Icebreaker Workshop Activities

This tool is a tremendously helpful way to get people thinking about and helping each othe

🔍 A Journey of Self-Discovery and Team Togetherness

The "Getting to Know YOU" icebreaker is a dynamic resource designed to unravel the layers of team dynamics and individual roles within an organisation. It's a unique blend of personal reflection and collective exploration, powered by the BIG PICTURE framework. This tool uses simple yet powerful symbols – Team, Customer, Technology, Measure, Money, Process, Challenge, Opportunity – to facilitate a dialogue that's both fun and thought-provoking. The essence of BIG PICTURE here is not in its comprehensive business modeling but in how these symbols help team members express and understand their roles and perceptions within the broader organisational context.

Participants engage with these Symbols, reflecting on which ones resonate with their personal and professional identities. This process of reflection and sharing is designed to foster a deeper understanding of not only individual roles but also how these roles interweave to form the fabric of the organisation. It's an exercise that brings to light the diverse perspectives and strengths within a team, encouraging a culture of openness and shared insight.

The 'Getting to Know YOU' Resource transforms standard icebreakers into dynamic sessions rich in personal connection, team cohesion, and a deeper understanding of each symbol's role in business, fostering both individual insight and collective accountability.

A group idea-generation and ice-melter activity.

Writing with empathy is all about inhabiting the shoes (or paws) of something that is not yourself. In this exercise, we ask participants to imagine the perspective of a fox and then write from the point of view of the fox.

This simple activity is designed to have each person share things about himself or herself with the group after receiving a gift.

Help a group get to know each other better with simple mnemonics in this fast, fun game played in a circle.

🔍The Canvas of Collaboration and Clarity

BIG PICTURE is more than just a facilitation tool; it's a gateway to enhanced team collaboration and a deeper understanding of your business environment. Envisioned as a dynamic canvas, it encompasses essential business areas like Purpose, Marketing, Sales, Operations, Customer Care, Suppliers, and Partners, all interwoven with the intricate journey of your Customers. Through this innovative platform, Teams use Symbols—Team, Customer, Technology, Measure, Money, Process, Challenge, Opportunity—to visually express ideas, identify challenges, and share insights.

A Narrative of Business Ecosystem

In the landscape of complex business dynamics, BIG PICTURE stands as a unifying force. It's not just about symbol placement; it's about storytelling and connection. As team members engage with this tool, they unravel the interconnected nature of their roles and the broader business context. It's an exploration that reveals hidden connections, spurs creative solutions to challenges, and shines a light on new opportunities. BIG PICTURE is the catalyst for developing a shared language that transcends departmental boundaries, fostering a more cohesive and strategic team dialogue.

Integrating BIG PICTURE into your facilitation approach transforms session planning into a dynamic and interactive experience, enriching your toolkit with a visual dimension that simplifies complex concepts and enhances participant engagement.

🔍 Embracing Self-Discovery: The "Getting to Know Your Role" Icebreaker

This is a uniquely designed icebreaker activity that serves as a powerful catalyst for self-reflection and team communication. This resource, set against the backdrop of the BIG PICTURE Board, is tailored to deepen the understanding of individual roles within an organisation. It's not just about breaking the ice; it’s an exploration into how each team member perceives their contribution and how they interact with the broader business landscape. By engaging in this activity, participants embark on a journey to uncover the value they add and the dynamics of their workplace relationships.

This icebreaker leverages the BIG PICTURE Board to visually map these insights, making abstract concepts tangible. The Board's design, encompassing various aspects of a business, provides a structured yet flexible platform for this exploration. Participants use the board to position themselves within the organisation, leading to revelations about alignment with team goals, potential areas of misalignment, and opportunities for growth. The simplicity of the BIG PICTURE approach amplifies the effectiveness of the "Getting to Know Your Role" activity, making it an essential tool in any facilitator's repertoire.

Dropping 'Getting to Know Your Role' in your workshop planning offers a structured yet flexible approach to session design, enabling facilitators to create more engaging, introspective, and impactful experiences that deepen team understanding and cohesion.

Open a blank space on a whiteboard canvas and let people freely play with it! No instructions, no opening questions... but a space to learn how to use the tool and play around. Be prepared to be surprised as meaning begins to emerge after just a few minutes!

This game helps to build up trust between participants.

What wishes do participants have for your training session? Which of these wishes do the most participants share?

Here's an opening activity that helps the participants to generate a list of wishes, discuss them, and identify the highest-priority wishes.

Teams of 3. (See strategy section for discussion of different team sizes.) No limit to the number of teams other than what the organizer wants.