Icebreaker Game: Strategy Frankenstein
It is no secret that I LOVE the Gamestorming book; I treat it like a personal facilitation consultant, eagerly reviewing the huge variety of facilitation techniques, for every important meeting requiring any kind of innovative facilitation. I have recommended the book so much anyone would think I am paid commission… heck, I’ve even developed a decoding tool that allows me to quickly skim for a particular type of technique before going back to the detailed instructions.
At our most recent National Digital Forum (NDF) strategy days, I needed to facilitate an icebreaker activity that enabled board members who had worked together for a few years to welcome, and get to know, new board members. Easy! However, I also really wanted to deliver an icebreaker that served to open our minds to welcoming and exploring new ideas. You see, 2023 is a pivotal year for us at NDF for a variety of reasons, including, the successful recruitment of the inaugural Executive Director, the receipt of funding from Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage (to deliver a digital capability programme across Aotearoa New Zealand’s GLAMIR sector) and a reinvigorated drive to implement initiatives and revenue-generating activities that will enable us to meet our strategic goals.
After my usual Gamestorming scan, I couldn’t find any existing games that I thought would absolutely nail what I wanted this icebreaker to achieve — I was looking for something that straddled the opening, team-building and fresh-thinking categories. So, in true (ex) primary school teacher fashion, I devised what I believe is a new icebreaker, hoping to meet the desired outcome. My NDF board colleagues enjoyed it, and I felt the game achieved what I had hoped it would. Subsequently, I promised I would write up the instructions so that others could use it… here it is!
Game name: Strategy Frankenstein
Objective of play
This icebreaker was devised to enable a group of 11 people, with varying degrees of familiarity with one another, to build new (or deepen existing) connections whilst undertaking a humorous icebreaker that will frame the purpose of the meeting in a way that encourages fresh-thinking and innovation.
Source: Strategy Frankenstein was created by Claire Lanyon
Number of players: A group of up to 12 players / break a large group into smaller groups of 6–12
Duration of play: 5–10mins documenting question answers independently and 10–20mins for question time
Materials required:
Group/s seated at tables
Game board (with statements securely obscured — you can develop your own statements, as appropriate for your context)
A writing implement for each player
A timer (optional)
How to play
- Ensure that each player has a game board and a pen (game board statements obscured, see picture above). Begin by telling the players that we are going to get to know each other a little better.
- Ask players a series of pre-determined questions about themselves, one question at a time. Tell the players that they do not need to spend a lot of time considering their answer — put a timer on if you need to!
- Once players have written their answer on the game board, they pass the game board to the player next to them who will write the answer to the next question*
- Once all questions have been completed, players pass the game board one more time. Ask each player to reveal and read the statements to themselves (statements are now complete, with unusual and often humourous endings!) You’ll likely hear some amused chuckling, as the players start to read the more humorous statements everyone has unwittingly created!
- To complete the game, each player is invited to ask a question about one of the answers they are curious about. They read the relevant statement to the group and ask a question about the answer that piqued their curiosity on the game board e.g. This will support [organisation name] in its ambitions to overthrow the world’s electric fences. Who has a fear of electric fences and why? OR The most exciting workshop for [event name] will be singing. Who wishes they could sing? How many of us love singing?
*We had 11 people in our group, so I prepared 11 questions and 11 statements, but the game board would also work with a smaller number of questions — I think you need at least 6.
Strategy
Adequate time should be allowed to ensure everyone has an opportunity to ask a question to the group. Through the development of what otherwise may be considered nonsense statements, players are invited to open their creative brains to new ideas that have likely never been considered before. The facilitator should make this outcome explicit, this invites the players to continue to think ‘outside the box’ throughout the meeting and enables the group to make a connection between the fun opening activity and the work that is to follow.
