Icon – I can! A drawing energizer to get to the essence of something

There is only going to be one Kate Moss. Kate is an icon.
Naomi Campbell (*1970)
British Model

Icons – I can! is a drawing energizer. It is especially suitable to prepare sessions, which are designed to distill or to boil down to an essence – be it of a program, of a strategy, or of an individual.

The drawing energizer Icons – I can!

Icons are visual symbols, which are very important in our everyday lives. We are all familiar with symbols for toilets, exits, or restaurant logos etc. But have you ever thought of symbolising yourself in a single sign?

Objective

Develops self-presentation, encourages abstract thinking and focusing in someone’s personality on its essential elements, on its strengths.

Icon: It takes quite some energy and focus to reduce your personality to one single image. — *It takes quite some energy and focus to reduce your personality to one single image: Icon – I can.*

Resources

Cards and markers.

Time

5 mins plus 10 mins collection and commenting.

Task

Every participant thinks of a symbol for himself and draws it on a card. The moderator takes the cards and comments positively on them. You can reuse the cards later in the workshop for individual performances, e.g. a personal follow-up plan.

It’s really a highly focused exercise to think in an abstract way in order to reduce your or someone else’s personality to one single symbol. But it’s a good game before getting into other thinking exercise like goal setting or targeted communication. It helps participants to think and to reduce to the maximum.

Phase

Icon – I Can is a presentation game in the beginning, or as an abstract thinking exercise at any time.

Flashlight

You freeze a current moment of the workshop by doing a quick round of all the participant to know the current emotion or opinion.

Newspaper Interview

Newspaper Interview is an ice-breaker activity to familiarize your participants with each other. Create teams of two participants who interview each other. It’s advisable to mix gender, organisation, and age groups.

Wanted Poster

This is an ice-breaker activity to familiarize participants with each other. The form of the wanted poster reduces information to the relevant and the time needed.Make teams of two who interview each other and draw a Wanted Poster. It’s recommended to mix gender, organisation, and age groups.

Facts of My Life

Often so-called facts are presented to us, which we accept without further questioning. This excellent game teaches people to question further.

Animal

Participants will learn and remember the other participants’ name. It’s also very energising and great fun.Present yourself with name plus animal name, e.g. I am Anita and I am a cat because I love the independence and self-reliance of cats.

Invisible Friend

Write the name of each participant on the back of the cards and let each participant pick one. Now, they have to find their ‘invisible friend’, i.e. ask around which person belongs to the name of the card.

Remember my name

There has never yet been a man in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth...

Alliteration

Alliteration means using the same starting letter of words as a rhetorical tool. Here, we use alliterative epithets together with participants’ names, e.g. Ali the Attractive, Laila the Lunatic, or Jim the Jealous.

Treasure Hunt

There is a treasure in each workshop participant. Find it and let find the participants in each other. This game sets a positive atmosphere when everybody is new - and perhaps a little insecure - in the workshop. It builds confidence and relationships.