How Can We Effectively Include Ice Breakers in Our New Training Module?

I need some details about the Ice Breaker topic. We are starting a new Training Module, and we would also like to cover Ice Breakers in it. Kindly help me with the same.

Thank you.

Ice-Breakers: Any activity done in order to establish rapport with the group and to make them feel comfortable.

Why Ice-breakers:

• When trainees arrive in a training room, they are usually a loose mix of individuals with different mindsets.

• At the beginning of a course, trainees are usually not thinking about the trainer or the course content but about their neighbor, coffee time for phoning/messages, the end of the day for errands, sights, sounds, and smells in the room, etc.

• An inclusion activity will make them feel included and, if well designed, help them to relate to the others in the group; it can also provide a bridge into the course itself.

• Above all, it puts the spotlight on them (the most important people in the room) and takes it off you, allowing you to relax into the course.

A Good Inclusion Activity Should Be:

Foolproof: It has been tested and works!

Amusing: Trainees should enjoy it.

Bridged: Linked to the course subject (if possible).

Unique: Trainees should not have done it before.

Lively: It has movement, exchange, and chatter.

Optimistic: It is positive and non-threatening.

Uncomplicated: It is easy to explain and organize.

Short: It lasts between 5 and 10 minutes.

Ice-breakers can be generic or specific to the training topic. The length of the ice-breaking activity depends upon the entire training duration and the number of participants. Ideally, it should not exceed 30-40 minutes for a one-day training session.

You will find the attached document useful in describing some of the uses of an icebreaker activity.

The Importance of Icebreakers in Training Sessions

Icebreakers can be an effective way of starting a training session or team-building event. As interactive and often fun sessions run before the main proceedings, they help people get to know each other and buy into the purpose of the event.

If an icebreaker session is well-designed and well-facilitated, it can really help get things off to a great start. By getting to know each other, getting to know the facilitators, and learning about the objectives of the event, people can become more engaged in the proceedings and contribute more effectively towards a successful outcome.

Types of Icebreakers

There are two types of icebreakers:

1) Generic Icebreakers - They are usually required to create engagement among the training participants. The objective is to create an environment for training.

2) Objective Icebreakers - These icebreakers must be related to the training concepts. If you are teaching communication, the icebreaker must provide a conceptual understanding of communication.

You can Google "Icebreaker" and find ample icebreakers. The crux is: which icebreaker to use? Should we use the icebreaker that not only breaks the ice but also provides a conceptual understanding of what we want to teach?

Regards,
Kaushal Mandalia
Founder
Insight HR and Training Consultants
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