10 Fun questions to break the ice and get to know your team
Posted on May 18 2017
We all know how uncomfortable it can be to join a new team, or even to be in a meeting when the team members don’t know each other well. And, as a Manager, while asking about someone’s past working experience, hobbies and plans for the future will reveal what they can contribute to the team, it probably won’t tell you who they really are and what it is that makes them tick. It probably also won’t help you to connect with them on a truly personal level.
Naturally, we think it makes sense to get to know people the fun way, because - well - why not? Asking people questions that will produce laughter and a genuine feeling of happiness will contribute to relaxed working environment; and people who are comfortable interacting with each other are more productive in general. So, we’ve compiled a list of 10 questions you can use to break the ice and get to know your team the fun way.
- If you were to change your name, what would it be and why?
- If you were a crayon, what colour would you be?
- What is the movie title for the story of your life?
- What is one thing that all of your love-interests have had in common?
- Who is your least favourite super-hero and why?
- Would you rather be invisible or be able to read minds?
- If you could take only one item with you to a deserted island, what would it be?
- If you had a time machine, where and when would you go to first?
- Which way does your toilet paper hang on the wall, over or under?
- How many pairs of shoes do you have, and how old is your oldest pair?
These questions will set any meeting, working session or team building event off to a great start by lightening the mood, building energy, and generally improving team dynamics; and it will also be an entertaining and enjoyable way to get to know the people in your team.
You can be creative as to how to present these questions as talking points for your team. For example, putting the questions on slips of paper in a hat to be drawn at random, or wrapping them around mini-chocolate bars in a bowl, or you could play 'The Beach Ball Game'. You will need to prepare for this by inflating a large beach ball and writing the numbers one to ten around its surface using permanent marker. To get the topics rolling, throw the beach ball to a team member and ask them to tell you which number their right thumb is nearest to. They then have to ask the corresponding question (you can write them on a whiteboard or flipchart in advance for reference). They then throw the ball to another team member and the process continues.
We would love to hear which other fun questions you and your team have come up with to break the ice. And, if you are looking for more ideas about connecting with your team do consider booking onto one of our exciting clue hunts.
Or, please send us an email at info@discoverygamesuk.com or give us a call on +44 (0) 207 193 4401 for more information about our outdoor puzzle adventures and treasure hunts.
