Have you ever slightly panicked when you're asked for a fun fact about yourself as an ice breaker at work?
Same. Don't panic! Some Career experts shared their strategies for ice breakers with Huff Post. Although they all have different perspectives, one common theme is to take the pressure off of your fun fact. They suggest sharing something about yourself that will spark a conversation or reveal who you are as a person, as a co-worker, or as a leader.
Ng's tip:
"The key to a good fun fact is to share something about yourself that isn’t about work, that isn’t incriminating, and that leaves people thinking either ‘Cool! Tell me more,’ or ‘No way, me too!’ which can hopefully spark a follow-up conversation."
Bonnie's tip:
″....When answering these questions, remember that your goal isn’t to come up with a ‘great’ answer. It’s to help everyone see each other as whole people and get people comfortable with everyone speaking, contributing and taking turns talking. So don’t put pressure on yourself to win people over with a great response — no one will remember what you said an hour from now, but they’ll remember that you were a great person to collaborate with during that meeting.”
Gianna's tip:
“My strategy for sharing these facts is partly to share something specific to me that most people wouldn’t guess when they first meet me, but more importantly, I share something personal and authentic so we start creating an environment of trust, vulnerability, and psychological safety."
Lara's tip:
"My strategy is to pick something that will at least slightly relate to the type of leader I’m working towards being in my role or in the context of the group."
Lawrese's tip:
"The first thing to do when picking a fun fact is to take the unsaid pressures off — you do not have to be funny, you do not have to be clever, you do not have to be the most interesting. It’s best to define success simply as I shared something about myself that others didn’t know.”
Source: HuffPost