Whether it’s for your training program, team-building event, or virtual onboarding, ice breaker questions are crucial to warm up your attendees. Imagine having to stand in front of new applicants awkwardly introducing the agenda for the day. Or what about gathering your team members for your first quarterly meeting and getting down to business right away.
Although it could mean a quick and straightforward meeting, it might not be a purposeful one. Employees or team members are more engaged when they’re comfortable throughout the meeting. And this is where ice breaker questions come in. Try these 12 ice breaker questions:
Question #1: Who is someone you really admire?
This question is a perfect way to get to know a person better because their choices tell a lot about the type of person they are. Admiring a particular person tells a lot about your personality, preferences, influences, advocacies, and outlook in life.
Question #2: What do you want to do next year that you haven’t done before?
Some facilitators try to ask team members this question: What is your goal next year? Although this is a straightforward question that lets you in on everyone’s mission, it might not be too fun for new members. Instead, try to ask a vague question to get diverse answers.
Question #3: What’s a piece of content that you’ve read, listened to, or watched recently that you would like to recommend?
This question tells you a lot about what the person is willing to fill his knowledge bucket with. You’ll also get to know more about his interests and what topics and content get him to engage.
Question #4: If you were to teleport or fly to another country or city, where would it be and why?
This is one of the most fun ice breaker questions you can ask that would surely get excited responses. Most people dream of traveling, but some don’t have the time or money. So this should spark up a conversation.
Question #5: If you could learn something in a snap, what would it be and why?
A person who is willing to expand his knowledge means he’ll invest in the time and effort to learn something. And this can let you or the person discover what it is they really want but have kept on the backburner.
Question #6: What was your dream job when you were a kid?
When you’re handling a team of people, the passion and dedication they have for their jobs might not be too evident. And this question will tell you if this is the path they were dreaming of.
Question #7. If you were given a million dollars, what would you do with it?
One of the most common ice breaker questions would be to know what you’d do if you have a million dollars. Plus, asking this can elicit a lot of fun and surprising responses from the attendees, keeping the atmosphere light.
Question #8: What’s the one thing you’re grateful for right now?
This doesn’t only break the ice and set the mood, but it reminds your attendees to be grateful for every little thing they encounter.
Question #9: What is your favorite snack?
Anything about food is always a good conversation starter. You may also ask what their favorite dishes are or what their favorite cuisine is.
Question #10: If there’s a zombie apocalypse, choose three people you want to save.
This is a funny ice breaker question that can really make your attendees think long and hard.
Question #11: What’s the one piece of advice you received before that you’ll never forget?
This question will tell a lot about what a person’s priorities and values are. This will also tell a lot about the headspace they’re in at the moment. If they have bad experiences in their lives, their answer should be focused on that one piece of advice that makes their lives better.
Question #12: What was the worst job you had?
This is also another great ice breaker question that lets you gauge a person’s work preference and experience. Also, it could be nice for attendees to share their past job frustrations, and one way for others to learn as well.
