Time Management Icebreaker Activity – Lists & Priorities

Explanation

Divide participants into teams of five to eight. Unveil the numbered list of tasks. Explain that they have ten minutes to collect as many points as possible. They must be safe and they only have ten minutes!

Activity

Give participants ten minutes to perform their tasks and enjoy the show! After ten minutes, add up their points using your pre-designed matrix and announce the winner. Keep the list of tasks; you may want to tape it to the wall.

Debrief

After the activity, discuss learning points. Possible discussion topics include:

• How did teams decide what tasks they wanted to do? Most groups will analyze the time the task will take and/or the difficulty level, compare it with the value (possible number of points), and prioritize as a result. We do this when managing our time, too: we often choose the high-yield, low-effort tasks over the low-yield, high-effort tasks (and rightly so!).
• Are any decisions based on task dependencies? For the name card task, for example, teams received bonus points if they used team nicknames. Performing these two tasks together would triple the points received. This often happens in life, too – batching tasks increases your results exponentially.
• What group dynamics came into play? If participants knew each other before, they may feel more comfortable performing a personally risky activity, like singing a song. This comes into play when prioritizing tasks, too; we’re more likely to stay within our comfort zone, especially if we’re working in a team.

Preparation

Write out the following list on a piece of flip chart paper. Ensure that it stays covered until the end of the activity explanation.

1. Do a lap around the room (5 points)
2. Create something for the instructor to wear, such as a hat or tie (10 points; bonus 5 points if the instructor actually wears it)
3. Find out something unique about each person on the team (5 points)
4. Sing a song together (15 points)
5. Make a paper airplane and throw it from one end of the room to another (10 points)
6. Get everyone in the room to sign a single piece of paper (5 points)
7. Count the number of pets owned by your group (20 points)
8. Assign a nickname to each member of the team (5 points)
9. Create name cards for each team member (5 points; bonus 5 points if you use your team nicknames)
10. Make a tower out of the materials owned by your group (10 points)
11. Convince a member of another team to join you (20 points)
12. Name your team and come up with a slogan (5 points for the name, 5 points for the slogan)
13. Re-create the sounds of the Amazon rainforest with the sounds of your voices (10 points)
14. Make a list of what your team wants out of the workshop (15 points)

You can customize this list as you wish; just make sure there is a point value (which is completely up to you) assigned to each item.

Modifications for Hyflex Course (where some students are attending remotely)

1. Find out something unique about each person on the team (5 points)
2. Sing a song together (15 points)
3. Count the number of pets owned by your group (20 points)
4. Choose a motivational theme song for your group (10 points)
5. As a group, locate at least five time management strategies for healthcare students on the Internet (20 points)
6. Assign a nickname to each member of the team (5 points)
7. Create name cards for each team member (5 points; bonus 5 points if you use your team nicknames)
8. Research what each member of your group’s starting salary will be in your chosen field (15 points)
9. Make a tower out of the materials owned by your group (10 points)
10. Convince a member of another team to join you (20 points)
11. Name your team and come up with a slogan (5 points for the name, 5 points for the slogan)
12. Re-create the sounds of the Amazon rainforest with the sounds of your voices (10 points)
13. Convince your teacher to say a silly phrase—keep it clean! (10 points)
14. Make a list of what your team wants out of the Time Management workshop (15 points)
15. Look up contact information for CWI program directors in your field of study (20 points)

Adapted from https://blog.trainerswarehouse.com/time-management-activities

Here is a rubric you can use to score the activity (please make a copy). Time Management Score Card.xlsx