Name badges as conversation starters
This is an interesting ice-breaker that would work well with a group of people who don't know each other too well or perhaps have met only for the first time. We blogged this technique in November 2007.
Ask everyone to write something interesting or quirky about themself on a name tag or post-it and wear it as a badge. It could be one word like 'Blue' or 'Led Zeppelin 1989'.
Allow 10 min for the group to mingle and hear as many stories they can that reveal the choice of words people have used and in doing so learn something interesting about each other.
You could have a lot of fun with this and spark some great conversations too!
Here are a few possibilities from the conventional to the quirky:
So this year, create a name badge for yourself for all the conferences, seminars and workshops you attend and let the conversations flow.
Margaret Moon suggested an interesting variation of this technique that can be used for an in-house team building activity. Ask people to write a fact about themselves (a skill or talent) that their team members may or may not know about. Cluster the post its on a wall. Invite participants to guess who the post-its might represent. That will surely get the energy going in the room and might even get a few laughs!
This is an interesting ice-breaker that would work well with a group of people who don't know each other too well or perhaps have met only for the first time. We blogged this technique in November 2007.
Ask everyone to write something interesting or quirky about themself on a name tag or post-it and wear it as a badge. It could be one word like 'Blue' or 'Led Zeppelin 1989'.
Allow 10 min for the group to mingle and hear as many stories they can that reveal the choice of words people have used and in doing so learn something interesting about each other.
You could have a lot of fun with this and spark some great conversations too!
Here are a few possibilities from the conventional to the quirky:
- your nickname
- sports you love to play or watch
- the footy team you follow
- your favourite biography
- what's on the cover of your diary
- a thought provoking quote
- your personal motto
- the beginning of an interesting story
So this year, create a name badge for yourself for all the conferences, seminars and workshops you attend and let the conversations flow.Margaret Moon suggested an interesting variation of this technique that can be used for an in-house team building activity. Ask people to write a fact about themselves (a skill or talent) that their team members may or may not know about. Cluster the post its on a wall. Invite participants to guess who the post-its might represent. That will surely get the energy going in the room and might even get a few laughs!
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