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"I want to affirm that getting people connected at the beginning of a meeting is essential for creating an openness and willingness to challenge. Peter Block has influenced my thinking on this issue. He always says, “Connection before Content.” If a group is going to concentrate on a difficult issue, they need to learn who others are, the skills they bring, the experience they represent, and the values they hold. Stasser, who studies group performance, notes, “Group performance increases when everyone in a group is aware of each other member’s expertise.” But unfortunately, icebreakers, like those I’ve listed above, don’t accomplish that that goal.
"Happily there are alternatives to icebreakers that effectively build connections between members of a group. I will suggest five that I use, but first I want to share my rules of thumb for designing an activity that creates connection, because the rules of thumb are much more important than the specific activity you choose."
Via Jim Lerman, Ivon Prefontaine, PhD, Miloš Bajčetić, Mark E. Deschaine, PhD
