Purpose
This is a very effective yet simple icebreaker. Delegates get to choose a contemporary or historical figure and share their choice with the class. These choices will help everyone to get to know each other better. In addition, it also helps the trainer to know the delegates better and use this knowledge during the course to tailor the training.
Objective
Choose which important figure you like to have dinner with and why.
Setup
- Arrange everyone in a circle.
- Ask the delegates to think of a contemporary or historical figure that they like to have dinner with. This can be anyone, dead or alive, though it is best if it is someone famous so others have heard of the person and can better understand the choice.
- Allow for about 2 minutes for delegates to think and choose their figures.
- Ask a volunteer to start and share his choice.
- Encourage the person to talk about his choice and what in particular inspires him about the character.
- Allow a maximum of 2 minutes.
- Ask the next person on the volunteer’s left to reveal his choice.
- Carry on in sequence until everyone has contributed their choice.
Timing
Explaining the Exercise: 2 minutes
Activity: 2 min per person = 16 minutes for 8 people
Group Feedback: 0 minutes
Discussion
N/A
Variations
- You can vary this exercise by asking different questions on the same theme. Here are examples:
- Name 5 people you would like to have dinner with. Optionally delegates can write the names on a paper before revealing to the class.
- Name one artist, one actor and one scientist you want to have dinner with.
- Name one historical figure and one contemporary politician you want to have dinner with.
- You are having a dinner party and you can invite 5 famous people. Who would you invite?
- Version 1: All 5 have to be alive.
- Version 2: The 5 people can be a mix from present and past, effectively mixing them from different eras.
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