One-Word Icebreaker

One-Word icebreaker helps the group explore their thoughts on a common theme. This icebreaker is a perfect transition to the topic of the meeting or training class.

This activity is becoming a new favorite icebreaker. After using it for a couple of years, they find it works well in every meeting, training, and team building session on any topic.

Divide the meeting participants into groups of four or five people by having them number off. You do this so that your participants get to know fellow attendees.

People generally begin a meeting by sitting with the people they already know best, when your goal is normally team-building across a group. Tell the newly formed groups that their task is to think for a minute and then share with their group the word that describes a topic: for example, leadership, organization or communication.

After the initial spontaneous discussion is over, ask the participants to share their only word with the larger group. Ask a volunteer to start, and then ask each participant to share their only word.

Then, after the participants have heard the variety of words from the larger group, ask them to explore several questions in their small group about all the words. When finished, continue with the rest of the material you have prepared for the session.

The topics of this publication: integration, interactions