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Get your coworkers talking with these team-bonding questions
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Asking icebreaker questions is a great way to build connections with your team, relieve tension during meetings, and learn about shared goals with your coworkers. With all the icebreakers on the internet, it can be hard to know which ones to choose, so we spoke to life coach Kirin Dejonckheere to get the best tips on how to ask the right questions for every situation and deepen your work relationships. Keep reading for fun, silly, and serious questions to ask your coworkers.
How to Choose an Interesting Icebreaker at Work
Ask short, inclusive, open-ended questions, leaving out topics like religion, gender, and money. Base your questions on the situation: if you’re doing get-to-know-yous, ask about people’s lives. If you’re bringing people together for a team project, ask about their work styles.
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Section 11 of 12:
How to Choose the Right Icebreaker
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Choose your questions based on what answers you expect. Dejonckheere advises asking questions that allow people to open up on the topics you’re interested in as a team. Think about what you want to get from your icebreaker session: do you want to learn about the career goals of new recruits, the personal values of coworkers, or just get a team to open up to each other?- For example, if you’re introducing new hires to your workplace, you may ask everyone to share what they think makes a good working environment.
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Ask fun, nonthreatening questions. Icebreakers are supposed to be fun, not just informative. Use icebreakers that get people engaged in a positive way, and steer clear of questions like “What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done,” or “What’s something about yourself you’d like to change?” [10] X Research source -
Aim to be inclusive. While icebreakers are meant to be lighthearted, there are times when questions can be unintentionally harmful. For example, asking people about their gender, religion, sexuality, or financial situation can cause an uncomfortable situation. [11] X Research source When in doubt, stick to neutral questions about things everyone can relate to, like their roles in the workplace.- Questions like, “What would your gangster name be?” “What accent is least attractive to you?” or “What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever done while drunk?” are generally not appropriate for work .
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Section 12 of 12:
Icebreaker Best Practices
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Ask icebreakers at the beginning of a meeting. If the subject of the meeting doesn’t require too much prep time, asking an icebreaker at the beginning can help get the creative juices flowing. If a meeting requires a lot of preparation and focus or if it’s covering a serious subject, consider leaving the icebreakers for later. [12] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source- You can also end tense meetings with fun questions, just be sure to respect the time of everyone participating: if you’re running late, skip the icebreakers.
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Create a space where people feel comfortable sharing their opinions. Workplaces are more productive and profitable when people of all backgrounds are able to have open conversations about their opinions. [13] X Research source Make sure your peers and employees feel that they won’t be punished for honest, good faith communication.- Dejonckheere advises employees should be encouraged to step back and check in with their core values. Allowing your employees and coworkers to step out of their comfort zones and interrogate company policies (and their own actions) can help your workplace foster new experiences that are beneficial for more people.
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Consider giving time beforehand. If you’re running a meeting where people are being introduced to each other, some participants may feel put on the spot. However, if they can prepare for a potentially stressful situation, they’ll be more equipped to handle it. [14] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source- For example, you could say in an email:
Hey everyone, I’m excited to get the ball rolling on this project tomorrow. We’re going to start with an icebreaker—What superpower would you have and why?—so please come up with a quick answer to share with everyone. - If you want to lower the stakes even further, you could have people write down their answers, put them into a bowl, so you can read them out loud, yourself.
- For example, you could say in an email:
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Ask open-ended, one-sentence questions. Icebreakers are supposed to be brief and not require too much thinking; if you find yourself asking a question in several parts, that’s a good sign that it’s too long. [15] X Research source Still, try to ask things that have more than a “yes or no” or “either, or” answer. -
If you’re meeting virtually, ask everyone to turn on their cameras. Asking icebreaker questions is a great way to get people engaged with each other online, so be sure people are fully present during your meeting. [16] X Research source Ask people to call in from a place with good reception and low noise so they can fully participate. -
Follow up with people about their answers. To form relationships with your coworkers, Dejonckheere recommends starting conversations about your mutual interests by asking them questions and actively listening to their answers: “[T]he moment that you find something like, “Wait, I’ve been there,”...you can go deeper and start a conversation…that builds some trust.”
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References
- ↑ https://hbr.org/1976/03/how-to-run-a-meeting
- ↑ https://www.mtu.edu/student-leadership/student-orgs/rso-resources/virtual-resources/fun-icebreaking-questions.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/1AzRxzVyMVI?t=164
- ↑ https://www.scu.edu/media/college-of-arts-and-sciences/psychology/documents/Caldwell-&-Burger-1998-PP.pdf
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescommunicationscouncil/2023/06/15/five-ways-to-foster-effective-interdepartmental-collaboration/
- ↑ https://www.universitylabpartners.org/student-voices/importance-of-networking
- ↑ https://hbr.org/1976/03/how-to-run-a-meeting
- ↑ https://academiccontinuity.yale.edu/faculty/how-guides/zoom/engaging-students-through-zoom
- ↑ https://youtu.be/WkD-E2Isxpc?t=72
- ↑ https://youtu.be/mw1jME4WD3A?t=285
- ↑ https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonyewing/2020/09/01/9-topics-you-shouldnt-discuss-at-work-based-on-science/
- ↑ https://hbr.org/1976/03/how-to-run-a-meeting
- ↑ https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters
- ↑ https://hbr.org/2022/05/how-to-deal-with-high-pressure-situations-at-work
- ↑ https://youtu.be/mw1jME4WD3A?t=321
- ↑ https://academiccontinuity.yale.edu/faculty/how-guides/zoom/engaging-students-through-zoom
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