We've talked before about the struggles of hanging on to the staff in your practice. Constantly hiring new people can be draining on you and your team and can bring down the office morale. When you do hire the right candidate for your practice the first couple of weeks on the job are really critical to make them feel comfortable and a valuable part of the team.
According to Officevibe, "22% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment." To beat these odds, it's crucial to make new staff members feel welcome, comfortable and included. Icebreaker activities are one way to open up conversation and amplify connection with new team members which will help lead you on your way to team success.
Staff Ice Breakers for Your Eyecare Practice
Fitting in at a new job isn't always easy, especially if the team in your practice has been working together for a long time. The first few weeks on the job can even be really intimidating for a lot of people. Setting the right example and attitude for your team to welcome a new team member will play a big part in the new hire's happiness.
One thing that we've mentioned before is planning team-building activities or outside of work events to help bring the team together and break the ice. This great article from Officevibe offers some ideas for quick icebreaker games you can play with your staff to get everyone more familiar and comfortable with each other. Most of these are easy games that could be done over a lunch hour or at your next office meeting.
Classic Ice Breaker Games
1. Two truths and a lie
How to play: Each person tells three quick stories or facts about themselves. The catch? One of them is a lie. The object of the game is for whoever is listening to the story to guess which is the lie.
2. Lost on a deserted island
How to play: If someone were stuck on a deserted island, name one thing that they would bring, and why.
3. The one-word icebreaker
How to play: Split the group into teams of four or five people. Get each team to come up with one word to describe something. The topic you have them describe is up to the host. This works best if you keep the topic work-related. For example, “If you could describe your company culture in one word, what would it be?”
4.The five favorites
How to play: Ask each person to list their five favorites of anything. This could be movies, songs, TV shows, etc. The point is to get a discussion started and learn about what you have in common.
5. Speed dating
How to play: Don’t worry, this isn’t about dating your colleagues. In this context, each person has a few minutes to chat and get to know someone else before being moved to the next person.
Editor's Note: This post was originally published on June 23, 2016. It has been updated for relevance and richness of content on April 26, 2021.
For more tips on how to build a successful team, read our Expert Staff Management eBook:
