When facilitating day-long group meetings, I build in a couple of ‘energizers’ to break the ice and help team members get to know each other. These are my ‘go to’ favorites:
2 Down, 1 to Go – Each person shares two things they’ve experienced and one they would like to do, and other members try to guess the one still to come. To set it up, I give my own example: “I’ve seen Bruce Springsteen in concert 13 times, visited the 48 contiguous states, and made 15 visits to Walt Disney World Resort.”
Common and Unique – In smaller groups of three or four, members list as many items possible in five minutes that they share, then in round two, something only one of them has. During large group debriefings over the years, there have been some interesting examples: “Each of us has jumped out of an airplane.” “Only one person was a professional belly dancer.”
Celebrity Close Calls – With a tip of the hat to David Letterman’s ‘Brushes with Greatness,’ each member shares a story about an interesting experience with a famous person. Mine? “At age 27, I met my boyhood hero… and was unable to speak.”
Preparing for my next facilitation this morning, a new energizer popped into my head, and I’m going to use it:
What I Learned – The past 12 months were a journey for everyone. What one thing did you discover about yourself that surprised you the most? For me: I enjoy morning walks around our neighborhood. After years of cycling, running and swimming, I didn’t see myself ever doing that simplest form of exercising.
Try these and you might discover some things about your team you never knew.
