Essential Questions When Selecting Icebreakers.

As you might expect, not all Icebreakers are appropriate for every situation and every audience.  You’ll find that, with experience and exposure to the different types of Icebreakers, you will almost automatically know what is appropriate for a given audience as you go about designing the subject matter and the running order for the event.

Often you will never have met or spoken to your audience.  They will be a group of people from different backgrounds whose only common factor might be this day that they spend together in a workshop.  Sometimes you may know your audience very well indeed.  You might have met them all before on a previous training course and their tastes and capabilities will be clearer to you.

Whatever your starting point it will be useful to establish in your own mind a checklist that you can use when selecting Icebreakers to liven up your event.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF...

1. What outcome do you want to achieve from running your icebreaker?  Is it for building rapport, increasing communication, reviewing what has been trained, bringing teams closer together, breaking the ice, creating leaders etc.  It is imperative you do not just do an icebreaker for the sake of doing icebreakers it is a great opportunity to utilise the energy that is created in a positive way.
   
2. How many trainees do you have and does the icebreaker work with that number of trainees?
   
3. How much space do you need to run the icebreaker?  Is your training room big enough, the worst thing is if you are running an icebreaker and there are tables and chairs in the way. 
   
4. How much time do you have to run the icebreaker?  Always ensure you have enough time for feedback as well.
   
5. What materials do you need to run the icebreaker?  Are you able to get hold of these materials in time?
   
6. What is the age and fitness range of your trainees?  If you have a number of elderly trainees you do not want your icebreaker to be too strenuous that it will tire them out before you even start your training!
   
7. What is the intelligence/educational range of the participants?  1 in 5 people have literacy challenges so if you can find this out before your training starts then that will be beneficial to you.  Alternatively you can make sure people always work in pairs or larger groups so that they can help each other with reading and writing if needed.  It is also imperative that you, as the trainer, are also aware of your trainees abilities throughout your training and running of exercises.  You will achieve greater results and have greater retention.
   
8. Can your trainees speak your language?  You do not want the icebreaker to have a lengthy and complicated explanation when your trainees do not understand you.
   
9. What is the male/female mix?  Be aware that some people are intimidated by the other sex, so group people together in gender-friendly arrangements until you get the measure of their preferences.
   
10. How will they be dressed?  If you select icebreakers that are active then your suited trainees may be a bit restricted in movement.  When sending out joining instructions always give your trainees a guide for their dress, best for them to be comfortable.
    
11. What experience of your events have your trainees had?  Ensure that if you are doing a follow on training then you do not run the same icebreakers in each of your trainings.  Your trainees must have a variety of different icebreakers.

As you design your training event, there will be three or more key points in any day’s material that you will want to highlight in a big way.  It is most important that, if you decide to use an Icebreaker to reinforce the learning, you select an Icebreaker that best fits that particular issue.

Happy Training!