40 Icebreaker Questions for Work Meetings and Teams

Good work icebreaker questions are easy to answer in one or two sentences, have no wrong answer and do not require anyone to share anything private. Below are 40, sorted by group size and tone, so you can pick the right one for a stand-up, a workshop or a first team dinner.

How to pick the right icebreaker

Two rules help every time. First, go first and keep your own answer short, which sets the length and the tone. Second, offer a pass: "If you would rather skip, just say pass." People relax when they know they can opt out, and many answer anyway.

1. Quick one-word openers (any group size)

These work with 20 people or more and take a minute.

1. What is your coffee or tea order?
2. Which would you choose today: mountains or beach?
3. What is one word that describes your week so far?
4. Early bird or night owl?
5. What is the last thing you watched or listened to that you enjoyed?

Use them at the start of a meeting to bring each voice into the room. If you want a deeper range, see questions to ask people.

2. Light and low-risk (small to medium groups)

Good for the first minutes of a team call.

1. What is a small thing that made your morning better?
2. If you could instantly master a skill, what would it be?
3. What is your favourite lunch spot or lunch food?
4. What is a hobby you would try if you had a free afternoon?
5. What is a tool or app at work you could not live without?

3. Work-related but easy

These connect to the job without feeling like a performance review.

1. What was the first job you ever had, even a small one?
2. What part of your work do you enjoy the most?
3. What is one thing you learned recently?
4. What is the best piece of advice you have received at work?
5. What is something you wish more people knew about your role?

They work well for new teams or cross-department meetings. In how to socialize at work there are ideas for follow-up chat.

4. Playful and creative (when the mood is relaxed)

Use these when people already know each other and the setting is informal.

1. If our team was a band, what instrument would you play?
2. What would your talent be in a talent show?
3. If you could have any fictional character as a colleague for a day, who would it be?
4. What would you name a food truck?
5. What would a book about your week be titled?

Humour is good, but not everyone wants to perform. Always let people pass.

5. Values and motivation (for workshops and offsites)

Good in small groups at the start of a planning session.

1. What do you most want to get out of today?
2. When do you do your best work: morning, afternoon, or late?
3. What makes a meeting good for you?
4. Which project are you proudest of and why?
5. What does a good week look like for you?

These questions help a team agree on how to work together.

6. Getting to know you (small groups and pairs)

Best for groups of six or fewer, or in pairs.

1. What do you like to do on a weekend when you have no plans?
2. Where would you go if you had a free week?
3. What is a local place you would recommend to a new colleague?
4. What was the best thing you ate recently?
5. What is something you are looking forward to this month?

For pairs, give two minutes each, then have people introduce each other to the group. This takes pressure off those who dislike talking about themselves.

7. Remote and hybrid teams

Remote calls make small talk harder, so choose questions that include everyone's setting.

1. What can you see out of your window right now?
2. What is your favourite thing about your workspace?
3. What is your best tip for working from home?
4. What is the object on your desk with the best story?
5. What is the weather like where you are, and what is it doing to your mood?

A chat-only version helps quiet voices: ask people to type their answer and reveal them together. If your colleagues are introverted, our article on team building for introverts has more format ideas.

8. Reflective closers (end of a meeting or a project)

Use these to end on a good note.

1. What is one thing that went well this week?
2. What is something you would like to thank someone for?
3. What is one thing you would do differently next time?
4. What is one word for how you feel at the end of this session?
5. What is something small you are taking away?

Questions to skip at work

Avoid questions that touch on:

• Relationships, children, or plans for either.
• Religion, politics or health.
• Money, housing or salary.
• Age, appearance or background.
• Anything that sounds like a dare or forces personal disclosure.

If someone shares something personal, thank them and move on. Do not press for details.

Tips for running icebreakers well

1. Keep it short. Five minutes at most for most meetings.
2. Explain why. "Let us start with a quick round so we all get a voice in the room."
3. Mix the format. Use chat, hands-up, pairs or breakout rooms.
4. Allow pass. Always.
5. Watch the time. Long answers drain energy.
6. Follow up later. If a colleague mentioned a hobby, ask about it in a week.
7. Vary by tone. Playful in a retro, reflective in a review.

If you are the one asked

If an icebreaker catches you off guard and your mind goes blank, here are three escape routes.

• Pick the simplest true answer. "Probably tea."
• Borrow a theme. "Same as Priya, I also love hiking."
• Pass kindly. "I will pass for now, can I come back to it?"

The conversation starter generator can help you prepare, and our guide on small talk shows how to keep chat going after the round ends.

If group settings cause a lot of distress, this is general advice and not medical advice. A doctor or licensed therapist can help.

Solo Era for iPhone

Practise starting conversations, one small step

Solo Era missions in the people category are small practice steps, such as "Share one recommendation in a group discussion." Rate your nerves before and after.

Solo Era for iPhone

Try it with Solo Era

Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.