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Tag: icebreakers

Photo Decks for Conversation Starters & Memorable Training

Photo Decks for Conversation Starters & Memorable Training

Have you come across a Photo Deck or other set of Conversation Cards recently? You know those decks of innumerable glorious and provocative images? Perhaps you’ve seen them and wondered what use they might be. Photo Decks are popular for their huge variety of applications, especially as conver... Read More
Leadership Activities & Games

Leadership Activities & Games

So much has been written on leadership and the qualities of a good leader. While you may find some differences across articles, the basic message is the same — share your sense of purpose; be transparent about your vision and goals; show empathy; empower your team; be flexible; communicate rel... Read More
Active Listening Exercises Galore!

Active Listening Exercises Galore!

While our library of Communication and Listening Exercises is quite comprehensive, Active Listening is a critical subcategory worthy of deeper exploration. Active listening isn’t just nodding to the speaker. Active listening happens when you’re completely focused on the speaker, taking i... Read More
Tight lips at work? It’s time to UNZIP-it!

Tight lips at work? It’s time to UNZIP-it!

“I can’t talk about that at work.” “My boss wouldn’t want to hear what I have to say.” Employees have so many reasons for not talking about meaningful topics at work. Sometimes, they’re tight-lipped simply because giving feedback is difficult. In other cases... Read More
7 Tips for Formulating Great Questions

7 Tips for Formulating Great Questions

As a designer of conversation starter tools, which I’m proud to say have been wonderfully received, I have some strong feelings about what makes a good icebreaker question and what simply fails to inspire sharing. If you’re hoping to weed through the millions of discussion-starter questi... Read More
Energize Mini-Trainings at Work

Energize Mini-Trainings at Work

On a recent LinkedIN Conversation in the Effective and Fun Training Techniques group, Jason Hughes asked for some recommended icebreakers, energizers, tips or tools for the face-to-face training of his small team, who generally already know each other. Often, he trains just a couple people at a time... Read More
Roundtable Roulette Small Group Chats

Roundtable Roulette Small Group Chats

Last week,  as a member of the National E-tailing and Mailing Organization of America (NEMOA), I conducted a breakfast roundtable for a group of small business owners. Typically at breakfast roundtables, you sit with one table of eight to ten people and stay there for the duration of the event. You... Read More
Two Truths. One Lie.

Two Truths. One Lie.

Three statements; one is not true: 1) I believe in icebreakers. 2) Good icebreakers are easy to find. 3) “Two truths and a Lie” can be a good icebreaker. If you asked me last year, I’d say there were two lies in the three statements above and only one truth. I have to admit, I… <... Read More
Probing Questions for Icebreakers & Goal Setting

Probing Questions for Icebreakers & Goal Setting

Many trainers like to start with a stimulating question to break the ice, foster introductions, help participants get to know each other, and reduce tension. Trainers from around the world contributed to this excellent list of opening icebreaker questions. Icebreaker Questions about you What are you... Read More
Icebreakers to start a soft-skills session

Icebreakers to start a soft-skills session

I realize that the phrase “soft-skills” is not a favorite term for many trainers who teach these “essential skills.” For now, however, rather than focusing on semantics, I want to pass along some icebreakers that folks in our community have shared with me. Imagining Success T... Read More