Networking Icebreakers and Energisers

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To identify the things they have in common with the other members of the group.
• To understand how finding connections influences their feelings about other people.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• A copy of the handout for each participant and a roll of Sellotape for each team.
• A small prize is optional.

Notes:
This is a great exercise to get people talking and could be run over lunch at a networking event.

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To help participants learn something about their fellow participants, including something about what is important to them.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of any size. Larger groups will mean longer running times.

You'll Need:
Nothing.

Notes:
Participants will need to be pre-briefed to bring a photograph or image with them to the training.

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To help participants identify things they have in common with one another.
• To show the benefits of building rapport to create effective working relationships.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• Bingo cards. (We've provided some.)
• A small prize for the winning participant is a nice touch, but not essential.

Notes:
We have provided pre-prepared bingo cards, but feel free to adapt them to meet the specific needs of your participants.

Time:
This exercise will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To welcome the participants.
• To introduce the facilitator(s) and participants to each other.
• To introduce the facilities.
• To agree the course objectives and timetable.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided.

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To introduce participants to one another.
• To practice and test listening skills.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
A very simple but engaging icebreaker.

This can be used in any situation to introduce participants, but is particularly useful where you want to focus on networking or communication skills.

It’s also a very effective way to introduce the concept of experiential training in train the trainer training. Participants should be able to see that getting involved in an experience makes the learning (in this case around communication) stick in a way that they wouldn’t gain from simply being told about, for example, the benefits of summary and clarification.

Time:
This exercise will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to share information about themselves.
• To build rapport among participants.
• To start to identify core communication skills.
• To explore the use of the communication loop.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

You'll Need:
• You might find it useful to pre-prepare a flipchart with the questions participants will be answering written on it.

Notes:
This exercise takes longer to run with larger groups.

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To encourage networking.
• To illustrate that getting to know what matters to others is a great way of building rapport.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 24 participants.

You'll Need:
Music, of your choice to play during the exercise.

Notes:
Remember to ensure that you have the appropriate PRS and PPL licences to use music during training.

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To let participants get to know each other in a fun way.
• To identify what helped or hindered communication.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
If using this exercise with very large groups it will take longer to run.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to share information about themselves.
• To build rapport among participants.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To identify the things that we have in common with the rest of the group.
• Explain how finding connections can help to break down barriers and build relationships more quickly.

Group Size:
Can be used with groups of up to 24 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is a great exercise to get people talking and identify how we can all connect quickly and easily.

The activity can be run with very large groups, but you would need to increase the timings.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this icebreaker available in Trainers’ Library.