Team building is something that all managers, leaders, startups, and entrepreneurs will need to do in their careers, and team building icebreakers are the best way to get started. Whether you are building a team to collaborate on your newest product line, or developing a new team of customer service employees, it is very helpful to know how to foster engaging introductions and begin the team building process with a positive experience.
GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED WITH ICEBREAKERS
Most of us have been to through some sort of team training, and some of us have had the pleasure of being part of a well-led team that began as a group of strangers and ended as a strong team of friends all working toward the same goal. Still others have had the displeasure of sitting through awkward meet and greet sessions in which no one remembers what was said, and the next day you are still just sitting with a bunch of strangers.
The key to effective team building is to use icebreakers that get people talking, laughing, and forgetting about any social jitters in a hurry. Here are two team building icebreakers that get the conversation started in any group setting.
EFFECTIVE TEAM BUILDING ICEBREAKERS
1. TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE
A fun spin on the typical “stand up and introduce yourself” technique. In this icebreaker every person in the room will write down three statements about themselves. Two of the statements will be true, and one will not. Next, each person will stand up, introduce themselves, and present their three items. The rest of the team will then discuss and/or take a vote on which of the three items is not true. Sometimes, the person who guesses right the most times will win a prize. Other times, the person who fooled the most people will win.
No matter who “wins”, this icebreaker game opens people up to tell a room of strangers things they might not otherwise. You would want to put in something very off the wall that is actually true in order to fool the rest of the team! At the end of the icebreaker everyone knows a bit more about each other, and everyone is actually engaged in the activity — not just doodling on their notebook.
2. DON’T INTRODUCE YOURSELF
Another great icebreaker is to split the group into pairs (don’t let friends sit with friends.) and ask the pairs to talk for 2-5 minutes and learn everything they can about each other.
When the time is up, ask each pair to stand up, and then ask each member of the pair to introduce their partner by first giving their name and then telling the group the three biggest things they learned about their partner.
TRY OUT THESE ICEBREAKERS TO SUPPORT TEAM BUILDING
These two exercises help to break the ice on the first day or two of building a team. They create a great environment for further team building icebreakers to build trust have fun! If you would like more exercises for your employees, Learn2 can help. We literally have hundreds of team building activities in our library. Contact us today for more information and a free impact identifier.
A Strong Company Starts with a Strong Team. Plan Your Next Team Building Experience.
