In the age of remote work, virtual meetings have become the norm. However, despite their convenience, these meetings have a sense of distance and generally impersonality. Icebreakers play an important role in overcoming these barriers, by creating a sense of connection between your team members. If your questions are effective, they will not only break the monotony of the meetings, and the awkward silences, but also create a more engaging and lighter atmosphere, making virtual meetings and team building exercises more productive and enjoyable.
Great examples of a situation where icebreaker questions are very valuable are starting a new project or joining a new team. In order to defuse the alarming feeling, you can ask an ice-breaking question and thus outline a more enjoyable and more fascinating path and the result will be to motivate the team’s efforts.
In this article, we’ll explore a wide variety of icebreaker questions and how to present them in Gloww meetings, designed specifically for virtual meetings. Our goal is to help you gain stronger relationships and build a strong team, even when working remotely. Dive in to find out how these simple questions can revitalize your team’s collaboration and interaction.
Questions to Spark Conversation
These questions are designed to uncover personal stories and preferences, which help team members learn more about each other and build stronger connections.
1. What’s one thing you’ve learned during remote work that you didn’t expect?
2. If you could have any superpower for a day, what would it be and why?
3. What’s your go-to comfort food and why?
4. What book or TV show are you currently enjoying?
5. Share a fun fact about yourself that most people don’t know.
6. What’s a skill you wish you could learn instantly and why?
7. If you could have any animal, real or fictional, as a pet, what would it be?
8. What’s a favorite family tradition or holiday you celebrate?
9. What’s a surprising historical fact about your childhood?
10. What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
11. If you could redesign the office, what’s one thing you would change?
12. What’s a memorable experience from a previous job that made you laugh?
13. What’s a recent accomplishment you’re proud of, big or small?
14. If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
15. What’s your go-to activity or hobby when you need to unwind?
16. If you had to eat only one cuisine for a month, what would it be?
17. What’s a favorite local spot or hidden gem in your city?
18. What’s a book or article that has influenced your perspective?
19. If you were a flavor of ice cream, what topping would you demand to be paired with?
20. If you could travel to any time period, past or future, which would you choose and why?
21. What’s a hobby you’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet?
22. What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on and what made it special?
23. What’s one thing on your bucket list that you’re excited to cross off?
24. If you could design your dream workspace, what would it look like?
25. What’s a favorite way to stay active or fit that you enjoy?
26. If you needed to choose one vegetable you can’t give up on. What would it be?
27. If you could invent a new holiday, what would it celebrate and how would people observe it?
28. What’s a memorable gift you’ve received that meant a lot to you?
29. What’s a skill or talent you admire in others and wish you had?
30. What’s a fun tradition or ritual you have with friends or family?
Choosing Questions Based on Team Dynamics
When selecting icebreakers, consider the dynamics of your team. For newer teams, go for questions that encourage introductions and personal sharing. For teams that already know each other very well, focus on questions that will show creativity or questions that will deepen the conversations.
Icebreaking Questions for Newer Teams
1. Which beverage goes best with pizza? And what topping?
2. What piece of advice would you share with your younger self?
3. What’s the most interesting place you’ve ever traveled to?
4. What is your dream first job?
5. Describe yourself in three words.
6. If you could invite any three people, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would they be and why?
7. What is your favorite spring flower?
8. What’s one goal you’re currently working towards, personally or professionally?
9. What’s a memorable experience you’ve had that made you laugh?
10. If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be and why?
Icebreaking Questions for Established Teams
1. What should we do in our next fun activity?
2. What gift would you like to receive next holiday?
3. If you could swap roles with someone in the team for a day, who would it be and why?
4. What’s one skill you’ve developed at work that you didn’t have before joining this team?
5. What’s a favorite team memory or event that stands out to you?
6. If you could bring in a guest speaker or expert to talk to the team, who would it be and what would they discuss?
7. What’s a piece of advice you would give to someone new joining the team?
8. Quick! You have to email your CEO an emoji, no context. What are you choosing?
9. What’s one thing you’ve learned from a team member?
10. What’s a fun fact about our team or department that others might not know?
Icebreakers for Different Group Sizes
For small teams, more personal and detailed questions can be effective. In larger groups, choose questions that allow for brief responses and quick interactions to ensure everyone has a chance to participate.
Fresh Icebreaking Questions for Small Groups
1. What’s a unique or quirky habit you have that others might find interesting?
2. What is your best Jeopardy category?
3. When typing messages, do you prefer to send multiple smaller messages or one big long and informative message?
4. What’s a piece of advice you’ve received that has stuck with you?
5. What’s a favorite childhood game or activity you used to enjoy?
6. If you were selling popcorn at a farmers market, what would be your yell?
7. If you could change your name, what name would you have pick?
8. What’s a cause or charity you’re passionate about and why?
9. What was your biggest phobia now/as a child?
10. What’s a recent challenge you overcame and what did you learn from it?
Varied Icebreaking Questions for Large Groups:
1. Which Olympic sport are you most excited to watch?
2. What season would you be?
3. Imagine you could teleport anywhere. Where would you go right now?
4. If you had to move to another country, which one would you choose?
5. What’s a song that always puts you in a good mood?
6. Which fictional team is the best team of all time?
7. What’s a favorite quote or saying that motivates you?
8. Would you rather live in a city or a town?
9. Would you join a community in space if it was permanent?
10. What’s one thing you’re proud of accomplishing recently?
Icebreakers for Special Occasions
Special occasions offer a unique opportunity to bond and connect with others, whether it’s a milestone celebration, a holiday gathering, or a team achievement. By customizing icebreaking questions to fit the event, you can create a more personalized and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. In this section, we present a selection of icebreaking questions designed specifically for various special occasions.
1. What’s the most memorable celebration you’ve ever attended?
2. What is your New Year’s resolution?
3. Would you rather live at the North Pole or the South Pole?
4. What’s a special event you’re looking forward to in the coming year?
5. What is your earliest memory of Christmas?
6. What’s the best surprise party you’ve ever been a part of?
7. What’s one custom or ritual you’d like to start for future special occasions?
8. What’s a special meal or dish that you associate with celebrations?
9. What’s a fond memory you have from a past birthday or holiday?
10. Which holiday song is your favorite?
Funny & Weird Icebreaker Questions
Inserting humor into your team-building activities can be a great way to break the ice and create a relaxed atmosphere. Funny or weird questions can prompt unexpected answers, helping you to build camaraderie and ease any initial tension. Here are light-hearted and quirky icebreaker questions:
1. If you could have any mythical creature as a roommate, which one would you choose and why?
2. What’s the most ridiculous fact you know?
3. If you were a vegetable, which one would you be and why?
4. What’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to you at work?
5. If you had to wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?
6. What’s your go-to karaoke song, and are you willing to sing a few lines?
7. How did you get your worst scar?
8. What’s the weirdest food combination you actually enjoy?
9. Who is your office crush? Be careful asking this question…
10. What’s the most bizarre talent or skill you have that no one knows about?
How to Add Icebreaker Activities for Virtual Meetings
Spicing up your virtual meetings with icebreaker activities can make them more engaging and enjoyable. Here is a short list of easy and fun ideas, all applicable in a Gloww session, to get everyone involved. For further ideas check out these ice-breaking games:
1. Quick Polls
Use our poll app in the beginning of your virtual meeting to run quick polls on fun topics like favorite ice cream flavors or weekend plans. For example, you might ask, “Which Olympic sport are you most excited to watch? Gymnastics, Swimming, Track and Field or basketball?” It’s a simple way to get everyone chatting and excited.
2. Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Create a list of common household items and challenge everyone to find them quickly. The first person to collect and show all the items wins a point or just some bragging rights. It’s a great way to add some energy to the meeting.
3. Word Cloud
Ask your team to share a word that describes how they feel about a topic, like music. Use a word cloud app to visualize everyone’s responses. For instance, “Music makes me feel…,” the word cloud will show which feelings are most common among your team.
4. Scribble
Have everyone draw something fun, like where they’re from or where they’d love to travel, on a map. Create a scribble scene and let everyone’s creativity burst forth.
5. Trivia Questions
Kick off your meeting with a trivia question. It could be something fun and general, like “What’s the capital of France?” or “Which planet is known as the Red Planet?” Trivia is a great way to get everyone interacting and having fun.
For more inspiration on team-building-related articles, check out how to boost morale with team music activities, how to have a fun virtual lunch, virtual team building activities, and how to host a great virtual holiday party.
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