Appreciation Icebreaker
Appreciation goes a long way. This quick meeting ritual is useful for building a sense of optimism, trust, and connection to student success initiatives on teams.
- Suggested time: 5-10 mins
- Materials: None
- When to use: At the start of any meeting with your transformation team
Steps
Introduce the icebreaker by explaining that this is a quick way to reflect on your institution’s successes along the transformation journey. Try this as a team before diving in to your meeting.
Ask each person to share a specific appreciation or story about someone else at the institution who is working toward student success. For example, “Last week, Melissa opened a food pantry in the financial aid office for students. I appreciate her commitment and initiative to helping our students.” If relevant, also ask individuals to share their name and role. Model the exercise by starting with yourself, then continue clockwise.
Thank everyone for sharing, and segue into your meeting agenda.
