I get it, you probably roll your eyes every time your HR Manager suggested that you do an icebreaker... But there's a method to our madness (lol). Icebreaker questions help forge connection, drive culture, and foster collaboration on your team. Oh, and if done correctly, they can be a lot of fun! Over my 15+ years of professional experience, I've seen icebreakers used well and poorly. Let me share with you my top 10 icebreaker questions for work OF ALL TIME guaranteed to get a high level of participation!
Picture this... You come into your team's monthly virtual zoom meeting. You're feeling tired and want to be camera-off for this virtual meeting. But you know your boss wants folks to be camera-on during this meeting. So you keep your camera on but remain muted. You're feeling tired and annoyed with some of your coworkers. You wonder what they do all day, particularly since you all work from home and don't see them in the office... Your manager gets the meeting started and the first words out of her mouth are "we're going to start this meeting with an icebreaker". Oh brother, you immediately roll your eyes. But then your manager asks a thoughtful question that was developed with intention. You hear your coworkers share their responses - some funny, some insightful. You share your response, too. And even though you're still annoyed you have to be in this meeting, it feels a little lighter. You've learned a little something about your coworkers and shared a bit about yourself, too. You're slightly less annoyed with your colleagues now and are more focused. You suppose this meeting won't be too bad...
Icebreakers: an important tool in a manager's toolkit
Icebreakers are an important tool is a manager's tool kit. When used effectively, they can help motivate and energize your team. The benefits are wide-reaching, from lightening the mood of a tense team dynamic, to helping new team members feel welcome in your community, and improving relationships among colleagues.
Icebreakers can reinforce your company culture and behavioral norms to promote cultural alignment throughout your organization.
I would argue that icebreakers can even have broader organizational impact. They can reinforce your company culture and behavioral norms to promote cultural alignment throughout your organization. A report from Gusto found that over 80% of employees think a sense of community is important in the workplace. If used strategically, icebreakers can be leveraged to support this sense of community.
When to use an icebreaker
Now I would be remiss to not mention that there is a time and a place for an icebreaker. Certain meetings, events, or functions lend themselves to the use of icebreakers. Consider using icebreaker questions in the following scenarios:
New Employee: the first week a new employee joins your team is the perfect time to engage the new employee & your current team in an icebreaker.
Extended Events or Conferences: when you have a longer event, training session, conference, etc. an icebreaker is a great way to set the tone for the event.
Teams that Meet Infrequently: if your team only meets quarterly or monthly, an icebreaker could be a great way to reengage the group when you meet.
High Level Participation Meetings: if you have a meeting where you want to have lots of active participation, an icebreaker can help...well...break the ice...
Be mindful that there are times to not use an icebreaker such as at board meetings, meetings with serious topics, during performance conversations, or in external client meetings. Use your best judgement.
How to use icebreaker questions
Here's the process that I like to follow when using the signature top icebreaker questions for work that I outline later in the blog post.
Introduce: first I let the team know that we are going to start the meeting with an icebreaker question
Fun: I keep the questions lighter and not overly personal
Optional: I let the team know that I would love for all folks to participate but I make clear that their participation is optional
Authenticity: I share with the team that I encourage them to be authentic to themselves and answer however they feel comfortable (professionally of course); this is a fun opportunity for self expression
Question: then I pose the question to the team
Answer First: to set the tone off on the right foot and to give others time to consider their responses, I answer the question first
Facilitate: then I go around and ask others if they would like to share; I listen and give positive reinforcement to their responses
Thanks: lastly, I thank everyone for participating; this gives positive reinforcement and promotes icebreakers a cultural norm
Top 10 icebreaker questions for work
So now the big question is: "what icebreaker question should I ask?" I have facilitated thousands of icebreakers and icebreaker questions over the year. I'm not kidding - thousands!! And over the years, I've compiled a list of my best hits, those top 10 icebreaker questions for work that always get great participation. These are both fun but also intentional. They help bring out people's personalities and subtly uncover work-related truths that can help build relationships and drive culture. So here we go!
1. What is something that you are secretly an expert at?
This is my TOP ICEBREAKER QUESTION of all time. I love this because it is low risk while at the same time gives your team members a blank canvas to reveal a passion to the team. I've gotten so many great responses to this question that range from artistic talents to language skills. By uncovering passions and expertise of your team, you get to know them a little better and may be able to leverage their skills in new ways.
2. What would the title of your autobiography be and why?
This question always gets such thoughtful responses. It can really give insight into the personality and story of your employees while giving them the space to express their creativity. I have found that responses to this question give great insights into the personality, working style, and background of my team members.
3. If you were going to karaoke and had to pick a song that describes your working style, what song would you choose and why?
I love this question because it combines a fun silly questions (karaoke song) with something work related (working style). This is so helpful from a team building and collaboration standpoint. When you better understand the working style of your team members, you can more adeptly assign work, communicate, and collaborate with others. This also gives employees a creative way to describe their working style in a way that is more personalized than the descriptions provided by standard working style inventories.
4. What TV show world would you want to live in and why?
Honestly, I just like this one because I like tv (lol). I think it's always interesting to learn what sort of media my colleagues consume and why they are attracted to different fictional or aspirational worlds. Most of us watch tv, so this is often a shared interest/activity that most participate in. This can help team members find common ground and shared interests. And it always brings out great conversation!
5. When you leave our company, what do you want to be remembered for?
This is probably my second favorite icebreaker question of all time. It's more meaningful and often inspiring. When you work with folks for a while, sometimes you forget why they are at the company or what got them into their position in the first place. This question speaks to legacy - how each of us wants to be remembered and the impact we want to have. And managers, this can also help you in the career pathing and development conversations with your team members. When you understand what kind of impact your team member wants to have, you can better tailor career development plans to your employees' interests.
6. What's the best piece of professional advice you've ever been given?
This is a great question because it opens the door for a peer learning conversation. When you ask this question to your team, you will get great responses that range from strategies for effectively navigating the workplace, to mentorship, accountability, and the list goes on. In my experience, team members love learning from their peers. This conversation often sparks thoughtful introspection and motivates folks to do their best at work.
7. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
I love this question and often bring it out in Q4 every year. But to be honest, you can use this at any time of year. I love hearing about childhood family traditions at Christmas or 4th of July family picnics. One thing I really love is that often times, other folks on your team will share similar traditions. It's a great way to build connections with others and bond over shared holiday experiences.
8. If you had to teach a masterclass, what would the topic of your masterclass be and why?
This question is so fun. It highlights the expertise and skillset of your team members. Not only does this serve as an opportunity to get to know your team members, it also can help you understand and identify subject matter experts on your team. I've even taken what I've learned from this question to develop a brown bag lunch series where team members deliver their masterclass to their peers.
9. What's something you've learned about yourself in the last 3 months?
This question does a great job reinforcing a growth mindset or continuous learning culture. It challenges your team members to reflect, be vulnerable, and identify what they have learned. You can encourage folks to share personal or professional learning. Whatever your team shares, you'll all feel inspired hearing how everyone on the team is learning and evolving.
10. What ice-cream flavor sums up your personality today & why?
This is a fun way to take a pulse check on the mood and personality of your team. We are all humans and we have some days that are great and some days that aren't. Asking this question allows for some fun (ice-cream) while also giving space for your team members to share where they are at emotionally on any given day. This can help you take the temperature of your team and inform how you move the meeting forward.
Give these 10 icebreaker questions for work a try and you won't be disappointed. I promise! You'll have great conversations, build relationships, and have a lot of fun!
The Growth Edge Project loves icebreakers!
The Growth Edge Project is a leader in learning & development and employee engagement & retention services. We help leaders & organizations build high-impact programs that drive business results. We also offer 1:1 leadership coaching for personalized support. And we love icebreakers! We believe they are an effective tool at forging connection, driving culture, and fostering collaboration across teams. And when added on top of the programs and services we offer, strategically placed icebreaker questions can help make your employee experiences dynamic and unforgettable. If you would like to discuss how the Growth Edge Project can help you or your organization, please contact us.
Make it a great one!
Jordan
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