Chapter Meeting Icebreakers ideas?
D C
508 Posts
Hi everyone~

What are some of your favorite icebreakers for a chapter meeting? I'm thinking of examples I've seen, and I'm adding a couple that I found searching online.

Our chapter usually does: give your name and answer an icebreaker question.
Sometimes it's more introduction~
  • Where are you from. How long have you been involved in CCL. What actions are you taking / interested in within CCL (ie chapter levers, action teams).
  • Paired introduction-- introduce yourself / have conversation with the person next to you. Switch and repeat. Partner will then introduce you to the group. Variation: Introducing partner acts as a promoter, so they'll need some strengths of the partner getting introduced. (source)
  • How would a friend / colleague / family member introduce you? or What would they say are your best traits? (source)
Other times it's fun and generic:
  • Weirdest food, an old nickname.
  • "Two Truths and a Dream Wish." variation of Two Truths and a Lie (source)
  • "What Do We Have in Common"
Occasionally it's environmentally related:
  • What gives you energy? What lights you up?
  • What gives you hope where climate change is concerned?
  • Who inspires you? What you are most excited about now? (source)
I just found a few activist icebreakers:
  • What does it mean for you to show respect, and what does it mean for you to be shown respect
  • Ask participants to state one or two "burning questions" they hope will be answered in this session. Have participants describe one strategy/resource they have used successfully (relevant to the topic of the meeting/training). Have them state their personal definition of the topic (i.e., team, community, mission, a cause). (source)
  • What talent or potential do you have that is not yet fully realized in your current work? (source)
  • What single activity, if you could do it every day, would most increase your happiness? or would increase your appreciation of and success at your current work? (source)
  • What’s your passion when you’re not doing what you're 'supposed' to be doing?

Recently there have been some CCL questions and reflections (I learned a few of these from regionals):
  • Where were you when you heard the news about the bill drop? What did you feel?
  • Did you have any climate conversations over the Thanksgiving holiday that you can share?
  • What motivated you to join CCL
  • How do you build play into your climate work?
  • Why are YOU the most important person in CCL? (For a team version: What makes your team important to CCL?)
  • What is something that you find satisfying, that you take satisfaction in your role as a CCL member
What have you seen? Do you have any good CCL related icebreakers / reflections?
 
15 Replies
Brett Cease
3862 Posts
Thanks Debbie! Love this conversation and looking forward to the collective wisdom of CCL's chapters on what's been powerful and effective for your groups!

Our group's often often used variations of Two Truths and a Lie, and Things in Common in smaller and larger groups respectively to help build those connections and a recent list of additional ideas I'm interesting in trying out comes from this Hubspot article on fun icebreakers to try out.
Ricky Bradley
746 Posts
Hey Debbie,
Thanks for this. What a great discussion post! We usually do something that's not climate related and that allows us to deepen our personal relationships. So we'll ask something, what's your favorite band/perfomer, worst date ever, favorite movie, and our most popular question was "Tell us about a ticket you once received." That was a lot of fun. 

I've found the climate-related icebreakers tend to bring everyone down, but that's just my experience. 
Hi!

These are great. I was in the Group Leader Breakout at the Third Coast Regional Conference, and Mark Reynolds talked about the importance of play and had us respond to "Why are YOU the most important person in CCL?" And it was a great way to learn things about people, and to encourage people to recognize and work from their strengths.
So when we had 13 new people at our last meeting, I asked them to answer the same question. It felt playful for sure. And I learned so much about them. One had planted 26,000 trees. Another had led a climate forum in Armenian. Another is comfortable reaching out to City Council. One understands the health aspects of climate change.

I'm so glad this list exists. I was wondering what I could do next time, and Susan Adams sent me the link to this list. 

Thanks!
Carol

 
D C
508 Posts
Carol Denson, Thank you for the feedback on how that question worked! That's on my list too. That's great to hear all of those accomplishments.

(Am I using this post as a place to keep all my icebreaker ideas? Yes, I am :-) )
Credit to Clara Fang‍ for this idea from her Regional Fellows:
- They have a quick check in, an update in their life that *isn't* CCL.

Another one: I've been reading about self care and more specifically, collective care or community care. The earliest mention I've seen is from Patrisse Cullors of Black Lives Matter, who mentions that in activist work you need a way for the community to sustain you, where  "I don’t have to leave a movement to go take care of myself, but the movement is also taking care of me." Here's a sample icebreaker based on this concept:
- [How do experience care within community?] How do others support you in this journey and practice? (source, with some great example answers). How do you support others?

Would still love to hear others. Keep em coming.

With gratitude,
Debbie
For the last couple of months, everybody answered the same question.  One month it was "What high school did you graduate from?"  That turned out to be very interesting.  We discovered a lot of our group had connections to New York, for example.  The other month the question was "What sport or exercise do you (or did you) engage in?"  A very interesting variety of answers and gave us a better picture of who we are outside of CCL work.  Other times, I have asked people to pair off and talk about more substantial subjects.  How does the "What do we have in common?" question work? Thank you for all of the good ideas.
Sylvia
The question "Where (town/city) do you live and how did you come to live there?" can provide interesting personal histories.
D C
508 Posts
One good idea for November / Thanksgiving ~

"One of the things we really value in CCL is our volunteers. This being Thanksgiving month, we'd like to hear~ How do *you* like to be recognized and appreciated for your work with us?"
"For example, do you have a love language? Do you like public or private recognition, a thank you note or email, acknowledgement at meetings, social media, or an email blast, if we did a monthly 'MVP', a dinner or lunch invitation? Would you like bigger challenges* and help in identifying leadership opportunities as a recognition for a job well done? Do you feel appreciated when someone praises a volunteer that you mentor?"
For myself, my love language is time, so I love when someone will spend time listening to me reflect on my latest CCL adventures or wax poetic about my latest CCL ideas.

Alternatively "What's the greatest recognition you've ever received, or, if you wanted to design something, what *would* be the greatest recognition you could receive?"

Related "What is a strength of yours that you might feel vain about?"

And take secret notes (or assign someone beforehand to secretly take notes) for all the volunteers, so that you can appreciate your volunteers tailored to their specific personalities. 

Tangent / Resources:
*See https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/time-to-rethink-employee-recognition-strategy.html
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4x1BtDDuHNkJ:https://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/system/files/sites/92/documents/managers-how-do-you-be-recoginized.pdf+&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

https://www.google.com/search?q=how+do+you+like+to+be+recognized+volunteer
https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=how+do+you+like+to+be+recognized, for example
https://www.google.com/search?q=how+do+you+like+to+be+recognized

I wonder if I should copy this to a thread of its own.
D C
508 Posts
Hi friends!

I've been hearing some great Care questions as icebreakers and check-ins lately.
Things like:
  • Who are you worrying about and who is worrying about you? 
  • What's on your mind these days?
  • What are your best tips or coping mechanisms for working from home or sheltering in place?
  • What expectations of "normal" am I letting go of?
There's also these~ from a search of "icebreakers" and "check in", filtered by the last month:

While those open ended questions are great especially in the beginning when uncertainty and anxiety are high, I'd also like to encourage us to start thinking about our resiliency and how we can foster this resiliency and optimism in each other and strengthen our community bonds. Here's a few ideas, and would really love to hear others along this line:
  • Who or what has impressed you in the last two weeks? How do you wish you could rise above?
  • When this is all over, what do you wish? Personal outcomes, accomplishments? What kind of world do you hope will come out of this. How do you hope to reset and recreate this world?
  • Do you have any quarantine goals? (Learning a skill, building a habit, talking to a certain number of people every day, etc.)
  • (Hopefully funny icebreaker, depending on how close and resilient the group is. Would not recommend if people the group are suffering)~ What skills do you bring to the apocalypse? Or what skills are you looking to develop?
  • How is your work, your community, your city, or your family supporting you right now? What are they doing well? (This may need to be a popcorn "opt-in" icebreaker if the goal is to only share accolades.)
  • How have you been building community? How would you like to build community? What are you needing from your community?
  • Who or what have you been grateful for this month? (If it's a person, how will you let them know this?)
Would love to hear your ideas for resilient, optimistic icebreakers. And if anyone wants to start a thread with any of these, ping me and I'll chime in with an answer :-)

With deep gratitude,
Debbie
D C
508 Posts
I asked this in a small group on Earth Day and got some GREAT answers.
What's your top suggestion when a total stranger, acquaintance, family member or friend asks you what they can do to save the plant or stop climate change? 

(If a large group, perhaps say "What's your 15-second pitch" to get people to be succinct :-) )
I'd love to see others' answers if someone wants to start a casual post to ask this question!

With gratitude,
Debbie

 
Brett Cease
3862 Posts
Thanks Debbie for the great question - here's a few response's Peterson Got on Citizens' Climate Radio (Episode 22 at 22:09) for a similar question: 

Ted Obard in Berkeley, CA:

“Well, I would hope that I would use humor and join him in his ambivalence about climate action. Maybe something like, ‘Well, I can tell you what I’m NOT doing. I’m definitely not trying to will myself to become a self-sacrificing saint, because that is NOT going to happen.’ And then maybe, ‘It’s confusing, right? How can I care about climate and also be selfish? I mean, I do want to drive my car and heat my house and fly in planes, and I also want to fight climate change. It’s normal to want to help but also want what we want, right?’ 

“At some point, I would want to weave in, ‘For me, it is super important to be real with myself about that balance. I do some individual actions in terms of my car and house and such, but beyond that, I need help. This shouldn’t be- and I don’t think it can be- on any one of us. It’s just not going to work. In my experience, it just makes me feel bad about myself.’ Then, I would listen again. My guess is that this would all connect on some level. 

“Ultimately, I would want to segue into a Carbon Fee & Dividend pitch. It’s fair, we could pay for what we pollute, and it’s not too much for anyone. The dividend covers the most needy, and because it’s shared, it’s on a scale that’s effective. My hope is that with a little self-deprecating humor and an invitation to air out his own inputs, we could find a way to connect.”

 

“‘Hey, I’m with you on that. I say that if you don’t walk the talk, you’re wasting your breath. But tell me this: do you think that we can solve global warming if we just depend on conscientious people like you and me to shrink our carbon footprint, especially when our economic system seems to encourage climate pollution by making it free to pollute? What do you think?’ I call this approach ‘rise to the bait and swallow the fisher’ because I immediately agree with him and pull him into my point of view.”

Paul Perkins in Bathe, ME wrote in the following answer:

“First, you disarm the critic by agreeing with Greg and letting him know that you fully accept the validity of his criticism. You go on to say that he has put his finger on the heart of the issue, mainly that we are dependent on fossil fuels and that transitioning to a clean energy society will take collaboration, innovation, creativity, and  perseverance. Furthermore, we welcome his willingness to be frank and welcome any ideas he has to address climate change.”

David Cain has this to share:

“My response is: ‘Greg, I want you to know first of all that your question is right on the mark. It’s something that my wife and I struggle with. After all, who wants to be all hat and no cattle? We’re slowly turning the screws as we emotionally come to terms with the reality of global warming. One of our dreams once we retired was to see the world and travel like my parents did, but I’ve been telling my children and grandchildren that jumping on a plane is one of the worst things that they could do, offsets not withstanding. So, it has involved real sacrifice. It’s hard, Greg, to give up on a dream.’

D C
508 Posts
Hey friends,

I've noticed that there's a lot of views on this forum post (I'm sure half of them are me, lol) so I continue to update this page with ideas.

A few icebreaker pro-tips:
- I've copy pasted the above posts into a google document in a list form, so that I can jot down the date any icebreaker gets used. I'm not that creative on-the-spot, so I need to plan when to ask what. And this way I can avoid repeating a prompt. I also like to mix it up. If I do an 'activist' or 'CCL' icebreaker one month, I like to do a fun and frivolous one the next month, and this helps me keep track.
- We post the icebreaker question in the agenda that gets sent out the day or two before the meeting. This helps folks who want to think about their answer before the meeting, like introverts or perfectionists (cough me) who want to give the BEST answer. Having it written in the agenda also helps me remember what was used in past months.
- Our chapter used to have someone leading the icebreakers and calling on a few folks at a time to introduce themselves. I've recently heard a great method and I've been suggesting it for all the meetings I attend: When you're done, pass the baton or "popcorn" to the person you know the least or the person you'd like to get to know better. * 
- When the icebreaker prompt is given in the meeting, copy the intro prompt into the chat box. ie 
Intro prompt: Name, (demographic / location / length of time in CCL / teams you belong to / chapter / only pick one), and icebreaker question Why/What/How etc etc.
This helps the folks later down the line remember the prompt, and people who think better when they read something rather than hear a prompt. Plus it's easy to silently copy paste for latecomers, so they can think about their answer while others are speaking.
- (In a large group, do encourage your chapter veterans to comment on icebreaker responses in the chat box! They may not be able to respond "live" due to time constraints, but it helps the speakers, especially newcomers, know that they're being heard and valued.)

* Regarding the popcorn idea. We're closing on six months of quarantine, and some of us who were doing okay before are starting to crack up now. We had a "web of care" idea in April where we encouraged members to check in on each other, and it could be time to repeat that. I plan to end a meeting suggesting that people reach out to each other--- we are missing the usual social ties that we would create if we attended in-person meetings--- and this could substitute a few of those. Maybe you could reach out to the person you popcorned to, or the one who chose you! (See how sneaky my prompt was? :-) )

Now for the new icebreakers. PS-- To group leaders-- there are often great icebreakers at the GL calls, which is a great reason to attend them and be on time! All the credit for Tamara Staton‍ for the following prompts, I'm just sharing her wisdom! I used one of these last night for the amusement of all.
  • If you could embody any natural land or water feature, what natural land or water feature would you embody, and why?
  • If you could pick any animal characteristic to embody, which would you choose & why?
  • If you were a musical instrument, which one would you be and why?
  • If you were a weather pattern, which one would you be and why?
These metaphorical questions can allow for us to share things about themselves in a socially acceptable way, and folks can choose to be as vulnerable or not as they're comfortable being. Also it's fun!

Also new icebreakers I've added to the main list, from that google doc I mentioned above.

Introductory / personal prompts
  • (Other than being a climate warrior with CCL :-) ), What is something important about you (or important to you).
  • If you knew me well, you would know ______________________.
Fun prompts (As Tamara says, it’s nice when the opening icebreaker gives you opportunities to laugh.)
  • What is your favorite place in [insert local area]?
  • Where are you from and what do you miss / don’t miss about there? (If you’re from here, you can say what you’d miss/not if you ever moved.)
  • What is something you love to geek out about?
  • What’s a topic that you could probably speak on for 15 minutes (either without stopping, or improv right now)?
  • Top three adjectives to describe your summer
  • What is your “walk on” music? (What music would play you onto a stage, a wrestling match, a baseball field?)
  • Favorite beverage, favorite (summer / outdoor / indoor, etc) activity, favorite food combination.
  • What’s your favorite / least favorite holiday food
  • What was the last trip you were on?
  • How do you like your potatoes?
  • What skills are you bringing to a Zombie Apocalypse? (And this can be aspirational, what skills (that you don’t have yet) would you like to work on?)
  • What’s a song (or book, movie, or tv show) you always go back to when you want a “pick me up”?
  • What is a favorite gift that you have given or received? If you can’t think of one, what would be a great gift for you?
Activist icebreakers
  • What’s the coolest thing you’ve accomplished?
  • What are you a product of?
  • What are some of your talk ideas? Why? Why you?
    • CCL adaptation- What do you have to teach other CCL’s? Why is it important? Why you?
  • What’s important about you that isn’t on your resume?
CCL Prompts and reflections
  • Where did you learn the favorite thing you’ve learned at CCL?
  • Why do you come to chapter meetings? What do you want to get out of a meeting? What should the purpose of these monthly meetings be?
  • How do you find out about Chapter events? How do you find out about other events in [your location]? Which of those would it be appropriate for our chapter to reach out to for posting our events?
  • One of the things we really value in CCL is our volunteers. This being Thanksgiving month, we'd like to hear~ How do you like to be recognized and appreciated for your work with us?

Enjoy your meetings. ❤

with gratitude,
Debs
In my organization, we start every meeting with each member saying their "wow-pow-chow" for the week. The "wow" is the best thing that happened to them this week, "pow" is the worst thing, and "chow" is the best thing they ate that week. It seems really simple, but I have found this to be really effective at bringing my team closer together as it allows for some casual conversation and relationship building at the start of every meeting. We love it and wait all week to tell everyone our wow-pow-chow!
D C
508 Posts

Still me, bringing all my icebreaker ideas here. If you have your own icebreakers, keep them coming in the replies.

I heard this from @Elinor Sparks at the November Onboarding Action Team meeting recording. “What are you bringing to our Thanksgiving potluck?” You can of course switch out Thanksgiving for any upcoming holiday, or just a simple potluck. It's great to hear about people's signature dishes. (Who knows, maybe it will inspire you to actually hold a chapter team potluck!)

D C
508 Posts

Icebreaker Idea for October spooky season: 

It's Halloween, and Halloween is all about the things that scare us. 

At CCL, we also want to challenge ourselves to grow out of our comfort zone, and (at least sometimes) do things that scare us. Things that we thought, “Wow, I never thought I could do that before!” 

So for October's icebreaker: What is something you have done at CCL that you were scared of doing before you did it? Or, what is something that scares you, that you want to try doing? (FYI, option to pass here is totally allowed.) 

I'll give mine as an example (Although maybe I'll let someone else do an easier “scary” one to kick off). I'm a (sort of) recovering micromanager. (I am in actual therapy for this.) It's scary for me to trust that other people will do things “correctly” (aka MY way). It's scary to make mistakes and let other people make mistakes. But, as my therapist says, I feel the scary feeling, and trust anyway. 
And volunteers have thrived. And sometimes they make mistakes. And guess what? We all make mistakes. The world didn't end, the chapter continued, and sometimes people even learned from their mistakes-- more than they would've learned if they had followed my micromanagey rules. 

@Debbie Chang Not sure if this was already shared somewhere in the thread, but there's a bunch of icebreakers listed here! 


 

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