My UK-HRD forum arrived, as normal, this morning. Now, I wouldn’t say I was addicted to it or anything. I could give it up tomorrow if I wanted. I could walk away and never look back. It doesn’t mean a thing to me … but I do find myself waiting for that comforting ‘ting’ as it drops into by inbox. There are stalwart members who seem to post just about every other day, some who make an occasional appearance, and others who surface momentarily then return to the depths. This mention of UK-HRD is not, by the way, at the demand or behest of Fenman; it’s straight from me. If you work in the human resource development field, you definitely need to be subscribed to this forum (www.ukhrd.com/index.jsp).

Looking back to the early days, you can see just how far it’s come. I joined when it had already been up and running for a few months, and in those days you used to get about ten questions or answers collated together each day, instead of the 40 or 50 you can get now. The moderation and ‘rules’ were still being developed, so personal insults were frequent and funny, abuse was always jumped on from a great height, but back then it was like the Wild West. Even today it’s still amazing how some topics can promote a flurry of responses and questions, while other issues get quietly answered and disappear into the archives. However, there is one theme that frequently recurs in the form of three regular requests.

1. ‘Does anyone have an energiser they can recommend for …?’
2. ‘I need a good icebreaker for …’
3. ‘I’m running a team-building event shortly and need an activity that …’

These requests appear with the regularity that any bowel relaxant medication would be proud to take credit for. So, for this month’s ‘Netcheck’, I have identified websites on which energisers, icebreakers and team-building events can be downloaded at will.

ENERGISERS AND ICEBREAKERS
When does an icebreaker become an energiser and vice versa? First, let me direct you to a website – www.work911.com/cgi-bin/links/jump.cgi?ID=2695 – that explains what each element is.

This site begins with a quote: ‘Icebreakers are tools that enable the group leader to foster interaction, stimulate creative thinking, challenge basic assumptions, illustrate new concepts and introduce specific material.’ And I think that’s pretty close to the truth. There are many subtleties that go with using icebreakers/energisers, and this website briefly explains the issues of tone, length, teaching points, processing and learning – all of which make for a good overview of the issues. For a little more detail and sufficient background to allow a reasonably competent trainer to understand and recognise where and how icebreakers might be employed, visit www.speaking-tips.com/Articles/Breaking-The-Ice.aspx

And now to the first of this month’s two primary sources – www.littlefallsonline.com/icebreakers.cfm – which contains 150 (yes, 150!) icebreakers. Of course, one of the issues with icebreakers is that, by definition, they take place at the beginning of the learning event. Therefore, if you get the tone wrong or breach the levels of personal security, then it becomes incredibly difficult to regain the ‘trust’ of the individual or group. So choosing the ‘right’ icebreaker is crucial.

Here are two examples of icebreakers that sit at either end of a continuum of ‘reserve’.

Example 1: Blind trust
Decide on a route to take your cell members on, preferably a route around the neighbourhood. Make sure the path you choose isn’t too dangerous! You don’t want to get someone hurt or knocked down by a car. Blindfold everyone in the group, except yourself. Tell everyone to hold hands and to follow you. Promise them before you go that you won’t lead them anywhere where they can get hurt. (If you attempt this with a teen cell, make sure an adult is with you.) At no time may anyone remove their blindfolds until you say it’s okay. The ones that do remove their blindfolds may continue in the game, but they must keep quiet. Once you get back to your house tell them to remove their blindfolds and ask them how they felt about the ‘trip’.

Example 2: Innovative introduction
You can do any of the following or all of them.

*  Instruct everyone to take two items from their purses or pockets (for example, family picture, credit card or wallet) and use the items to introduce or say something about themselves.
*  Ask each person to state his/her name and attach an adjective that not only describes a dominant characteristic, but also starts with the first letter of his/her name (for example, Martin – Marvellous Martin or Siew Ling – Lovely Ling).
*  Have everyone share a nickname they now have, once had or would like to have, then explain the reason or story behind the name.

As you can see from these two examples, the 150 icebreakers span a huge range of options, from which you should be able to select something that suits your situation and purpose.

And if, for some unfathomable reason, this resource proves to be insufficient here are two more sites – www.eslcafe.com/ideas/sefer.cgi?Ice:Breakers and www.icebreakers.us/ – which together contain a further 200 icebreakers/energisers. This means in total you now have access to 350 icebreaker/energiser suggestions. Surely enough for anyone?

www.littlefallsonline.com/icebreakers.cfm
CONTENT *****
ORIGINALITY ****
NAVIGABILITY ****
PRESENTATION & GRAPHICS *
DOWNLOADS & FREEBIES ****

TEAM-BUILDING EXERCISES
Before using team-building activities it is essential to understand the ‘hows’ and ‘whys’ of this approach. So here are two websites that will provide significant input around this topic.

The first is from the ubiquitous BusinessBalls (www.businessballs.com/teambuilding.htm), and will point you to further areas where team building and the general approach to this issue are developed in some depth. It’s an excellent read and worth visiting. The second is from the UK’s TeamTechnology site (www.teamtechnology.co.uk/tt/h-articl/tb-basic.htm), and gives a brief but lucid review of the key issues relating to team building and how it can work. A further website from the TeamTechnology stable (www.teamtechnology.co.uk/team-building.htm) provides advice and guidance on choosing suitable exercises for team-building events.

And now to our second primary source – www.wilderdom.com/games/gamesspecific.html – a website that’s a real treasure. This site contains a huge range of activities and exercises that teams might employ as vehicles for learning and development. There are several ‘survival challenges’ – you know the sort of thing … your plane has crashed in the desert and you decide to walk to the nearest waterhole; you can take five items from a range of 15. Which do you pick? There are trust-building activities, psychological self-awareness exercises and a mass of others. A great site – full to the brim with relevant exercises, all well detailed and some even illustrated with photographs.

www.wilderdom.com/games/gamesspecific.html
CONTENT *****
ORIGINALITY *****
NAVIGABILITY ****
PRESENTATION & GRAPHICS ***
DOWNLOADS & FREEBIES *****

From all of the resources referred to this month it should be possible for any trainer to select a suitable activity or exercise that will precisely meet the needs of any client.

This month’s ‘Netcheck’ was compiled by Garry Platt, a senior consultant at the Woodland Grange Management Centre in Leamington Spa where he plays a key role in the centre’s provision of ongoing management training and development across both public and private sectors. If you think this edition of ‘Netcheck’ is good, bad, ugly or simply an affront to 10,000 years of human progress, do let Garry know at garry.platt@wgrange.com As usual, our thanks to Garry for this contribution. Clare Forrest returns next month to share her recent Internet finds.

Quick hits
http://creatingminds.org/
****
This website focuses on change – what it is, how it can be managed, and the methods and techniques that can be employed to achieve it. It is a rich source of material that encompasses a number of interesting areas. More specifically there are sections that cover the following: tools for defining the creative problem; tools for creating ideas; tools for selecting ideas; tools for implementing ideas; quotes on all matters creative; principles for creating new ideas; articles about effective creativity; and a bibliography. This is an excellent site for all those engaged in developing the creative instincts of people or groups.

www.valuebasedmanagement.net/
*****
This website was brought to my attention by someone on the UK-HRD forum, and it’s worth a mention here. It contains just about every single theory, model and hypothesis conjectured in relation to management, organisational development and HR management. A wonderful resource.

Garry Platt, a senior consultant at the Woodland Grange Management Centre in Leamington Spa where he plays a key role in the centre’s provision of ongoing management training and development across both public and private sectors. If you think this edition of ‘Netcheck’ is good, bad, ugly or simply an affront to 10,000 years of human progress, do let Garry know at garry.platt@wgrange.com

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