Imagine this: you come into your morning meeting and everybody is tired from another late night of work or simply lacking the motivation to start the day. The same old “Hello! How are you?” would probably be insufficient at raising the team’s morale. So how about this? Step out of your regular comfort zone of recycled greetings and try some icebreaker questions instead. I guarantee they will do wonders for your mood and the general atmosphere of your meetings.
It is an acknowledged fact that businesses consistently use icebreakers. They are an efficient tool whether you just formed a new team, welcomed a new colleague, or just want to strengthen preexisting relationships. And now, more than ever, in the age of remote work, icebreakers are a must. For teams that are confined to a virtual environment and can’t interact with one another, icebreakers can reduce the inherent challenges of the workplace.
With that in mind, we prepared the best icebreaker questions for your working environment. For convenience sake and the benefit of our readers, we took the time to categorize them based on your needs.
Laid-back Icebreaker Questions
We kickstart this section with some effortless questions, perfect for an intro to your morning meetings.
- How do you usually start your day in the morning?
- Do you have a specific workspace set up at your home?
- In all honesty, how frequently do you find yourself working while in bed?
- What did you enjoy for your morning meal today?
- What are some peculiar or unique habits you engage in regularly?
- Do you consider yourself more of a morning person or a night person?
- Would you rather begin your workday early or a bit later?
- Is there a book that you believe everyone should take the time to read?
- What’s the most unusual item you have easily accessible from your workspace?
- What is one possession you absolutely couldn’t do without?
Icebreaker Questions for Virtual Meetings
In this section, we focus more on conference-style icebreaker questions that will work great in an online environment.
- Do you prefer working remotely or being in a physical office? Or perhaps you enjoy a mix of both?
- What’s the most impactful book on professional development you’ve ever read?
- What’s the last thing you looked up on Google?
- If you could work from any country in the world, which one would you choose?
- What do you find most challenging about the work-from-home setup?
- What routine or habit has been most effective for you while working from home?
- How easy or hard do you find it to keep yourself motivated?
- Can you share the most intriguing online article you’ve recently read?
- What aspect of remote work do you enjoy the most?
- Do you have any tips or tricks for staying productive while working remotely?
“Get to Know Me” Icebreaker Questions
No one wants to be part of a team whose members aren’t in the least bit interested in each other. With that in mind, here we have prepared some interesting questions meant to get you more acquainted with your colleagues.
- What is the most significant hurdle you’ve successfully overcome?
- What indulgence do you find hardest to resist?
- How do you typically respond when faced with a difficult situation?
- Is there any part of your job that you find particularly stress-inducing?
- Can you recall the least enjoyable job you’ve ever had?
- What’s one fact about yourself that we might not be aware of?
- When was the last occasion when you tried something new for the first time?
- What is an activity or habit you wish you could engage in more frequently?
- How have your career goals evolved over time?
- How at ease do you feel expressing your personal beliefs and convictions?
“Would You Rather” Questions
No list of icebreaker questions would be complete without the classical “would you rather” section. Bear in mind, the questions we prepared might not be so easy to answer.
- Would you prefer pursuing a passion that brings just enough income to sustain yourself or engage in a detested job that earns you billions?
- Would you opt for receiving your entire annual salary and benefits upfront or prefer being compensated gradually throughout the year?
- Would you choose a situation where you have a terrible boss but fulfilling work, or a fantastic boss but a job that you don’t enjoy?
- Would you prefer having an overwhelming workload that leads to stress or minimal work that results in boredom?
- Would you rather work in a bustling city or a quaint small town?
- Would you be willing to commute for two hours to your dream job or live two minutes away from a job that’s just average?
- Do you thrive in a group work setting or prefer working independently?
- Would you choose a job that confines you to a desk or one that lets you work outdoors?
- Would you prefer spending your entire day in pajamas or dressed in a suit?
- Would you rather meet your coworkers in person for a meeting or interact with them online?
“If You Could” Questions
And lastly, we close this article with another standard question list, the “if you could” questions.
- If you had the opportunity to share a meal with anyone, irrespective of whether they’re living or deceased, who would that be?
- If you had the ability to instantly master a skill or subject, what would you choose?
- If you could experience watching a movie for the first time again, which one would it be and why?
- If you were given the chance to instruct a class on any topic, what would be your chosen subject?
- If you could remove one task from your daily routine, what would it be and why?
- If you had the chance to impart some wisdom to your younger self, what advice would you give?
- If you could become fluent in an additional language, which one would you pick?
- If there was an activity that you avoid due to its harmful effects but could engage in without any negative consequences, what would it be?
- If you could have a surety of one aspect in your life (excluding wealth), what would you want it to be?
- If you had the opportunity to reside during a different era, would you take it? If yes, which time period would you choose?
Using icebreaker questions for work is an effective way to increase your team’s engagement, whether in a physical environment or a virtual one. You can easily include any of the questions in this article in a meeting, and you will be glad you did so!
