Ice Breakers to Get People Talking

Whether you are holding a business meeting, a house party or another social function, it can sometimes be a challenge to get your guests to mingle and converse. It may be necessary to find a way to "break the ice" in these situations to stimulate conversation and make the event less awkward. By starting a game or activity that begins conversation, your guests will become acquainted and be more comfortable around each other.

When put into a group setting, you are typically introduced to many people at one time. It can be difficult to remember everyone's name, and this can lead to awkward moments later on during the event. Eliminate this from the start by playing a game to introduce everyone and help remember other people's names. A fun activity is to have the group come together in a circle. Have everyone come up with a verb that starts with the same letter as their name. For example, "Swinging Sally" or "Dancing Debbie" would be options. People in the group are more likely to remember names if they have something silly to remember them with.

Getting the members of the business meeting to participate in conversation can be difficult, especially if the group has never met. The simplest technique for increasing everyone's comfort is to start the meeting with a round of introductions. Have each person at the meeting introduce themselves by stating their name and job position. To make it more interesting, have them share what they think their biggest strength is regarding the project. To bring a little humor to the meeting, have each employee share a funny story or an embarrassing moment.

If you are ready for your group to know a little about each other, try an activity that allows you to get more acquainted. Facts and Lies is an easy game you can play with a small group. Have each member write down two facts and one lie about themselves. Put the sheets of paper into a pile and read them each out loud to the group. The group should decide which of the statements is the lie. This is a great way to learn some interesting facts about each person in the group.

When dealing with a large group of people, it can be difficult to get everyone to mingle. People will naturally only communicate with those they already know. Plan an activity where people are encouraged to mingle outside of their friends. For example, give each person that enters the event a sheet of paper with 15 characteristics listed on it. These characteristics can be something like "brown shirt," "red hair" or "wears glasses". Their job is to find people in the room who fit these descriptions and get their signature. Take it further by having them find out an interesting fact about the people they meet as well.