Now and again we all must join in or play along with something we may not want to do, these are known as office icebreakers. There seems to always be one of the business leaders who are persistent about playing a game to break the ice between everyone and help produce a more comfortable environment. Sometimes as much as we detest the thought of playing along, we normally do end up enjoying the activity later and it does give one a great chance to meet people you work with and learn a lot more about them as well. One thing you can feel sure of is that an icebreaker game can certainly bring camaraderie!

These games and activities that help you acquaint yourself better with those at work are called icebreakers for meetings. The people involved may be all strangers or ones who only slightly know each other, or even may include some of those that don't get along that well and these games can help make communicating with those people much better.

Icebreaker games begin back in the 1960s when a group of people discovered that people have talents and personality traits that they keep hidden or deep inside themselves. One way they found to draw out these talents and traits was to play games that would bring out some of these talents and traits. Using the word "Icebreaker" in an acrostic poem we learn the simple principles required of any icebreaker game if it is to be successful.

I C E B R E A K E R
Introduce
Capture
Educate
Benefit
Recognize
Effective
Amusing
Knowledge
Endure
Remember

Introduce: All icebreakers should have an objective. Whether it be to introduce people, introduce a topic, or just have fun. You must have a goal.

Capture: Get their attention!!! Icebreaker games should promote something exciting and fun.

Educate: If you have an objective, it is important to pick a game idea that will help implement the concept, to educate.

Benefit: Icebreakers should only be used when they are needed, don't overdo it. The perfect idea will benefit the people you are working with.

Recognize: Find the perfect game for your group. Make sure your idea helps the people recognize the concept you are introducing in the best possible way.

Engage: Involve the group as much as possible. When people are physically engaged, they are mentally engaged too.

Amusing: Make sure the game idea is as entertaining as possible considering your group and setting.

Knowledge: Icebreakers are fun by nature but if at all possible let your group leave your activity has benefited in some way.

Endure: "The mind can only absorb what the butt can endure." If you want longer energize meetings, you might need 2 icebreaker games for your meeting.

Remember: You can judge the effectiveness of an icebreaker by whether the ideas and principles taught were retained.

Even though many people feel that these activities are uncomfortable, they have been determined to be very useful in the workplace. These icebreakers can teach people how to open up and talk to those that they normally would not and it has been proven that these games have increased productivity around the workplace.

Icebreakers that are used for a group of people that come together but are strangers can help these people work together as a team. One of the more common icebreakers for those that don't know each other is having everyone in a group or room introduce themselves by telling their name, where they are from, and something about themselves that no one knows.

Another fun icebreaker for strangers is having the person introduce themselves by name, and the next person must repeat the person’s name before them and then their name on down the line.

When a group of strangers work together for a few hours and don't seem to be working together still or not feeling comfortable, it can become awkward. To help to thaw things out and rebuild that teamwork atmosphere among them, other icebreakers can be tried. Group people into sets of two and have one member of the two put on a blindfold.

Putting the two in an obstacle area will allow the blindfolded person to have to depend on their teammate to guide them through the obstacles by talking to them only, no touching is allowed at all. What this does is builds trust in their partner and teaches them the importance of the communication they have with one another.

There are many more icebreaker games that can be used based on the circumstances in the business and situations you are faced with. Sorting out the atmosphere and the way people are behaving can help you find the best icebreaker to use in your situation.