Icebreaker questions help teams connect with each other, whether they’re getting to know new hires at a company event, or they’re trying to spark conversation during their weekly meetings and huddles. Icebreaker questions can lighten the mood, break down barriers between team members, and promote a more open atmosphere for sharing.
However, not all icebreaker questions are created equal. Some can lead to awkward silences, or they can prompt people to deliver lengthy monologues. A good icebreaker question should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. Moreover, it should encourage participants to share their experiences or opinions without putting pressure on them to come up with an overly creative or showstopper answer.
Fortunately, there are many great icebreaker questions you can try to get your team chatting and bonding. These include fun icebreaker questions that make you think and share, such as what day in your life would you like to relive or how did you meet your best friend. Other icebreaker questions include those that focus on experience, such as which country would you visit for the first time or what is your favorite book of all time.
You can also use icebreaker questions that are centered on your company or industry. These questions are helpful and relevant before any company-wide meeting, such as an all-hands or a company-wide retreat. They can also help you keep the conversation going during your Zoom huddles or weekly meetings. For example, you can ask your team members to describe their job in one word or which of Snow White’s seven dwarfs they feel most like (Bashful, Doc, Grumpy, Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, or Doc). You can also try to rename popular phrases or words that will inspire new conversations and a sense of togetherness. ice breaker questions