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.
Incluso con todos los beneficios que puede aportar un rompehielos a un equipo y a su reunión, a veces puede resultar tentador pasar directamente a la retrospectiva. Este es especialmente el caso cuando el backlog está desbordado y simplemente no se tiene la capacidad mental para pensar en una pregunta. Por eso pedimos a nuestro equipo que diseñara una herramienta de rompehielos para equipos ágiles que eliminara el esfuerzo de llevar a cabo los rompehielos.
La herramienta de rompehielos de TeamRetro facilita la realización de rompehielos. 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
Para elegir una buena pregunta para el rompehielos, diríjase a la herramienta de rompehielos de TeamRetro y haga clic en comenzar. 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.
Juegos ágiles
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.
Divertida
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.
Registros rápidos
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
Poner en marcha un rompehielos comienza con la búsqueda de alguien que empiece. Si se reúne con un equipo completamente nuevo por primera vez, y usted es el Scrum Master o el facilitador, esa persona debería ser usted. Empezar primero le permite presentarse, establecer el tono y modelar el tipo de intercambio abierto y respetuoso que quiere ver de todos los demás.
La herramienta de rompehielos de TeamRetro incluye un selector integrado que designa quién va después, para que no tenga que elegir a las personas manualmente. Esto mantiene el proceso transparente, justo y libre de cualquier sesgo inconsciente.
Making sure everyone has had a turn
Es importante que todos tengan la oportunidad de responder a la pregunta del Icebreaker. Las retrospectivas inclusivas comienzan asegurándose de que nadie se quede fuera, especialmente los miembros del equipo más callados o remotos.
Aquí de nuevo, la herramienta de rompehielos de TeamRetro hace el trabajo pesado. Cada vez que alguien responde, su nombre se elimina automáticamente del grupo de personas que aún no han respondido. No tiene que recordar quién ya ha tenido un turno: la herramienta rastrea la participación por usted y facilita ver quién es el siguiente.
Wrapping it up
Una vez que todos han respondido a la pregunta del Icebreaker, es hora de cerrar la actividad y hacer una transición fluida a su retrospectiva. Cuando la pregunta es particularmente atractiva, las conversaciones pueden alargarse y consumir tiempo de su retro.
Para ayudar con esto, la herramienta de rompehielos de TeamRetro incluye un temporizador para que pueda mantener la actividad dentro de un plazo determinado. Le da un punto de referencia claro y neutral si necesita hacer avanzar la discusión y asegurarse de que su retrospectiva comience a tiempo.
Antes de terminar, agradezca a todos por compartir y reconozca las contribuciones que han hecho.
Para obtener más información, consulte nuestros 5 mejores consejos para llevar a cabo Icebreakers.
También puede explorar nuestro blog donde compartimos lo que hace que los Icebreakers sean los mejores para los equipos, junto con Icebreakers rápidos pero efectivos para lanzar su próxima retrospectiva.
