Kicking off a staff meeting with a creative icebreaker activity does more than, well, break the ice. It can be 
inclusive for new team members, offer a bit of levity before a tense meeting, helps coworkers to see each other as something other than just people who share the same office space, and is generally fun (if not taken too seriously). Remember, colleagues who laugh together, work better together. Icebreakers may even give you better insight into the office hermit, or a more nuanced understanding of your boss. The trick is finding inventive conversation starters that serve the team leader’s mission, yet don’t take too much time away from the meeting itself.
The secret of a successful icebreaking session is to keep it simple. Team Builders can design corporate icebreakers with specific objectives in mind and make sure that the icebreaker game is appropriate and comfortable for everyone involved.
As the name suggests, the goal is to “break the ice” at an event or meeting. The technique is often used when 
people who do not usually work together, or may not know each other at all, meet for a specific, common purpose. Consider using a corporate icebreaker game when:
- Participants come from different backgrounds.
- People need to bond quickly so as to work towards a common goal.
- Your team is newly formed.
- The topics you are discussing are new or unfamiliar to many people involved.
When we create an icebreaker game, we think about the “ice” that needs to be broken.
- Are you bringing together like-minded people
- Are you bringing together people of different grades and levels in your organization?
- Are you bringing together people of different backgrounds, cultures, and outlooks?
- We handle these differences sensitively. Only focusing on what’s important to your event.
There are many ways to break the ice with folks you don’t know or don’t know well. Here are a few ideas and programs we can facilitate for your group.
Bingo – Participants each receive a Bingo card with pre-listed unique traits, experiences, and habits. As the group mingles, participants will fill in the names of those who match one of the squares of the Bingo card.
Name That Tune – As your group enters, each person is provided with a lanyard with a line from a song attached. They are tasked with finding others that have the preceding, or following line to their song.
Mixology – What drinks can you mix up? Participants are assigned a drink component (soda, whiskey, water, etc.) and must find others that “mix well” with their tag. As drinks are concocted, groups check-in to claim a lei. Collect the most lei’s to win.
