breaking the ice

With the right icebreaker, even people who have known each other a long time can find a glimmer or two of newness. Icebreakers offer people an informal way to open up about themselves. They can put people into the right frame of mind for a productive retreat. They help shake off the chill of an early Monday morning meeting. Why are they often the first thing to come out of a packed meeting agenda? Some ideas why:"They're a waste of time." Icebreakers don't have to be throwaway questions. An engaging and fun question keeps people from tuning out as soon as they sit down or sign on."I see these people every day. We already know each other." Icebreakers help people connect to each other as human beings with opinions. They can break people out of the boxes or cliques they came in with. There's almost never a right answer to an icebreaker question. Unless of course the question is "what's the best season?" and the correct answer is "Fall" (or "cardamom" if you misunderstand the…