

• The group splits off into pairs
• They have 1 minute to introduce themselves (and their companies) to each other.
• After each person has had a turn, they have 1 minute each to respond with what they heard.
• After they complete this, we re-group and each member (or just a few if time is short) introduces their partner. (5–10 mins)

The desired outcome:

To teach the group it’s just as important to have a clear and succinct “elevator pitch” at the ready, as it is to listen carefully. It’s also a chance to hear from others what has been heard, rather than just what’s been said as sometimes these are different.

2. ONE WORD

The process:

• Ask the group to describe a “theme/term/topic etc” in one word e.g. “Edtech”, “Running a business”, “selling/pitching”, “customer research”, “branding”, “business plans”, entrepreneurship etc.
• The facilitator writes them down and invites individuals to explain the meaning of their “one word”.

The desired outcome:

The group shares their thoughts on a collective subject and learn something new about the group and possible different ways of thinking.

3. FACT OR FICTION

The process:

• Ask individuals to write down three thigs about themselves — two true and one false.
• In a group, they then share this information (whilst keeping a straight face)
• The group then guesses which one is false by asking additional questions related to the statements.
• In the end, participants vote which statements were true and which were lies.
• Repeat with all the other group members.

The desired outcome:

The group is warmed up, relaxed and connects a little more.

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Just for fun

1. WOULD YOU RATHER?

The process:

• Place a line of tape down the centre of the room (or make everyone aware of the invisible line)
• Ask the group to straddle the tape (invisible line)
• When asked ‘Would you rather?’ they have to jump to the left or right as indicated by the facilitator.
• Some questions you could use could be would you rather: Be rich or famous; Visit the doctor or the dentist; Eat broccoli or carrots; Watch TV or listen to music; Own a fish or a snake; Have a beach holiday or a mountain holiday; Be an apple or a banana; Be invisible or be able to read minds; Be hairy all over or completely bald; Be the most popular or the smartest person you know; Make headlines for saving somebody’s life or winning a Nobel Prize, etc.

The desired outcome:

To provide fun activities to help the group relax, take part and feel more comfortable so they can get the most of out the workshop.

2. “IF” QUESTIONS (only one at a time)

The process:

• Ask your attendees one of the following questions:

1. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
2. If you could talk to anyone in the world about your business growth, who would it be and why?
3. If you could wish one thing to come true this year, what would it be?
4. If you could change anything about your company, what would you change?
5. If you could do your dream job 10 years from now, what would it be?
6. If money and time was no object, what would you be doing right now?
7. If you could learn any skill, what would it be?
8. If you were sent to live on a space station for three months and only allowed to bring three personal items with you, what would they be?

3. GUESS MY JOB

The process:

• Let the delegates write down, on a piece of paper, the most interesting or different job they’ve ever had and place it in a bowl/hat.
• The others have to guess who had that job.

The desired outcome: Surprising connections, fun stories and a relaxed group

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