Safari - 15 Mar 2020 at 17:15

!
"
The 25 best icebreaker questions for

team-building at work
Posted on January 8, 2018 by Claire Lew
! " #
Our most popular get-to-know-you questions for work,

based on four years of data.
If you winced at the word, “icebreaker,” I don’t blame

you. Get-to-know-you questions and games tend to feel
cheesy. We’ve all been victim to a terribly trite icebreaker
with coworkers that made us roll our eyes. I know I have.
However reluctantly, you may have realized that you

need to break the ice at work. A new employee just
joined your team, and you want to make sure they feel
welcome. Or, you need to find a way to warm up a
conference call between remote team members and ask
some get-to-know-you questions for team-building.
After all, it’s always hard to work well with folks you don’t
have a rapport with (not to mention, it’s less fun). Trust is
the oil of the machine in the team. The more you have of
it, the more things run smoothly. And the key to building
trust within your team is to ask questions that help
everyone get to know each other.
Given this, at Know Your Team, we put a lot of thought

(over four years worth of research and fine-tuning!) into
crafting get-to-know-you questions that would be as
non-cheesy as possible and elicit meaningful and
memorable responses from the team. I get emails all the
time from managers who’ll tell me, “Wow, Claire, I had no
idea this question would get such a reaction from our
team.”
Among the hundreds of get-to-know-you questions our

software has, I wanted to share with you the top twenty-
five…
#1: What was your first job?
By far, this question has prompted the most interesting

responses for the companies we work with. Employees
are always finding it hilarious to learn that their boss’ first
job was as a pool boy, or find it fascinating that a
coworker’s first job was working in her mom’s doctor’s
office. While it’s an unassuming question, the responses
stand out.
#2: Have you ever met anyone famous?
This question is a fun one, as it taps into the people that

your coworkers admire. Folks bond over a mutual love
for Jude Law, or have a laugh when a manager shares
her story about meeting LeBron James at a gas station.
#3: What are you reading right now?
People are always looking for something new to read-

and so swapping book recommendations are a great
way for people to know each other. Learning what others
are reading also provides insights into coworkers’
interests. David Heinemeier Hansson, CTO of Basecamp,
shared his answer to this question here.
#4: If you could pick up a new skill in an instant what

would it be?
With this question, you’ll learn how your coworkers want

to grow or what they aspire to do. For instance, you
might learn that a coworker would love to be able to pick
up Italian instantly, or that your boss has always wanted
to get good at woodworking.
#5: Who’s someone you really admire?
Understanding who someone looks up to reveals a

significant amount about a person’s influences,
preferences, and outlook on life. This is a great question
to ask to help get a sense of what and who a person
values.
#6: Seen any good movies lately you’d recommend?
Perhaps you’ve asked this question before — but don’t

overlook it. Movies are a great shared conversation
topic. It never fails to be one that people like to answer
and like to see other people’s answers too. Often times,
people will end up going to see the movies that are
recommended and talking about it over lunch, etc.
#7: Got any favorite quotes?
Personally, I’m a sucker for a good quote. I think it can

provide a fascinating look at a person’s point-of-view.
Asking about a person’s favorite quote is a great way to
break the ice and get to know them better.
#8: Been pleasantly surprised by anything lately?
While this question may seem vague, the answers to this

question are often a delight and intriguing to read.
Someone might share an excellent customer service
experience that surpassed their expectations or share a
funny story about them liking squash soup despite their
initial reservations. This is especially a great question to
ask a group of folks who might know each other a little
better already.
#9: What was your favorite band 10 years ago?
This question always elicits a chuckle or two. You’ll find

out that you shared an embarrassing favorite band from
years ago, and also find the generational difference
between coworkers humorous as well.
#10: What’s your earliest memory?
This is typically something that’s not shared even

between close friends — so asking about it creates a
special connection between folks. Hearing about an
intimate, early part of someone’s life says a lot about
who they are.
#11: Been anywhere recently for the first time?
Sharing a new, novel experience is a wonderful way to

create a sense of connection between people. You’ll
learn about a new restaurant, a fun out-of-the-city
getaway, or a never-heard-about bookstore you might
find interesting.
#12: What’s your favorite family tradition?
Cooking Korean dumplings together around the holidays

is one of mine. When you ask this question, you get an
inside look into your coworkers family’s heritage and the
things that bring their family together.
#13: Who had the most influence on you growing up?
A mother, a sports hero, a grandparent, an elementary

school teacher… This question is touching to hear the
answer to. You’ll gain a sense of respect about who has
shaped your coworkers.
#14: What was the first thing you bought with your
own money?
Maybe it was a goldfish as a pet or a pair of Air Jordans.

This is another great question that fosters a sense of
nostalgia and provides insights into people’s interests in
the past and what they valued when they were younger.
#15: What’s something you want to do in the next year that

you’ve never done before?
I love asking this question instead of the stale, “Do you

have any goals this year?” Rather, this is a great
aspirational question that exposes people’s dreams and
hopes they’d love to pursue.
#16: Seen anything lately that made you smile?
The answers from this question are often unexpectedly

lovely. You’ll find yourself nodding your head as a
coworker talks about his kids or about a beautiful tree
she saw on her walk recently.
#17: What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
Responses to this are varied and fun — you’ll find that

some folks have the same “favorite place” in Spain that
they’ve visited, or a place that happens to be just 20
minutes from where you live.
#18: Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?
This is a cheeky question that turns up a variety of

answers and interpretations. You might be impressed
with how a coworker was in the newspaper one time or
get a good laugh about how they were on the evening
news.
#19: What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?
I’m a big fan of this question, as you’re essentially asking

a person about what wisdom they personally find most
valuable. The best advice I’ve ever received, myself?
“Trust yourself.”
#20: How do you like your eggs?
Our customers who ask this question are always

shocked by how popular the answers to it are. They
discover that colleagues are immensely passionate
about scrambled eggs or are sunny-side-up diehards.
#21: Do you have a favorite charity you wish more people

knew about?
This is a fantastic question to ask. One company I know

took it as a way to make a small donation to each charity
mentioned.
#22: Got any phobias you’d like to break?
Spiders, heights, the ocean… Sharing fears is always a

great way to feel closer to someone.
#23: Have you returned anything you’ve purchased

recently? Why?
Ask this question and you’ll unearth some interesting

observations on why people buy things — and what they
find unsatisfactory.
#24: Do you collect anything?
Skip the boring question, “What are your hobbies?” and

ask this instead. You might find that someone is
unexpectedly avid butterfly collector (my uncle does
this), or enjoys finding a new postcard every time she
travels (my mom does this). Regardless, it’s a more
unique way to learn about a person’s interest.
#25: What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?
This question continually (and surprisingly) blows people

away with the response when they ask it. One customer
of ours had such an enthusiastic response on this from
her staff, she created a Cereal Day for her team.
I’ve used these questions to get to know a new

employee, kick-off group meetings for boards I sit on,
and even in one-on-one coffee meetings when I’m
meeting someone for the first time. Give ’em a shot.
Think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Oh hello! You’re wondering if you can automate

any of this stuff for your own team, eh? Well, you’re in
luck Our Icebreakers Tool in Know Your Team helps
you onboard new hires by asking 5 fun, non-cheesy
icebreaker questions. It’s a simple way to make sure you
never forget to welcome a new hire. Give it a whirl and
use Icebreakers in Know Your Team today.
Enjoy this? Get our latest leadership

insights, as they’re released.
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helpful…
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a new manager
Written by Claire Lew

CEO of Know Your Team. My mission in
life is to help people become happier at
work. Say hi to me on Twitter at
@clairejlew.
Comments
Poonam Bansal says:

January 29, 2019 at 4:51 am
Very useful read indeed dearClaire.

Thanks
Reply
Professional Development – 3/11/2019 – 3/17/2019

– The Software Mentor says:
March 18, 2019 at 6:17 am
[…] The 25 best icebreaker questions for team-

building at work […]
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Managing Virtual Teams: Best Practices | SureSwift

Capital, Inc. says:
May 16, 2019 at 3:08 pm
[…] are doing and what’s going on in their lives. (For

team meetings, try keeping a short list of icebreakers
to kick things […]
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CREATION WORKSHOPS - creativer says:
June 14, 2019 at 5:15 am
[…] Checkout this question list:

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Scarlet says:
October 7, 2019 at 8:37 am
The cereal one really surprised me but I can see how

you could get some fun answers! Great icebreakers.
Reply
The 25 best icebreaker questions for team-building

at work – Agile Archive says:
November 27, 2019 at 6:49 am
[…] Read the complete article here:

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[…] Lew at Know Your Team gets credit for this one. It
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December 29, 2019 at 3:15 am
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Don’t stress — come prepared with some office-
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[…] case you’re not sure where to start, here’s 25

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!

The 25 best icebreaker questions for

Posted on January 8, 2018 by Claire Lew

Our most popular get-to-know-you questions for work,

If you winced at the word, “icebreaker,” I don’t blame

However reluctantly, you may have realized that you

Given this, at Know Your Team, we put a lot of thought

Among the hundreds of get-to-know-you questions our

#1: What was your first job?

By far, this question has prompted the most interesting

#2: Have you ever met anyone famous?

This question is a fun one, as it taps into the people that

#3: What are you reading right now?

People are always looking for something new to read-

#4: If you could pick up a new skill in an instant what

With this question, you’ll learn how your coworkers want

#5: Who’s someone you really admire?

Understanding who someone looks up to reveals a

#6: Seen any good movies lately you’d recommend?

Perhaps you’ve asked this question before — but don’t

#7: Got any favorite quotes?

Personally, I’m a sucker for a good quote. I think it can

#8: Been pleasantly surprised by anything lately?

While this question may seem vague, the answers to this

#9: What was your favorite band 10 years ago?

This question always elicits a chuckle or two. You’ll find

#10: What’s your earliest memory?

This is typically something that’s not shared even

#11: Been anywhere recently for the first time?

Sharing a new, novel experience is a wonderful way to

#12: What’s your favorite family tradition?

Cooking Korean dumplings together around the holidays

#13: Who had the most influence on you growing up?

A mother, a sports hero, a grandparent, an elementary

Maybe it was a goldfish as a pet or a pair of Air Jordans.

#15: What’s something you want to do in the next year that

I love asking this question instead of the stale, “Do you

#16: Seen anything lately that made you smile?

The answers from this question are often unexpectedly

#17: What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited?

Responses to this are varied and fun — you’ll find that

#18: Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?

This is a cheeky question that turns up a variety of

#19: What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?

I’m a big fan of this question, as you’re essentially asking

#20: How do you like your eggs?

Our customers who ask this question are always

#21: Do you have a favorite charity you wish more people

This is a fantastic question to ask. One company I know

#22: Got any phobias you’d like to break?

Spiders, heights, the ocean… Sharing fears is always a

#23: Have you returned anything you’ve purchased

Ask this question and you’ll unearth some interesting

#24: Do you collect anything?

Skip the boring question, “What are your hobbies?” and

#25: What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?

This question continually (and surprisingly) blows people

I’ve used these questions to get to know a new

Oh hello! You’re wondering if you can automate

Enjoy this? Get our latest leadership

Type your email address...

You might also find these articles

4 non-cringeworthy Building trust in teams: