Ice – Breaking Session

As part of Parivarthan – 2026,  an engaging ICE-Breaking and Team Building Session was conducted for the MBA students of Gnanam School of Business on 18 August 2026. The session was designed to help students acclimatise to their new learning environment, build interpersonal connections, develop teamwork skills and encourage greater self-awareness.

The session followed an experiential learning approach, where students learned through participation, interaction, reflection and collaboration rather than through conventional classroom instruction.

Objectives of the Session

The session was conducted with the following objectives:

• To help students get acquainted with one another and feel comfortable in the new environment.

• To facilitate meaningful interpersonal connections among the students.
• To develop teamwork, communication and collaboration skills.
• To encourage students to step outside their comfort zones.

Major Activities

The session began with “Get Acclimatised,” an ice-breaking activity that encouraged students to interact with their peers and gradually move beyond initial hesitation. The activity created an informal and comfortable environment for students to connect and participate actively.

This was followed by the “Boat Making” team-building activity. Students worked together towards a common objective, requiring them to communicate, share ideas, coordinate their efforts and make collective decisions. The activity highlighted the importance of collaboration and demonstrated how individual contributions can influence team outcomes.

The “Fish in the Pond” activity added an element of strategy, observation, coordination and healthy competition. Students had to work collectively while responding to changing situations, providing an opportunity to observe team dynamics and leadership behaviours in an engaging setting.

In addition to the high-energy team activities, the session incorporated mindfulness practices. These practices encouraged students to pause, focus their attention, regulate their thoughts and become more aware of the present moment. The mindfulness component provided a balance between physical engagemAent and inner awareness.

Learning Outcomes

The experiential activities enabled students to understand several important aspects of effective teamwork, including:

• The importance of communication and active listening.
• The role of trust and mutual support in building effective teams.
• The value of diverse ideas and perspectives.
• The importance of adaptability and coordination.
• The importance of moving beyond individual comfort zones to achieve collective outcomes.

Conclusion

The ICE-Breaking and Team Building Session provided an energetic and meaningful beginning to the students’ MBA journey. The combination of ice-breaking activities, team challenges, experiential learning and mindfulness practices enabled students to connect with their peers while developing essential interpersonal and collaborative skills.

The session reinforced the idea that effective management is not merely about managing tasks and processes, but also about understanding, connecting and working effectively with people.

The enthusiastic participation of the students contributed significantly to the success of the programme and created a positive foundation for their two-year residential MBA experience at Gnanam School of Business.

The session was Facilitated by Dr. M. Chithra, Assistant Professor, Gnanam School of Business.