July 10, 2024

I can confidently say writing an article on the importance of icebreakers was not on my 2024 bingo card. Why would it be? Icebreakers are whack. Nine times out of ten times, they’re an unexceptional combination of two truths and a lie, what’s your favorite ____, or defaulting to the three facts we all keep in store for ice-breaking occasions. We do them begrudgingly because they’re part of the introductory phase, but here at the studio icebreakers aren’t done at the beginning of a linear “getting to know the team” process.

Our icebreakers are done once every three months at the beginning of our quarterly all-team meetings. They’re the fluffy whipped cream on top of our ice cream Sundae before we spend the next five hours digging in with our heads down, reflecting, and setting goals for the next quarter. Except, beneath the fluff, our icebreakers are a startlingly deep reflection of how well we know ourselves and the teammates around us.

Our icebreakers don’t thaw the frost at the surface, they chip away at our glaciers of identity.

The game we play is a simple who’s who (or who’s what). The creator describes each team member in some capacity without revealing their name. Then we all vote on who we think is who and at the end, the creator reveals the truth. There’s not much to it. Yet, it somehow manages to be one of the biggest all-team highlights without fail.

The Case for I Don't Know

I had the pleasure of running the icebreaker show this past all-team. As I am a girlie of the fantasy-loving variety, I chose to have my team guess which Game of Thrones Characters they were. One of the joys of this icebreaker is that not everyone needs to know who or what the person is they’re being compared to. It’s the creator’s job to give an oral or written description of the “characters” for everyone to go off of. This is where the team knowledge really shines through. Here’s a short run-down on the results this time around:

  • Oberyn Martell a.k.a Jake: Passionate about life, makes the most difficult things look easy, and thrives in chaos.

  • Varys a.k.a Seyi: Has a hand in every pot, has a calm stead-fast demeanor, and a true dedication to the people above all else.

  • Margaery Tyrell a.k.a Sarah: Settling every issue with creativity, unafraid to make bold moves, and skilled in endless areas.

  • Ned Stark a.k.a John: Has an unshakable moral compass, deeply values relationships, puts honor above glory.

  • Arya Stark a.k.a Ella: Fiercely independent, aspires to forge new paths, loves getting their hands dirty now and then.

It’s a simple game of great versatility and repeatability. You might notice some patterns happening based on how long everyone’s known each other. If you play it too early, it’s difficult. You don’t know everyone well enough. If you play is after a few months, it’s easy. You can call upon the surface-level characteristics we see come to light in people daily. If you play it once you’ve spent a year or several years getting to know your team, it’s hard again but even more fun. The more you understand people, the greater your ability to reference the nuanced parts of their character.

This icebreaker challenges us to reflect on the characteristics we associate and (hopefully) admire about those we work with. It compels us to reflect on our own traits and how they differ from everyone else.

It asks us how well we listen to each other and how deeply we see each other.

In a six-person team, knowing matters. It should always matter regardless of team size if you want to work authentically with creatives. Get to know us. We’re sensitive. It’ll empower everyone involved– I promise.

If you feel like getting deep with your team any time soon, this method comes highly recommended from the studio. Check out some of the icebreaker topics we’ve used in the past if you need some inspiration 🧊.

  • Game of Thrones Characters

  • Famous TV and Movie Villains

  • Dungeons and Dragons Characters

  • Famous Art Pieces

  • Types of House Plants

  • Interior Design Trends

  • Famous Phrases

    If you liked this, you'll love the Ding newsletter it was written for by a small studio. Go check it out! ->

Contact

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© 2024 Ella Choi

Ice Breakers are Whack

July 10, 2024

I can confidently say writing an article on the importance of icebreakers was not on my 2024 bingo card. Why would it be? Icebreakers are whack. Nine times out of ten times, they’re an unexceptional combination of two truths and a lie, what’s your favorite ____, or defaulting to the three facts we all keep in store for ice-breaking occasions. We do them begrudgingly because they’re part of the introductory phase, but here at the studio icebreakers aren’t done at the beginning of a linear “getting to know the team” process.

Our icebreakers are done once every three months at the beginning of our quarterly all-team meetings. They’re the fluffy whipped cream on top of our ice cream Sundae before we spend the next five hours digging in with our heads down, reflecting, and setting goals for the next quarter. Except, beneath the fluff, our icebreakers are a startlingly deep reflection of how well we know ourselves and the teammates around us.

Our icebreakers don’t thaw the frost at the surface, they chip away at our glaciers of identity.

The game we play is a simple who’s who (or who’s what). The creator describes each team member in some capacity without revealing their name. Then we all vote on who we think is who and at the end, the creator reveals the truth. There’s not much to it. Yet, it somehow manages to be one of the biggest all-team highlights without fail.

I had the pleasure of running the icebreaker show this past all-team. As I am a girlie of the fantasy-loving variety, I chose to have my team guess which Game of Thrones Characters they were. One of the joys of this icebreaker is that not everyone needs to know who or what the person is they’re being compared to. It’s the creator’s job to give an oral or written description of the “characters” for everyone to go off of. This is where the team knowledge really shines through. Here’s a short run-down on the results this time around:

  • Oberyn Martell a.k.a Jake: Passionate about life, makes the most difficult things look easy, and thrives in chaos.

  • Varys a.k.a Seyi: Has a hand in every pot, has a calm stead-fast demeanor, and a true dedication to the people above all else.

  • Margaery Tyrell a.k.a Sarah: Settling every issue with creativity, unafraid to make bold moves, and skilled in endless areas.

  • Ned Stark a.k.a John: Has an unshakable moral compass, deeply values relationships, puts honor above glory.

  • Arya Stark a.k.a Ella: Fiercely independent, aspires to forge new paths, loves getting their hands dirty now and then.

It’s a simple game of great versatility and repeatability. You might notice some patterns happening based on how long everyone’s known each other. If you play it too early, it’s difficult. You don’t know everyone well enough. If you play is after a few months, it’s easy. You can call upon the surface-level characteristics we see come to light in people daily. If you play it once you’ve spent a year or several years getting to know your team, it’s hard again but even more fun. The more you understand people, the greater your ability to reference the nuanced parts of their character.

This icebreaker challenges us to reflect on the characteristics we associate and (hopefully) admire about those we work with. It compels us to reflect on our own traits and how they differ from everyone else.

It asks us how well we listen to each other and how deeply we see each other.

In a six-person team, knowing matters. It should always matter regardless of team size if you want to work authentically with creatives. Get to know us. We’re sensitive. It’ll empower everyone involved– I promise.

If you feel like getting deep with your team any time soon, this method comes highly recommended from the studio. Check out some of the icebreaker topics we’ve used in the past if you need some inspiration 🧊.

  • Game of Thrones Characters

  • Famous TV and Movie Villains

  • Dungeons and Dragons Characters

  • Famous Art Pieces

  • Types of House Plants

  • Interior Design Trends

  • Famous Phrases

If you liked this, you'll love the Ding newsletter it was written for by a small studio. Go check it out! ->

I had the pleasure of running the icebreaker show this past all-team. As I am a girlie of the fantasy-loving variety, I chose to have my team guess which Game of Thrones Characters they were. One of the joys of this icebreaker is that not everyone needs to know who or what the person is they’re being compared to. It’s the creator’s job to give an oral or written description of the “characters” for everyone to go off of. This is where the team knowledge really shines through. Here’s a short run-down on the results this time around:

  • Oberyn Martell a.k.a Jake: Passionate about life, makes the most difficult things look easy, and thrives in chaos.

  • Varys a.k.a Seyi: Has a hand in every pot, has a calm stead-fast demeanor, and a true dedication to the people above all else.

  • Margaery Tyrell a.k.a Sarah: Settling every issue with creativity, unafraid to make bold moves, and skilled in endless areas.

  • Ned Stark a.k.a John: Has an unshakable moral compass, deeply values relationships, puts honor above glory.

  • Arya Stark a.k.a Ella: Fiercely independent, aspires to forge new paths, loves getting their hands dirty now and then.

It’s a simple game of great versatility and repeatability. You might notice some patterns happening based on how long everyone’s known each other. If you play it too early, it’s difficult. You don’t know everyone well enough. If you play is after a few months, it’s easy. You can call upon the surface-level characteristics we see come to light in people daily. If you play it once you’ve spent a year or several years getting to know your team, it’s hard again but even more fun. The more you understand people, the greater your ability to reference the nuanced parts of their character.

This icebreaker challenges us to reflect on the characteristics we associate and (hopefully) admire about those we work with. It compels us to reflect on our own traits and how they differ from everyone else.

It asks us how well we listen to each other and how deeply we see each other.

In a six-person team, knowing matters. It should always matter regardless of team size if you want to work authentically with creatives. Get to know us. We’re sensitive. It’ll empower everyone involved– I promise.

If you feel like getting deep with your team any time soon, this method comes highly recommended from the studio. Check out some of the icebreaker topics we’ve used in the past if you need some inspiration 🧊.

  • Game of Thrones Characters

  • Famous TV and Movie Villains

  • Dungeons and Dragons Characters

  • Famous Art Pieces

  • Types of House Plants

  • Interior Design Trends

  • Famous Phrases

If you liked this, you'll love the Ding newsletter it was written for by a small studio. Go check it out! ->

Contact

Back to Top

© 2024 Ella Choi

Contact

Back to Top

© 2024 Ella Choi