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Many years ago, I taught Negotiation and Conflict Resolution with a group called “Conflict Management, Inc.” They were an offshoot of the Harvard Negotiation Project. Every so often I’m asked, “can you recommend an activity or icebreaker that will help launch a soft-skills workshop?” The Arm Exercise (a.k.a. Arm Wrestle Icebreaker) remains one of my all-time favorites, to break the ice or raise awareness of assumptions. It’s active, quick, and clearly establishes the need for training, showing our tendency to:
You must never say the words “arm wrestle.” Here’s what you do:
At the end of the arm wrestle icebreaker, discuss how difficult it is to dismantle assumptions and develop a collaborative approach when folks assume that more for one person means less for the other.
Icebreakers to Start a Soft Skills Session
Probing Questions for Goal-Setting Icebreakers
Icebreakers for Virtual Meetings and Training
Networking Icebreakers for Large Groups
Simple Elegance!
I love it! We were just discussing a teacher training to help them have a different perspective about parents who don’t get involved in their child’s education, and then I read this. What a great way to get folks thinking about perspective.
Thank you for sharing this activity. It is absolutely what I am looking for my Human Behavior in Organizations class. I appreciated it for the following reasons:
1) My class is only 90 minutes long plus I have to debrief and give a short lecture on negotiation.
2) I need something that is simple to explain and requires no preparation.
3) I like the fact there is a portion for each one to experience a quick negotiation.
4) It covers what facilitates and hampers an effective negotiation.