ABSTRACT
Newly formed groups are often particularly challenging social settings. Some groups are formed for relatively short periods, some are formed in residential or modular courses, while others come together from different departments on a regular basis to solve problems or accomplish defined tasks. The use of titles, particularly within announced introductions to the entire group, can signal position and associations, give rise to assumptions and prejudice, and may sometimes cause embarrassment. Group formation is always bound up in one way or another with an appraisal of and adaptation to existing normative behaviours. Most facilitators use ice-breakers at the start of a group process. Some facilitators choose ice-breakers that require behaviours that are beyond the normal experience of group members, while others match tasks to the expected skills. Simulations take time to prepare, conduct and debrief, and it would be unusual to use a simulation-type ice-breaker at the start of a group process.
