Breaking the Ice

When I work in leadership training programs with groups of managers, this is my favorite “get to know each other” icebreaker activity. I have asked hundreds of people this question. In my unscientific research I have discovered that

• Most people have no problem coming up with an answer.
• When they describe their ideal job, they respond brightly and energetically. No matter how mundane or how “out there” their fantasy job is, they usually talk about it with a smile. For most people, thinking about this is fun.
• During breaks and over meals, training program participants often make more small talk about these fantasy jobs than about any other subject.
• Frequently, people's ideal job has nothing to do with what they really do for a living. (There is one exception, which I call the Home Depot effect. People from that company usually answer that they would still work for Home Depot in some capacity. Most of these people are high-level executives who say they would like to work part time in one of their stores “helping people out.” Maybe they just can't resist wearing those orange aprons.)
• Many of the dream jobs have an altruistic theme. Freed from the limitation of having to generate income, people often choose work that they believe would contribute to the greater good.
• People often combine their vocational skills with their interests. One bank executive wanted to raise money for historic preservation in his town. A corporate lawyer wanted to quit corporate practice to do pro bono work for the Hispanic community in her town.