To run an icebreaker, just three things are needed. The right mindset, a great question and someone to give a gentle nudge to get things started and move the icebreaker along. Before you know it, your icebreaker is done, and you have set the stage for a more effective retrospective meeting.
Trotz all der Vorteile, die ein Icebreaker für ein Team und sein Meeting bringen kann, ist es manchmal verlockend, direkt zur Retrospektive überzugehen. Das gilt besonders, wenn dein Backlog überquillt und du einfach nicht den Kopf frei hast, dir eine Frage auszudenken. Deshalb haben wir unser Team gebeten, ein Icebreaker-Tool für agile Teams zu entwickeln, das dir den Aufwand bei der Durchführung von Icebreakern abnimmt.
TeamRetros Icebreaker-Tool macht die Durchführung von Icebreakern einfach. Designed with agile teams in mind, it can generate questions and help you decide who goes next. It can even help you keep an eye on the time!
So let’s look at how to run an icebreaker so you can help your team get more out of their retrospective.
Step into the icebreaker headspace
The first thing to do when running an icebreaker is to switch on the right mindset.
- Be curious.
- Be positive.
- Be an advocate for icebreakers.
Remember, icebreaker questions aim to foster connections between people so they work better together. Those connections come about when people share their stories with each other. The more people share, the greater the connections. People are more likely to share when they feel their stories are being received positively and with genuine interest.
Keep in mind, there’s no such thing as a wrong answer to an icebreaker question, which is why they are so great at helping to create safe spaces. All answers are welcome and all input is valued. It’s a space where inclusivity and diversity is naturally celebrated.
Lastly, don’t forget that by running an icebreaker you are delivering a lot of value to your retrospective meeting. You are helping to create a safe, positive, collaborative space. You are contributing to the productivity of the meeting. Best of all, you are making work fun.
Choosing a great icebreaker question
Um eine gute Icebreaker-Frage auszuwählen, gehe zu TeamRetros Icebreaker-Tool und klicke auf Start. Yes, it really is that easy!
If you would like your icebreaker question to have a little more focus, you can filter the questions by the following categories.
Agiler Spiele
An agile game is a fun activity aligned to an aspect of agile. They see the whole team work towards a common goal. As well as building connections between team members they also help to deepen their understanding of agile.
Building safety
These icebreaker questions help to explore and foster a safe workspace. They offer the team the chance to share stories of trust, empathy and growth. These questions help start supportive conversations that can continue long after the icebreaker is done.
Deep and meaningful
This category of icebreaker questions gives people the chance to share insights and ideas they may not have otherwise share at work. They let people explore and predict possibilities, while the group gets to know more about each other. In doing so, they can help a team expand their perception of each other. These are great to use when a reminder is needed that we’re all human.
Spaß
This group of icebreaker questions is pretty self-explanatory. They are deliberately creative and a little bit silly, all in the name of having fun at work. Rest assured, they will still deliver all the benefits of an icebreaker, even if the laughter gets loud.
Get to know
The ‘Get to know’ icebreaker questions have been shaped with new teams and teams with new members in mind. They support the very early stage of when people meet. They help to start inclusive conversations that form the foundation of connections.
Quick/Check-ins
This set of icebreaker questions is your go-to when you feel you are pushed for time. They are short and fast, but they still deliver value. These save you time so you don’t have the excuse to skip the icebreaker.
Team building
These icebreaker questions help nurture your team. They create space for celebration. They showcase collaboration and teamwork. They boost morale, explore values and fuel productivity. If you are looking to actively support your team’s health, these are the icebreakers for you.
Virtual or remote
Remote teams will easily relate to this category of icebreaker questions. They reference their virtual context as a common point of discussion. These icebreakers also see team members share aspects of their homes as a reflection of themselves.
Warm-ups
Although not technically an icebreaker, we included this category for established teams. Warm-ups help people focus on the task at hand. These activities help your team direct their full attention to the retrospective and to switch off from other thoughts and tasks. You can read more about warm-ups here.
Work focussed
If your team isn’t too keen on running an icebreaker before their retrospective, this set of questions will help you navigate that resistance. These work-focussed icebreaker questions connect to what everyone in the team has in common – their place of work. They help the icebreaker habit to be established by exploring that common ground.
How to facilitate an icebreaker
Facilitating an icebreaker is very straightforward and comes down to just three steps –
- Kicking it off
- Making sure everyone has had a turn
- Wrapping it up
Kicking it off
Einen Icebreaker zu starten beginnt damit, jemanden zu finden, der anfängt. Wenn du zum ersten Mal ein brandneues Team triffst und du der Scrum Master oder Moderator bist, solltest du diese Person sein. Wenn du zuerst gehst, kannst du dich vorstellen, den Ton angeben und die Art des offenen, respektvollen Austauschs vorleben, den du von allen anderen sehen möchtest.
TeamRetros Icebreaker-Tool enthält eine integrierte Auswahlfunktion, die bestimmt, wer als Nächstes dran ist, sodass du Personen nicht manuell auswählen musst. Das hält den Prozess transparent, fair und frei von unbewussten Vorurteilen.
Making sure everyone has had a turn
Es ist wichtig, dass jeder die Möglichkeit bekommt, die Icebreaker-Frage zu beantworten. Inklusive Retrospektiven beginnen damit, sicherzustellen, dass niemand ausgeschlossen wird, insbesondere ruhigere oder Remote-Teammitglieder.
Auch hier übernimmt TeamRetros Icebreaker-Tool die Hauptarbeit. Jedes Mal, wenn jemand antwortet, wird sein Name automatisch aus dem Pool der noch zu antwortenden Personen entfernt. Du musst dir nicht merken, wer schon dran war – das Tool verfolgt die Beteiligung für dich und macht es einfach zu sehen, wer als Nächstes dran ist.
Wrapping it up
Sobald jeder die Icebreaker-Frage beantwortet hat, ist es Zeit, die Aktivität zu beenden und nahtlos in deine Retrospektive überzugehen. Wenn die Frage besonders fesselnd ist, können Gespräche lang werden und deine Retro-Zeit in Anspruch nehmen.
Um dabei zu helfen, enthält TeamRetros Icebreaker-Tool einen Timer, damit du die Aktivität innerhalb eines festgelegten Zeitrahmens halten kannst. Er gibt dir einen klaren, neutralen Bezugspunkt, wenn du die Diskussion vorantreiben und sicherstellen musst, dass deine Retrospektive pünktlich beginnt.
Bevor du abschließt, bedanke dich bei allen für das Teilen und würdige die Beiträge, die sie geleistet haben.
Für weitere Informationen, schau dir unsere Top 5 Tipps für die Durchführung von Icebreakern an.
Du kannst auch unseren Blog erkunden, wo wir was die besten Icebreaker für Teams ausmacht, zusammen mit schnellen, aber effektiven Icebreakern, um deine nächste Retrospektive zu starten, teilen.
