Attitude and Mindset training Icebreakers, energisers and short exercises (2023)

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore the importance of trust and how easily it is lost.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• A whistle or bell (optional) to let the group know when to stop.
• A selection of small prizes.

Notes:
This provides an interesting insight into how tribalism, based on fear, is created and the implications of that.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this icebreaker available in Trainers’ Library.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To help participants identify some of the key themes they’ll be exploring in the forthcoming training around attitude and mindset.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

Useful For:
Anyone attending a course or workshop that focuses on attitude and mindset.

You'll Need:
• A printed copy of the large (A3) Trainer version of the Word Search grid provided, affixed to a flipchart.

Notes:
A small prize for the winning team would be nice, though not essential.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore participants' feelings towards their role in sales.
• To help participants realise that others may share these feelings.
• To help participants identify how they want to feel by the end of the course.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of up to 20 participants.

You'll Need:
• Blank sheets of A4 paper.
• Pens/pencils with which to draw.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to run. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To define the term 'personal resilience'.
• To explore some of the characteristics of resilience.
• To list some elements that help create resilience.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• A bouncy rubber ball for each participant.
• Plenty of space to run the exercise.

Notes:
This can be a particularly useful exercise for anyone facing potentially difficult change. Make sure you have a safe place to run this exercise.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To help participants identify their own feelings towards change.
• To recognise that these feelings may be shared by others.
• To identify how participants would like to be feeling by the end of the course.

Group Size:
This exercise is suitable for use with groups of up to 20 participants.

You'll Need:
• Blank sheets of A4 paper.
• Pens/pencils with which to draw.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To welcome the participants.
• To introduce the facilitator(s) and participants to each other.
• To introduce the facilities.
• To agree the course objectives and timetable.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
Nothing, other than the materials provided.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• Explore how a positive mindset impacts on motivation and performance.
• To create a positive state for the day ahead.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 20 participants.

You'll Need:
• Small plain postcards for each participant and coloured pencils or pens.

Notes:
Pre-prepare a flipchart with the words, “Creating the right environment for your day is in your mind.” Do not reveal it until the end.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To allow participants to articulate their own ideas about their strengths and what they can bring to the group.
• To understand how others in the group think of themselves and their strengths.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• A box of random items – enough to give every participant a choice.

Notes:
This is a great exercise to use where you want to encourage participants to think creatively.

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About

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To define success.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Flipchart paper and lots of coloured pens.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore the difference between optimistic and pessimistic behaviour.
• To understand the kind of actions to take in order to be more optimistic.

Group Size:
Can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This activity can be run on its own or as a follow on to The Charity Challenge.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To allow participants to explore how they feel about their ability to persuade and influence others, and how they'd like to feel at the end of the training.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of up to 20 participants.

You'll Need:
• Blank sheets of A4 paper.
• Pens/pencils with which to draw.

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About

Time:
The exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 25 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore your participants’ response to change and the factors that drive it.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Five red and five green sticky dots for each participant.

Notes:
You will need to have pre-prepared flipcharts with the statements listed as per the handout.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete (longer for large groups). In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To energise participants.
• To demonstrate the value of breaking major projects down into small goals.
• To demonstrate how positive thinking will impact upon results.
• To demonstrate effective teamwork.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• A large open space.
• A stopwatch.
• Five balls (tennis, juggling or stress balls are ideal).

Notes:
If using this exercise with very large groups, you will need to split participants into smaller teams.

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About

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help participants understand the impact of their behaviours on others and the part they can play in developing and improving difficult relationships at work.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Everyone who interacts with others at work.

You'll Need:
• 2 different colour pens for each participant (to complete the handout).

Notes:
A great exercise to demonstrate our role in conflict with others. It’s designed to help anyone reflect on how to improve their workplace relationships, not just those who are in conflict. It is also a useful addition to Emotional Intelligence training.

We do recommend that you practice reading Flenda’s Tale aloud a couple of times before using this exercise.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion. (You may wish to take more time for larger groups or where you want to explore some of the learning in more detail.)

Aims:
• To test listening skills.
• To illustrate the dangers of making assumptions.
• To encourage participants to think about how they can check their understanding of information they receive.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size. It is possible to use this exercise in conference situations as well as more usual training interventions like courses and workshops.

You'll Need:
• A pre-prepared flipchart of the statements from the handout (hidden from view until required).

Notes:
We suggest you rehearse reading the story aloud beforehand.

If You Like This Training Exercise:
You’ll LOVE ‘The Witches of Glum’ which is also available from Trainers’ Library. ‘The Witches of Glum’ has been endorsed by Show Racism the Red Card for its ability to make participants think about prejudice and stereotypes. To find out more about the great work this charity is doing to educate against racism, visit www.theredcard.org.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to share information about themselves.
• To explore values and beliefs.
• To build rapport among participants.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
Participants can be pre-briefed to come to the training event with an idol in mind. This gives participants time to really think about their choices.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• For participants to explore and identify what equality means to them.
• To understand what equality means to others.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• Random magazines and art materials such as coloured pens and paper.

Notes:
This activity is a great way to explore what equality means. However, it is best suited to more experienced trainers and facilitators as it might expose negativity towards the topic of equality and diversity. This, in itself, however, can be useful to the trainer.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To get participants talking and using some of the fundamental skills of information gathering, including effective questioning and active listening.
• To identify the importance of understanding not just actions, but the motivation for actions.
• To begin to identify some key skills anyone looking to build rapport and influence needs.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of up to 12 participants.

Useful For:
Anyone.

You'll Need:
• A supply of A4 paper for each participant to show their answers to the group. (You could use a small wipe clean whiteboard or similar).

Notes:
This icebreaker is useful in any situation where you want to encourage meaningful conversations.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To illustrate how motivation and self-belief can lead us to stretch our performance.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This quick exercise can be used as an icebreaker and demonstrates how we can all stretch our performance if we're motivated to do so. This is a physical exercise that may not be appropriate for everyone.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 25 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To raise awareness of how quickly we draw conclusions about other people.
• Understand the impact unconscious bias has on our interactions with others.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This exercise works best if your participants don’t know you very well.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 40 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To demonstrate how easily misunderstandings can occur even when we think our communication is clear.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• Plenty of post-it notes.
• 10 sheets of flipchart paper.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To identify participant's views on negotiation.
• To understand the views of others about negotiation and their reasons for them.
• To create a list of objectives for the training based on the participants’ views.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of up to 30 participants.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided, however, we recommend that you laminate the Quote Cards if you anticipate using this exercise frequently.

Notes:
Great to use at the start of a negotiation workshop to find out the attitudes and objectives of your participants. For bigger groups you’ll need to allow more time for this exercise.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 10 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To get participants in the right mindset for thinking creatively or embracing new ideas.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of almost any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• A newspaper.
• Flipchart paper and pens.

Notes:
Small prizes for the winners would be a nice touch.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to share information about themselves.
• To test participant's knowledge of each other.
• To encourage participants to see beyond their existing perceptions of others.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• A pen and post-it notes for each participant.

Notes:
For a similar activity, with a different approach, you might like to look at True Lies.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To enable participants to introduce each other by sharing their personal motto.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

You'll Need:
• Enough personal motto cards for your participants to have plenty of options to pick from.

Notes:
If using this exercise with very large groups, you will need to split participants into smaller teams to pick and then share their mottos.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore the range of experiences and perceptions of resilience within the group.
• To get people thinking about what resilience means and where it comes from.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
If using this exercise with large groups, split them into smaller teams.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To enable participants to introduce themselves to the group.
• To find out how each participant perceives resilience and what they hope to get from the training.
• To introduce some key information about resilience.
• To get people thinking about what resilience means and where it comes from.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
If using this exercise with large groups, split them into smaller teams.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To highlight self-limiting behaviour and beliefs in a non-threatening way.
• To consider how we receive praise and how it affects us.
• To energise a group of participants.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of almost any size as long as you have sufficient wall space.

You'll Need:
• 2 cardboard stars or star shaped post it notes for each participant.
• Blu-tac will also be needed if you use cardboard stars.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 10 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 15 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore and identify what positive language is.
• To understand why positive language matters.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• A selection of bells or buzzers, one for every 2-3 participants.

Notes:
Before the training, pre-prepare a flipchart with a blank bingo card. The card will need to have enough boxes so there is one for each participant.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 5 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 15 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To explore what it feels like when a colleague adopts a pessimistic attitude.
• To understand how pessimism can impact the likelihood of success.

Group Size:
Can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Teams.

You'll Need:
• Flipchart paper and a pen.

Notes:
This icebreaker is really only suitable for use when running in-house training with an established team. To make it more credible, we suggest running this activity immediately after a break (and make sure you’re absent from the learners for part of that break). It works best when it is followed up with Describing Your Glass - Optimism vs Pessimism, as that module focuses on the positive steps that can be taken to develop optimism as a skill.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

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About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 20 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To introduce participants in a fun way.
• To encourage people to think about how we communicate nonverbally.
• To encourage participants to begin to think about the important role of body language, tone and pitch in communication.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. (The activity can be used with larger groups, but you will need to allow more time.)

You'll Need:
• To ask participants in advance of the training to share one unusual fact about themselves.

Notes:
Based on the UK gameshow ‘Would I Lie to You?’, this is a fun way to introduce any training, but is particularly appropriate as an introduction around training linked to communication and body language. It can even be used to introduce equality and diversity training as it provides a way to make the point that there is more to people than we see on the surface and for participants to make assumptions about others in the group.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads

About

Time:
This exercise will take about 15 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes for completion.

Aims:
• To encourage people to reflect on the assumptions we make and the labels we attach to people.
• To understand that there is more to people than what we see on the surface.

Group Size:
Suitable for use with groups of almost any size.

You'll Need:
• Nothing other than the materials provided. But for a more visual/engaging exercise, you could provide participants physical representations of the products listed in the activity to sort.

Notes:
This is a great icebreaker for any topic where it’s helpful for participants consider whether categorising people is fair, and the impact this can have on beliefs and behaviour.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Downloads