Dear Vara,
Monotonity in the beginning of a training session is a result of any or many of the following:
1. Unresponsive audience
2. Non- aquantance with the audience
3. Lower conviction level on how the session is going to help the receivers ( Will it realy?)
4.Taking training sessions as a job (i.e no personal thought process to it)
From my personal experience, following could be useful:
1. Stop looking for any icebreakers in specific. Start enjoying the process as a whole.
2. At the start of the session get introduced to all, in a freindly yet professional manner (i.e. keep the diffrentiating thin line)
3. In case its the continuity of the session say from day1 to day2 or likewise, at the start, talk to all the individuals about their day. For Example:
Trainer: " So Ramesh, You had your breakfast?"
Ramesh: " Yes Mr. x"
Trainer: " What"?
Ramesh: " Alloo parathe and lassi"
Trainer: " Wow!, I simply love lassi. (To everyone)You know when I was in Chandigarh, all we colleagues would go for a glass of lassi in the afternoons. Has anybody been to Chandigarh?( Wait for response) There, u must have seen, lassi is like icecream. and the locals drink 4 glasses or even more in a gallop. Ok, Lets come to the task. What had we done yesterday......."
4. Remember the basics of communication. Invite the audience to air out their opinions.Don't curtail the interaction in order to meet the target finishing deadline. You have to manage both.
5. Stop taking it as a duty.Make it a part of your passion. Do not forget to give your inputs to the content in form of examples (If possible, interesting real time ones) and wit.
6. Beleive in what you train people on. After and before the sessions, give some time to slip into their shoes and find out, how XYZ will help. Keep your mind open to track sudden examples that life gives.
Remember if you ignore them , life is something else, or else they are the biggest teachers.
Cheers and Regards
Satyabrata Tripathy