Icebreakers & MBTI: Introverted Guest Post!

Check out these reflections from one of our amazing Introverted KJ Consulting Group team members

Meeting icebreakers are ubiquitous these days. And I get it- they’re meant to “warm us up” before we dive into the true content of a meeting. But for an Introvert like me, they can sometimes fill me with dread. “What IS a hobby I picked up during the pandemic?” Read: Nothing. I tried to stay sane. “Get up and run around the room to find 3 other people who have two siblings and who grew up in a different state.” Read: Why????

But for others- potentially E’s (Extraverts) who are more action oriented than me; those who prefer to communicate by talking and are both sociable and expressive- my dread may be their vitality. So in my continual journey to better understand other perspectives and MBTI Types in the workplace, I’m trying to be more open minded about the utility of the icebreaker. I know a good icebreaker can be a game changer to start a meeting on the right foot. It can create a common, light experience for a team to work from; it can generate needed laughter, and it can truly “warm up” a hesitant group before jumping in. (And even for an Introvert like me- once the process has actually started, and I have had a moment to think through how I want to share or respond, it often brings me energy as well.)

Our team recently led a Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) session for 40 teachers and administrators at a new charter school in South Carolina. Our objective was to help build a trusting, communicative team that understands each other, and we rooted our dialogue in our individual MBTI “Types.” The school team took their MBTI assessment before the session, so we knew coming in that about 55% of the group identified as Extraverts. We used that data point to select an icebreaker that would call in the majority, but followed it up quickly with time for individual reflection before we dove into the agenda content. As outside facilitators, we knew that the group would need different ways to move into our day together. Integrating activities early in our session that met the needs of both Extraverts and Introverts allowed for everyone to participate in a way that matched their MBTI preferences.

If you seek to build a meeting culture that is inclusive of all Types, we recommend incorporating a variety of icebreakers in your agendas- those that your Type is drawn to, as well as others that may push you a bit. To take it to the next level, set up a rotation of who is leading each meeting icebreaker for distributed leadership and variety. What caters more towards your I’s one week can be balanced by an activity that caters more towards E’s the next- and over time a more inclusive team culture is built.

COMING SOON — a few of our favorite icebreakers organized by Myers Briggs Type!