Ice Breakers & Starters

Deadline 30 Minutes!

A highly interactive matter of beating the clock! lt's all about getting organised quickly and building in the checks and balances to ensure a successful outcome. A great 'starter' activity!


How it works

Team members each have different Briefs which they can’t show to the others. The clock is ticking – and teams have just 30 minutes to complete the task. They’ve got the resources but the task needs everyone to work together, to take on specific roles and be fast but accurate. Someone needs to keep an eye on the time and there needs to be a good coordinator, a good finisher and some capable team members. And what about the other teams? Can we beat them AND the deadline?

What it does

This short, sharp, fast-paced activity is an ideal starter or energiser to a course on teamwork or time management. It emphasises the need for different roles within the team. It stresses the need to keep everyone on board, to define the problem and communicate a vision of the task. And it hammers home the need for accurate working, checking and review if a team is to succeed.

Customer feedback

  • Short, sharp and not as easy as it looks. A great leveller!

    – E. Gallier, Jurys Doyle Hotel Group

  • All teams enjoyed Deadline 30 Minutes. It focuses the mind and requires attention to detail - and it's fun.

    – H. Anderson, GMAC Commercial Finance

  • Fun, educational and gave participants food for thought. A thoroughly enjoyable, short exercise.

    – G. Hannah, NHS Lanarkshire