What Icebreakers do you use for Training ?

It depemds on the audience. For tellers, I like to use some sort of short game or fun activity. For loan officers, just a statement of why we are here and what we are going to cover. The loan officers I've trained, don't like to spend any more time in training than is necessary for them to get the information they need. i.e. just tell me what I need to know and let me get back to work.
Ice breakers used for tellers: (1) Questions / raise your hands (how many of you like Reg CC? How many of you have been in banking less than a year? How many think BSA requirements are the best part of your job (2) Two lies and a truth. Make three statements only one of which is true (have them appropriate to the material that will be covered). Go around the room and have each person vote for the true one and then use the right answer to begin the program 3) For a longer program, pair each person with the person next to them -- have each pair chat with each other for a few minutes then each pair stands while one gives a short introduction of the other. "This is Jill, she has been a teller at this bank for three weeks and previously worked at ABC bank for ten years, she has two children. Her hobbies are ice skating and ...."

No icebreakers, just food, snacks, or candies.

Chocolate.

There are many approaches to icebreakers, and it depends on the audience and how well the participants know each other. Some participants enjoy games, something fun; everyone typically enjoys food!

The idea of an icebreaker is to get everyone comfortable and ready for learning. Here are some ideas:

1. Ask them to interview another participant, and introduce their "interviewee."
2. Ask participants to share with the group "something that's not on their resume," such as a hobby, unusual situation, etc.
3. Prepare a grid with statements such as, "has recently traveled to Europe," "has seen a tornado," etc. Ask participants to find others in the group who fit that statement, and ask them to write that person's time next to the appropriate statement.
4. Ask the participants to close their eyes (this is risky if early in the morning or after lunch...) Ask them to visualize the end of the day, and they are talking with family, spouse, significant other, etc. about the training. They are sharing the experience of the training in this discussion. Then, ask them to open their eyes, and complete the sentence, "Today's training was successful for me because..." You can even write their responses on a flipchart and use them for concluding remarks at the end of the training.
These are some ideas - there are reference books available about ice breakers - you might check your local bookstore in the business section, www.amazon.com, or the website for The American Society for Training and Development, www.astd.org

Thanks FOLKS , those were Great Tips


OK, I did a research(online) on ice breakers Long time ago and cameup with 500 ++ Ideas, in addition to those I developed My self through Training courses I did since 1995

Iam Planing to process and organize all of them in a short file that can be used by Other BOL users........it Just needs some time.


MackenzieS :
I like your Idea ,so here is My List of questions for you what should The cookies ( or a Big Cake for last day of Training ) be shaped Like , in each of those Training Courses :

1. Advance Fee Fraud.
2. Anti - Money laundering
3. ATM fraud & Security
4. Bank Security
5. Call Center Security
6. Competitive Intelligence
7. Detection of forgery & Counterfeiting
8. Financial & Banking Fraud
9. Prevention of armed robbery
10. Safeguarding Customer Information

Thanks again folks

I,ll Use Google Images and will make sure to scan some of those Big Cakes and Post them Here in BOL forums.

Hussam, I have an easy ice breaker that always works. I buy five or six "favorite" candies. Some are cinnimon, some chocolate, some peanut butter. All are full size boxes/bars. I tuck one inside of each class material folder. Making sure to have different ones at the tables.

They open the folders and immediately the trading begins. By the time I need to teach, they're all quite comfortable with each other and I can move on to the simple "Who What and Where are you stuff".

I also have a squirt gun on my training table in plain site. I never use it, but I play with it a lot. They never ask until the end, but they're always discussing it quietly at breaks. Keeps em on their toes!

Dawnie : I looked for squirt gun and Just Imagine where did I land on Internet

Enjoy The Pics

Click Here

Woo hoo, a good Harrison Ford break is always nice to end the day on. And with a real Queen...maybe there's hope for the CRA queen and Harrison....heh heh