30 guaranteed Ice breaker questions for virtual meetings
30 guaranteed Ice breaker questions for virtual meetings
Where would we be without virtual meetings? They’ve been a lifeline to businesses in recent times and are considered by many as an efficient way to work. But if we’re not careful, what we gain in efficiency can be offset by losing the human touch.
In face to face meetings, there’s often the opportunity to have naturally occurring conversations. At the start or end of a meeting or during a coffee break, windows for spontaneous chat open up. These conversations can help build relationships, strengthen bonds with the team and encourage collaborative working.
In virtual meetings it’s just as important to build strong bonds with the people you work with. The opportunity to make those personal connections, however, is not so easy.
As the leader of a virtual meeting or event, you’ll need to be more mindful to construct opportunities to allow team members to share and bond. One way you can do this is through introducing ice breaker questions at the beginning of your meeting.
Below, you will find my 30 top suggestions for ice breaker questions that will really get people talking. Whether you want to promote bonding through work/life discussions, get people relaxed and laughing or deepen the bond of an already close team, you’ll find a selection ice breaker questions to choose from.
a) Work/life ice breaker questions
If you’re feeling a little awkward or uncomfortable about introducing ice breaker questions to your virtual meetings, then this first set of questions is a good place to start.
- What has been your biggest success since we last met?
- What has been happening for you since we last met?
- What is the best thing that happened to you this weekend?
- How did you spend your weekend?
- What is keeping you awake at night?
- How do you like to spend your time when you are not working?
- What has been happening in your life since we last met?
- What’s on your mind right now?
- How are you right now?
- How has your week been?
b) Fun ice breaker questions
If you’re feeling braver or want to create a sense of fun or laughter in the team, then select an ice breaker question from the following list.
- What is your favourite movie and why?
- Pizza or chips?
- If you were an animal what would it be?
- What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?
- What is your favourite sandwich?
- What is the silliest thing you have ever done?
- What colour best describes you and why?
- If you had Monday off work what would you do?
- What radio station do you listen to and why?
- If you had a slogan what would it be?
c) Profound ice breaker questions
Perhaps you’re working with a team who already have a close bond and you want to develop the bonds still further. Or maybe you’re feeling brave to jump in at the deep end to promote a profound level of bonding. In either case, you may wish to use this third set of ice breaker questions.
These questions are designed to elicit richer answers and tap into a deeper level of understanding across the team.
- What is the one thing you can tell us about you that nobody else would know?
- What’s the best holiday you have been on?
- What are you are really proud of?
- What would you like to be remembered for?
- Who is your inspiration?
- What is the best moment of your life so far?
- What is the greatest challenge you have overcome?
- If you could have dinner with anybody in history, dead or alive, who would it be, and why?
- When were you at your happiest and why?
- What is the best gift you have ever given?
If you’re leading a virtual meeting, allocating time at the start for this more personal level of conversation will pay dividends in nurturing a well-bonded team.
Do you use ice breaker questions as part of your meetings on a regular basis? Have you observed an enhanced level of team bonding? Which questions and other ice breaker exercises have worked well for you? Let me know in the comments below:
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