Why Icebreakers are Beneficial to Group Discussions

Good thing the visionary teambuilding experts were able to come up with clever activities to lighten the mood with ‘icebreakers.’

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What are icebreakers?
Icebreakers are group facilitation techniques that encourage participants to open up with one another and share innovative ideas. They often promote communication within a team and can be very beneficial in different settings – be it conferences, team building sessions or even meetings.

3 Main Types of Icebreakers

Opener for fun
Icebreakers can serve as a source of entertainment in meetings, especially when attendees already know each other. They can activate creativity and awaken everyone’s spirits to begin the discussion. For participants who barely know each other, icebreakers can be the opportunity to learn something new about their colleagues.

Introduction to topics
Icebreakers can be the perfect way to start any topic in an interesting manner – which can lead on to the main point. This gives everyone a deeper sense of involvement and helps them to relate more through the activities that are linked to the message.

Activities from the session
Sometimes, the icebreaker can be the session itself. If the discussion involves certain tasks such as graph making, data analysing or brainstorming, you can simply incorporate activities to make the discussion more exciting.

Benefits of icebreakers
Whether you lack ideas on how to interact or you are simply struggling to handle a group of people, icebreakers can be a great solution. Take a look at some of the benefits, as we explain how icebreakers can help you to run more effective discussions:

Improve learning capabilities
Properly using icebreakers during meetings can be an efficient way to ensure that people actually learn from the discussion. Attendees tend to absorb more information when they holistically participate in the activities – as it keeps them engaged with one another.

Create a sense of community
As a result of all the fun they are having, participants tend to be friendly and more inclined to share information about themselves. This promotes a sense of trust with one another, making everyone feel confident to open up and be more responsive during discussions.

Helps facilitator get to know participants
Other than attendee/attendee relationships, facilitators must take the initiative to get to know the group. From their interests to their skills, facilitators will be able to obtain insights through their interactions through the icebreaker.

Cultivate creativity
There are some icebreakers that require participants to think of strategies and techniques to win the activity. This encourages people to be more imaginative and creative in their tasks.

Icebreakers never go out of fashion! With so many ways to approach them, it’s up to you how you go about making efficient use of icebreakers to raise awareness of the agenda or to simply ignite everyone’s minds for the upcoming session.

&Meetings can help to improve your discussions with our welcoming training rooms in London! Phone us on 0800 073 0499 and we’ll be delighted to help you through the booking process.