Icebreaker session guide

• Start the session from your account and give it a name people will recognise, such as “Year-end 2026”. It stays open for 30 days.
• Open the host screen on the laptop you will present from, put it on the big screen, and join once from your own phone to check the code and QR code work.
• Decide about names. The map shows first names by default; untick Show names on the host screen whenever you would rather show dots only.
• Check the room has signal or Wi-Fi. Anyone without a phone can pair up with a neighbour, or simply watch.

Something like this works:

“We're going to take a light look at how each of us likes to work. It takes about three minutes on your phone. Join with the code on the screen and your first name, or a nickname if you prefer. There are no right answers, and it says nothing about anyone's ability. Taking part is up to you.”

Then give the four styles one line each, so the map makes sense when it fills up:

• Direct: fast and to the point; wants results.
• Inspiring: energetic and social; wants people on board.
• Steady: calm and supportive; wants things to hold together.
• Careful: precise and thorough; wants it done right.

Everyone uses all four. The map shows which one each person leans on most.

• Leave the join code and QR code on the screen. The counter shows how many have finished.
• Hold off commenting on the dots as they appear; wait until most people are done.
• Each person sees their own result on their phone when they finish, and can keep it.

• Start with the room, not with individuals: where are the dots clustered, and which corner is quiet?
• Use the questions in the “Talk about it” box on the host screen, one at a time. Give people a minute to think before anyone answers.
• Let people talk about their own dot if they want to. Nobody has to explain theirs.
• Keep it about preferences and what helps, never labels: “what do the quieter corners need from us?” rather than “you're such a Careful”.

A few more questions if the room is chatty:

• When a deadline is tight, what does each corner need from the others?
• Which corner do we tend to forget when we plan, and what does that cost us?
• What should we keep in mind as we plan next year?

• Go round, or ask for a few volunteers: one thing each person will do differently with someone from another corner.
• Remind everyone that their full result is theirs alone, on their own phone.
• Use the map as a conversation starter only. Don't use it for hiring, promotion or performance decisions: a three-minute check describes preferences, not ability or fit for a role.