The Energy You Bring Is The Real Ice Breaker
If there’s one thing I wish every trainer knew, it’s this — the energy you bring into a room can break barriers faster than any icebreaker on your slides.
A couple of months ago, at the college where I train students in workplace communication and career readiness, I was scheduled to conduct a session on Interview Skills and Self-Presentation. I walked into the seminar hall expecting eager learners, but instead, I was greeted by silence. Rows of students sat stiffly, some with folded arms, others staring at their desks.
I knew this look — the “I’m only here because attendance is mandatory” look.
I began with my usual opening — a brief self-introduction and the session agenda — but I could feel the gap between me and them growing. The polite nods were there, but no spark. If I continued like this, I’d just be another trainer they half-listened to for an hour.
So, I decided to take a risk.
I set my notes aside and asked, “Let’s forget about interviews for a moment. If you had to introduce yourself to your role model in exactly 30 seconds, what would you say?”
A few exchanged glances, some giggled, but no one volunteered. I picked a student from the third row and asked gently if he would try. He stumbled, laughed, and admitted, “Ma’am, I don’t even know where to start.”
Perfect.
That became our starting point. We broke into small groups, and I asked them to prepare their 30-second introductions. The room that had been silent 15 minutes earlier was now buzzing with voices, laughter, and mock role-play. One student pretended to meet a cricket star, another introduced himself to the CEO of a tech company.
By the end, not only had they learned the structure of a sharp, confident introduction, but they had also experienced how practising in a safe space can break fear faster than theory ever will.
That day reinforced a truth I carry into every training room: sometimes, the shortest path to learning is through a moment of play.
If your audience isn’t ready to open up, don’t push information at them — pull them into the experience. Once they’re in, the learning takes care of itself.
