Trainer’s Notebook: A Great Training Starts with A Great Icebreaker TRAINING DESIGN
During the summer, I’ve been designing workshops based on The Happy Healthy Nonprofit and Emerging Leaders Playbook. A great training always start with a great opening or icebreaker. Icebreakers are discussion questions or activities used to help participants relax and ease people into a group meeting or learning situation. It is important to build in time for an icebreaker whether it is a staff training, board retreat, or a workshop with people coming together for the first time. Icebreakers have these benefits: • create a positive group atmosphere • help people to relax • break down social barriers • energize & motivate • help people to think about what they already know related to the topic • help people to get to know one another A selected icebreaker game get your training off to a great start, but a poorly chosen and designed icebreaker can have the opposite effect, making people feel nervous and uncomfortable. A “bad icebreaker” is one that requires sharing too much personal information or touching. Milk the Cow is one example and while it might have been fun to do different handshakes when you were summer camp in Junior High, it is awkward and a little creepy to do this type of opener with professionals. Nonprofit blogger Vu Lee has some tips on what types of openers to avoid. Before deciding which activities to use, assess your audience for age, familiarity with one another, purpose of the group gathering, and potential considerations for physical abilities. An icebreaker for a staff training might be different from one that you use at a conference session where people don’t already know each other. Also be aware of the group dynamics. Not all participants attend a training voluntarily or your training may be the kick off to a more in-depth program and participants may have hopes and concerns about their ability to complete the project. For example, they may be concerned about the amount of time required for “homework,” or the topics included. Having a opening that creates the
