Templates and Tools
Member Benefit
Icebreakers
This job aid contains five icebreaker activities you can use to kick off your next training session.
About the Authors
Elaine Biech, CPTD Fellow
Elaine Biech, CPTD fellow, believes excellence isn’t optional. Her passion is helping others achieve their passion. She specializes in maximizing individual, team, and organizational effectiveness using her expertise in OD, training, and consulting. Elaine has designed and delivered thousands of training courses and apps. Highlights of her career include designing and implementing the first process improvement programs for the Newport News Shipbuilding Company and McDonalds; designing and facilitating the first creativity program for Hershey Chocolate; and facilitating one of the world’s first virtual training sessions in 1985 for NASA.
Elaine’s been called a titan of the training industry and has published 89 books, including The Art & Science of Training, which was a Washington Post number 1 bestseller. She has presented for 38 consecutive years at ATD’s International Conference & EXPO, and has been featured in dozens of publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Management Update, the Washington Post, and Fortune.
Elaine has been active with ATD since 1982—she’s served on the national board of directors, designed ATD’s first training certificate program, was ATD’s inaugural CPTD Fellow designee, and most recently was the principal author of ATD’s TDBoK Guide™. A talent development thought leader, Elaine was the recipient of ATD’s 1992 Torch Award, 2004 Volunteer-Staff Partnership Award, 2006 Bliss Memorial Award, and the 2020 Distinguished Contribution to Talent Development Award. In addition, she was the recipient of ISA’s 2001 Spirit Award, 2012 Outstanding Contributor Award, and 2022 Thought Leader Award. She was also the recipient of Wisconsin’s Women’s Mentor Award and sponsors several scholarship funds. Elaine currently serves on the board of directors for ISA, the Association of Learning Providers, and the board of governors for the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL).
Renie McClay, CPTD
Renie McClay, CPTD, has had many roles, including learning leader, project manager, instructional designer, and in person and virtual facilitation. She is passionate about travel and about developing people. Having visited more than 40 countries, she has facilitated training for corporate, academic, and nonprofit audiences in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, and Latin America. Her past roles have included sales, sales management, and training/learning leader for multiple Fortune 500 companies.