Designing the Start: Starting Strong Without Traditional Icebreakers

Hot take: I don’t like traditional icebreakers or personal introductions to kick off workshops.

Don’t Waste the Opening Minutes

The opening moments of a workshop are the most valuable real estate you have. They set expectations, model tone, and shape how people engage. I see facilitators waste that opportunity on generic prompts that create minor chatter but no real connection to the work ahead.

Start with Real Experience, Not Small Talk

In Workshop Workshop, which aims to teach participants how to plan and run effective workshops, I start with a specific, targeted opening activity: “Your worst workshop experience.” Participants share the worst session they’ve ever endured, either as a lead or a participant. What happens next is powerful: frustration turns into reflection. The discussion naturally leads into what went wrong and why, surfacing a shared understanding of what makes workshops painful or unproductive. Throughout the rest of the day, those same themes reappear as reference points for better design decisions.

This activity does more than break the ice; it breaks down assumptions. It invites honesty, empathy, and reflection while keeping the focus on the purpose of the workshop. Because everyone has endured a bad session, it quickly levels the group. Participants realize they’re not just learning theory; they’re reconsidering experiences they’ve already lived through.

Jump Straight Into What Matters

Compare that to a standard opener that asks for the participant to share their name, title, favorite hobby or other random personal information. Most participants are too busy preparing their answer to truly listen to anyone else. The flow feels stilted, and worse, it disconnects from the real work to come. Personal introductions might create surface warmth, but they rarely build relevance or momentum.

My focus has always been on maximizing engagement and fostering genuine participation. Opening activities are still necessary to shift attention and energy toward the work at hand, but I design them to generate immediate insight and signal the tone for the rest of the session. Every minute has value, especially at the start.

Whether you choose a focused activity like the Workshop Workshop opener or skip introductions entirely, the principle is the same: workshops should be intentionally designed and architected to generate meaningful outcomes that begin the moment people walk through the door.