The basics of getting to know your team members

For a team to work well together, team members and leaders must be comfortable with one another. When individuals feel at ease with each other, they’re more likely to share their ideas or offer helpful suggestions. To reach this level of comfort, spend some time getting to know everyone. A great way to do this is through breakingthe ice questions. Icebreaker games are quick activitiesdesigned to help people learn a lot about each other in a short amount of time. A good icebreaker game should have the following elements:

• Simplicity: The game should be simple to understand so employees can start playing it immediately. Many great icebreakers also require little preparation before the meeting.
• Quick completion: You may only have a short amount of time to devote to your icebreaker, so choose an activity you can finish quickly. The ideal icebreaker takesaround 20 minutes. However, you may go longer if you choose something more elaborate or have a large group.
• Interaction: An icebreaker game aims to get your employees to interact with one another to increase their comfort level with each other.
• Fun: If you’re going to play a game at work, it’s best to make it one that everyone will enjoy. Choose something that will keep all participants engaged and provide a change of pace from the rest of the work day.

5 icebreakers to try with your team

Here are five examples to try, including options for in-person, hybridand remote icebreakers:

1. Two truths and a lie

A simple game to play with a new group of people is called Two Truths and a Lie. In this game, each person writes down two true statements about themselves and one lie. Each person takes a turn reading aloud what they’ve written, while the rest of the group tries to guess which sentence is the lie. Two Truths and a Lie is an easy game to play, and it allows everyone to share fun facts about themselves. It also doesn’t require much preparation, time or materials.

2. Desert island

To play Desert Island, have your group sit in a circle. The group leader selects a category, such as movies or books. You then go around the circle, and each person names three items within the category they would bring with them if they were stuck on a desert island. This is an entertaining way to quickly learnwhat interests that person has and see which employees have similar tastes. After everyone has had an opportunity to answer, continue the game by choosing another category.

3. A scavenger hunt

What about team-building icebreakers? Here’s a fun one for you to try!

If you want to get your employees moving around, consider creating a scavenger hunt. Start by splitting your staff members into smaller groups, and then have them find items from a list of objects that can be found around the workplace.

This is an excellent way to get your employees to collaborate and familiarize themselves with the workspace. Send them to various departments so that they become acquainted with people in other areas.

To create your scavenger hunt, you have a few options, such as:

• Finding small, silly items and hiding them around the office
• Building your list around a theme related to your business or the project you’ll be working on
• Hiding objects within or immediately outside the workplace or hiding clues within the company website

Give each item on the list a point value based on how difficult it is to find. Then, set a timer and send the groups off. The team that collects the most points by the end of the time limit is the winner. If you want to make the scavenger hunt more exciting, hand out prizes such as gift cards to the top-scoring team.

Most icebreakers revolve around employees sharing their thoughts or opinions, but it’s essential to add teamwork icebreakers every once in a while. This will encourage your team to collaborate and allow you to see how they interact.

4. What other career path would you have chosen?

Employees often have skills and talents they may not use in their current role. Asking everyone to share what other career paths they would have chosen allows you to know them better and gain an understanding of their interests outside of work.

Additionally, this offers an opportunity to help you identify skills you can nurture in your workers. For example, if a graphic designer shares they had always considered event planning, you may encourage them to have a supporting role in the next corporate event. This is mutually beneficial for both employee and employer. The team member feels empowered to harness new skills, and you see new output from the employee.

5. Highlight of the month

A fantastic icebreaker is having everyone share their work highlight of the month. This icebreaker has a few benefits:

• Team transparency: Team members hear what each other is working on. Often, teams may work in silos and don’t have a complete understanding of what their coworkers are prioritizing. This exercise gives transparency to the work priorities each person holds.
• Recognition: Employees have an open platform to share their accomplishments, which encourages positivity. As a result, the employee may feel more empowered and recognized for their efforts.
• Employer update: As an employer or manager, hearing your employees run through their highlights of the month at work lets you quickly glance into what everyone is prioritizing this month. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions, hear updates and get a team-wide overview of what’s happening.

You can also do a personal version of this icebreaker by allowing people to share the highlight of their month outside of work. This will allow you to know what matters to your employees outside of work.

FAQsabout breaking ice questions

Here are some commonly asked questions about setting up icebreaker games for employees.

When is the best time to use icebreakers?

The best time to use icebreaker games is either after hiring a new group of employees or before you begin a new team project. Icebreakers are particularly helpfulwhen you wantto encourage quickcomfort and camaraderie among new group members. When starting a new project, icebreakers can help people become more familiar with each other, which can help foster teamwork.

How long should an icebreaker game last?

How long the icebreaker lasts will depend on the game you choose and how much time you have available. However, icebreakers are usually meant to make team members more friendly toward each other before working on a project, so most games last between a few minutes and half an hour.

How many people can plan an icebreaker game?

Most icebreaker games are designed to be played with a large group of people. If you have a huge group, you may find it hard to manage everyone within a single game. Consider breaking the large group into smaller groups and running several icebreakers simultaneously. Mix up the groups after each game and play another so that everyone gets an opportunity to ask breaking ice questions.

Are icebreakers only for in-person connections?

There is a need for icebreakers in any work environment, whether it’s remote, hybrid or in-person. Remote and hybrid workforces likely need icebreakers more often to help aid in interpersonal connections, but this practice should be present in all work situations. Encouraging connections and getting to know your employees will help you have a more connected, productive and happier team.

Are icebreakers always appropriate?

There is a time and place for everything. Often, icebreakers are very fun, and people can get carried away with their answers. If you have a meeting planned where you have to cover serious topics or have a packed timeline, an icebreaker section may not be the right fit.

To have a successful icebreaker questions meeting, make sure you:

• Give yourself plenty of time for everyone to participate without feeling rushed.
• Have an agenda planned that discusses neutral or positive topics.
• Consider allowing introverts to opt-out or participate via chat. Not everyone likes public speaking, even in a small group.