Icebreakers · Connectors & Mixers

HELLO Exercise

High-energy opener that gets everyone meeting each other while staying focused on course content.

IcebreakerMixerMingling

Duration: 20 min
Participants: 1–5, 5–10, 10–20, 20–50, 50+
Energy: Medium
Difficulty: Beginner
Materials: Minimal
Prep time: 5 minutes

2 min read · Delivery: Offline

Overview

Purpose. High-energy opener that gets everyone meeting each other while staying focused on course content.

When to use. Early in a session, especially with a group that doesn't know each other well yet.

Best for. Any group size, in teams, in person.

Facilitator preparation

Gather: a deck of playing cards, and four prepared questions about expectations, experience, and questions participants have about the training.
Decide how many teams you want, then plan to deal cards accordingly. See Trainer's Reference below for how the cards are used.

Room setup. Cluster seating into small islands of 3–6 people, spaced enough apart that groups don't overhear each other.

Virtual setup. This works best in person. If you must run it virtually, replace the card-based team split with random breakout rooms.

Hybrid setup. Give remote participants an equal way to take part, mirroring the in-room teams through breakout rooms.

Materials. A deck of playing cards, prepared questions

How to Conduct

Split participants into teams using a dealt hand of playing cards, one suit per team (see Trainer's Reference below for exactly how).
Give each team the same four prepared questions about expectations, experience, and questions they have about the training.
Set a time limit, and have teams race to collect answers to all four questions from as many other participants in the room as possible, outside their own team.
When time's up, have each team report back a few of the most interesting or common answers they collected.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE GROUP

Most groups laugh within the first minute; that's a good sign, not a distraction.

Trainer's Reference: how the deck of cards is used

The cards are simply a fast, fair way to form teams: deal one card to each participant, using one suit per team (Hearts for Team 1, Spades for Team 2, and so on). Everyone holding the same suit is on the same team. This replaces having to manually count off or assign people, and it feels more like a game than an administrative step.

After the activity

DEBRIEF QUESTIONS

What part of “HELLO Exercise” felt easy, and what part felt harder than expected?
Which of the four questions produced the most surprising range of answers?

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

Where in your day-to-day work does racing to gather information from a lot of people, quickly, come in handy?

Learning outcome. Participants leave having spoken with a wide range of colleagues, and surfaced real expectations and questions for the training ahead.