Episode 83: Forced connections using icebreakers with Leanne Hughes

Listen to this episode from First Time Facilitator on Spotify. Please don't read the title of this and think I'm telling you to MAKE people meet each other and force their connections using icebreakers! There's a bit more to it in this minisode. Yes, this episode is all about icebreakers and energisers.

Please don't read the title of this and think I'm telling you to MAKE people meet each other and force their connections using icebreakers!

There's a bit more to it in this minisode.

Yes, this episode is all about icebreakers and energisers. I feel like I could create literally dozens of episodes on these two topics. I get so many questions about the perfect icebreaker and I myself, spend a lot of time scouring resources trying to find the perfect activity to complement a topic.

I’m going to spin this today around today, to chat about relevance.

As you know, I chat to many facilitators.  The advice I've been given is that it’s important to do an energiser that relates to the content, that is relevant to the topic. This relates to adult learning theory. Adult learners need to know why they’re doing something and how it relates to the struggles or challenges they face right now, relevancy is key.

I agree. However, and this may be controversial. But I’m of the school of thought that you can really relate any type of icebreaker to the content at hand, particularly if you work in corporate type of training and are covering a suite of soft skills like communication, leadership, team effectiveness, etc.

Listen to the episode to hear how I break my approach down.

About the host: Leanne Hughes

Leanne Hughes is the host of the First Time Facilitator podcast. She loves to shake up expectations and create unpredictable experiences.
Leanne has facilitated leadership, onboarding and team-building workshops across Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Mongolia and believes in a strengths-centred approach to learning and development.  She has over 13 years’ of experience across a range of industries including mining, government and tourism sectors.

In 2018, she was a finalist in the Australian Learning Impact awards for Learning Professional of the Year.

Resources mentioned in this show

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Episode 84: Be where your facilitation feet are with Ingrid Thompson

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Episode 82: Facilitating a human connection with Angela Henderson