What is Forced Choice?
Forced Choice is a fun and easy icebreaker activity that helps people get to know each other better. The game is simple: participants are presented with two options and must choose which one they prefer. For example, they might have to choose between living in a big city or a small town, or between chocolate or vanilla ice cream. The options can be silly or serious, but the idea is to get people talking and sharing a bit about themselves.
To play the game, you can either have everyone write down their answers on a piece of paper or go around the circle and have each person share their choice out loud. It's a good idea to set some ground rules before you start, such as making sure everyone feels comfortable sharing and that no one will judge anyone else's answers.
The goals of Forced Choice are to break the ice and help participants learn more about each other's preferences and personalities. It's a great way to start a meeting or event, and can also be used as a team-building exercise.
When deciding whether or not to play Forced Choice, consider the size of your group and the level of comfort and familiarity among the participants. It's generally best for smaller groups of 10 or fewer people, and may not be the best choice for groups that are already very close or intimate.
To make the game more fun, try to choose questions that are interesting and unexpected. You can also add a competitive element by awarding points for each correct guess about someone else's answer. And remember, the key to Forced Choice is to keep it light and fun - so don't take it too seriously!
Materials needed for Forced Choice
Forced Choice requires no materials or tools to play. Just bring yourself and a few others and you'll have a great time!
How to play Forced Choice
- Gather participants: Get all the participants together in a group.
- Explain the rules: Tell everyone that they will be given two options and must choose one. There are no right or wrong answers, they just need to go with their instinct.
- Present the choices: Read out a series of forced choice questions, where participants have to pick one option over the other. These questions can be about preferences, opinions, or even silly scenarios.
- Allow response time: Give participants a moment to think and choose their option before moving on to the next question.
- Discuss choices: After everyone has made their choices, encourage participants to briefly discuss why they chose a particular option. This can help stimulate conversations and create connections.
- Wrap up: Thank everyone for participating and conclude the icebreaker activity.
Benefits of Forced Choice
Team building activities are far more than just fun and games. They pack a punch when it comes to the range of benefits they can deliver.
Some of the benefits of Forced Choice include:
- Helps break the ice: Playing Forced Choice is a great way for people to get to know each other in a fun and relaxed way.
- Promotes teamwork: This game encourages players to work together, which can help build a sense of camaraderie and collaboration among team members.
- Develops communication skills: Forced Choice requires players to listen carefully to each other and communicate effectively in order to make decisions together.
- Boosts creativity: This game challenges players to think outside the box and come up with unique solutions to the various forced-choice scenarios.
- Relieves stress: This activity provides a fun and low-pressure way to take a break from work and have some laughs with colleagues.
Why we like Forced Choice
We love this game because it's a fun and easy way to get everyone engaged and laughing, and it's a great icebreaker for groups that don't know each other well. Plus, the quick rounds and unpredictable choices keep things interesting and lively!
Reflection questions for Forced Choice
Reflection questions are a great way to help your team process their experience after playing Forced Choice.
- What were some of the challenges you faced during the Forced Choice icebreaker activity? This question prompts participants to reflect on any difficulties they encountered during the activity. This could include struggling to choose between options or feeling pressure to make a certain choice.
- Did any of the choices you made surprise you? Participants can consider whether they made choices that were unexpected or went against their assumptions about themselves or others.
- How did your choices affect your interactions with others in the group? This question encourages participants to think about how their choices may have influenced their relationships with others during the icebreaker activity.
- Did you notice any patterns in the choices made by people in the group? Participants can reflect on whether certain types of choices were more common and what that might mean about the group's dynamics.
- What did you learn about yourself or others through this icebreaker activity? This is a general question that prompts participants to consider the overall impact of the icebreaker and what insights it may have provided about themselves or others.
Which skills does Forced Choice build?
- Decision-making - Having good decision-making skills during icebreakers and team building activities helps to foster effective communication and collaboration, resulting in a more cohesive and successful team.
- Communication - Communication skills are essential for icebreakers and team building because they facilitate effective and open dialogue, allowing team members to connect and understand each other better, which leads to improved collaboration and problem-solving.
- Opinion sharing - Opinion sharing skills are super useful in icebreakers and team building because they encourage open communication and create a welcoming environment where everyone's ideas are valued.
- Listening - Listening skills in icebreakers and team building promote effective communication, understanding, and empathy among participants, fostering a positive and cohesive team dynamic.
Jon Zajac
