How to facilitate a meeting Tip 1 - Don't use icebreakers

11 Apr 2025 · 1 min

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In this brief instructional segment, the speaker advises against using icebreakers in everyday, purpose‑driven meetings. He argues that unless the meeting’s explicit goal is social bonding or fun, icebreakers divert time and attention away from the intended outcomes. While acknowledging that icebreakers can be useful for remote‑team bonding, he stresses that the primary reason for gathering is to solve a specific problem or achieve a defined goal, and that fun activities should not compromise that focus.

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How to facilitate a meeting. Tip number 1. Don't use icebreakers for everyday meetings. When you meet with your colleagues, customers, clients, and so on, there's a specific purpose for your meeting. Unless that purpose is to have fun, mingle, get to know each other, icebreakers don't help you achieve the purpose of the meeting. They actually distract from it. If you use an icebreaker in a general everyday meeting, you're going to be taking time away from achieving the desired outcome of your meeting. Now, icebreakers can be seen as a good way to bond with your teams, particularly if you've got a remote team and you're doing everything on video. But the reason that you've brought people together is to solve a specific problem, to achieve a particular goal, purpose, or outcome. Don't let the idea of a fun icebreaker get in the way of achieving the work that you're there to do.