Icebreaker Questions for Meetings

Adding fun icebreakers for meetings and/or retreats is an essential tool modern companies have adopted in recent years. This blog contains fun and interesting icebreaker questions for meetings (zoom, virtual, work, team, offsite, etc). Virtual meetings are conducted with Zoom, Skype, Google meets, and other videotelephony software programs. An offsite meeting usually takes place somewhere outside the company’s normal place of business. These meetings are held in a wide variety of locations like a hotel or conference center.

Meetings are often used as a way to gather team members so they can focus on specific goals or objectives. The meetings can be used for team building, problem-solving or strategy sessions.

Why Conduct an Icebreaker Session?

Icebreakers are used to create a more relaxed and comfortable environment. Generally, they are the number one tool used to get to know one another just a little bit better.

Icebreaker questions are particularly useful in the beginning of a meeting, as they help set the tone, and get the party started as one would say. They can also be used to energize the group and get everyone focused and engaged. Encouraging people to share personal information can help create a sense of connection among team members. This can be extremely useful in remote meetings where team members may not have the opportunity to interact with one another on a regular basis.

How To Start with an Icebreaker Question

Starting an icebreaker session can be as simple as introducing the purpose of the activity and explaining how it will work.

It can be helpful to plan out your icebreaker questions in advance and choose ones that are appropriate for your group and the purpose of the offsite meeting.

Don’t forget to consider the size of the group and the amount of time you have available for the icebreaker activity.

You can start an icebreaker session by doing the following:

1. First, introduce yourself and welcome everyone to the meeting
2. Explain the purpose of the icebreaker activity.
3. Explain the rules of the icebreaker activity
4. Introduce the first icebreaker question and give the group a chance to answer.

These icebreaker questions are meant to help you get to know your co-workers not to pry into their personal lives. There’s a difference.

Below is a short list and a few examples of icebreaker questions you may consider asking at your next offsite retreat:

• Interesting Icebreaker Questions for Your Boss
• Team Building Icebreaker Questions
• Funny Icebreaker Questions
• New Employee Icebreaker Questions

10 Interesting Icebreaker Questions for Your Boss

1. What do you enjoy the most about your job?
2. Was this your first career choice?
3. What do you enjoy MOST about your job?
4. What or who inspired you to pursue a career in your field?
5. What is the most challenging project you have ever worked on?
6. What are your hobbies or interests outside of work?
7. What is one piece of advice you would give someone starting their career?
8. Is there anything you wish you were aware of before starting out in your career?
9. What do you like to do to relax/unwind after work or on the weekend?
10. What’s the biggest mistake you made in your career?

10 Team Building Icebreaker Questions

1. What brought you to the company?
2. How do you stay motivated and contribute to a positive team culture?
3. What’s a team player to you?
4. How do you typically contribute to a team project?
5. How do you communicate with other team members to ensure everyone is on the same page?
6. Describe a fun activity that you did at work with a team.
7. If you can describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
8. How do you handle challenges or conflicts within a team?
9. Can you give me an example of you putting your team’s needs ahead of your own?
10. Have you ever taken on a leadership role within a team?

10 New Employee Icebreaker Questions

1. What attracted you to this company?
2. What made you choose this position?
3. What do you like to do in your spare time?
4. Do you have any hobbies?
5. Name something you do for fun?
6. Name your favorite food?
7. What famous person do you admire?
8. If you could have dinner with a historical figure, who would it be?
9. What is your favorite vacation spot?
10. If you could switch jobs with one person for 1 day, who would it be?

10 Funny Icebreaker Questions

If you were a celebrity, who would you be?
Name something you do that’s considered funny.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
If you could be any age for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Who’s your favorite comedian?
Name your favorite funny movie?
Name your favorite food to eat when your hungry?
What’s your favorite knock knock joke?
If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be?
What do you like to do to have fun?

How to Conclude Icebreaker Session?

After everyone answers the first question, continue until you go over all the planned questions.

Summarize the key points that came out of the session. Reinforce the key takeaways.

Finally, wrap up the icebreaker session by thanking everyone for participating and encouraging them to continue getting to know one another throughout the event.

Offer to answer any additional questions that the participants may have. If the icebreaker was part of a larger event or meeting, provide a transition to the next activity or session.

Game Shows Activity After Icebreaker Questions

Now that you have an excited group of individuals, alert and ready to move towards another activity during the retreat, you may want to consider breaking the group into teams and have a friendly game of “Family Feud”.

A game show activity like “The Feud” can be fun and interactive way to follow up any icebreaker session.

Here are a few ways to plan a game show activity:

First, choose a theme that aligns with the goals of your retreat. For example, you could customize this game show to test participants’ knowledge on a particular subject.

Create the game. You could either do it yourself or book a professional game show company to come in and facilitate the entire activity, depending on your budget,

The reason you may want to add a game show activity to your offsite is to add some fun to the agenda. Friendly competition never hurt anyone and make sure you provide prizes to reward the winners.

Now that you are armed with a wide variety of icebreaker questions and a game show activity, you are now able to start planning an offsite meeting your team will never forget.