Thank you for agreeing to moderate a breakout room! We're excited to try this virtual networking format.
Networking is officially scheduled for 12:25pm-1:10pm, but the rooms will be available for people to join starting at 12:15pm. Please join the room by 12:25pm.
TOPIC | MODERATOR(S) |
---|---|
Main Room | Mike Sherman and Virginia Gifford Reckley |
Data at MIT | Roshni Gohil |
Endpoints | Peter Milt |
General IT at MIT | Jess Smith |
Hybrid Work/Collaboration | Matthias Thorn |
VPF (Property, Buy2Pay) | Rich Janus, Winnie Poon-Leung, and Jason Richer |
Women in IT | Olimpia Caceres-Brown |
If you need support, see Questions? Concerns? Technical difficulties? Contact us!
Icebreakers can seem cringeworthy, but are actually a great way to put people into listening/sharing mode.
NOTE: If you choose to do an icebreaker we recommend you volunteering to go first and then selecting a person on either side of you to go next, that person answers and they get to select a person to either side to go next and so on.
The One Word icebreaker allows you to provide initial context into a meeting's topic, and get everyone in the right mindset for discussion.
To play, let's say you're leading a meeting on training. They must describe training in one word. This game encourages everyone to think about a certain topic ahead of time, which could increase participation during the meeting.
A classic game played at summer camps everywhere, "Would You Rather" is actually an excellent, quick icebreaker. Randomly choose 4 or 5 people and ask each person a "Would You Rather" question.
Here are a few "Would You Rather" questions to get you started:
For smaller groups the more classic icebreaker, Two Truths and a Lie can be used. To play, you simply ask each person to brainstorm three "facts" about themselves -- two of the facts will be true, and one will be a lie.
For instance, I might say, "I once auditioned for the TV show Zoom. I have three brothers. I ziplined in Switzerland once." Coworkers can take turns guessing which is the lie. (FYI, I have two brothers, not three, so that's the lie. Unfortunately, I did audition for Zoom.)
Two Truths and a Lie is a fun and engaging game, and more importantly, it can help your team learn facts about one another.
For this icebreaker, have everyone on your team go around and share a word or phrase that represents how they feel that day - how they are handling remote work - how they feel about coming back to a full campus in September - any simple thought that helps people express themselves.
Asking fun questions is an easy and effective icebreaker game. To play, simply go around the room and have each person provide an answer to a fun question. The questions are up to you, but if you're stuck, here are a few ideas:
What is the scariest thing you’ve ever done for fun?
What song best describes you?
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it by and why?
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What was your favorite television show as a kid?
If you were a color, what would it be?
Where is one place you’d love to travel to?
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
These questions serve two purposes -- first, they allow your coworkers to get into a sillier, more creative mindset. Second, they encourage conversation on topics typically reserved for outside the office, which enables members of your team to get to know one another on a deeper level.
Go back to 2021 IT Partners Virtual Conference - Tuesday, June 15