Team Icebreakers

When to use it

When you want to get beyond the small talk. A simple way to get people talking, and to quickly learn surprising things about people you thought you knew.

Before the meeting

• Before the meeting, ask each participant to send you a private message with a crazy skill or fact about themselves that no one knows about.

Step by step

1. 1When the meeting starts, read out one fact at a time.
2. 2Everyone guesses who they think the fact belongs to.
3. 3Reveal the owner, and let them tell the story behind it.

When to use it

Before a meeting: an engaging way to encourage team members to share fun or interesting stories with one another.

Step by step

1. 1Go around the room.
2. 2Each person shares one accomplishment they had before they turned 18.

Tips

• Some will be of lesser importance, like “I bought a skateboard”, but you never know what hidden skills you'll discover in your colleagues.

When to use it

A fun icebreaker for people who don't know each other and have just been introduced.

What you need

• A shared online whiteboard (Miro or similar) with anonymous access

Before the meeting

• Create the board with anonymous access: it's really important that everyone goes in anonymously.

Step by step

1. 1Everyone uploads a photo of their favourite meal to the board.
2. 2Once everyone is done, go round the photos trying to guess who added each one.

When to use it

A fun icebreaker for people who don't know each other and have just been introduced.

Step by step

1. 1Each participant tells the story of why they were given their name.

When to use it

A fun icebreaker for people who don't know each other and have just been introduced, and a great way for people to show their fun, non-work side.

What you need

• Sticky notes (real ones, or on a shared online board)

Step by step

1. 1Each participant writes three statements about themselves on three sticky notes: two true, one a lie.
2. 2Everyone adds a dot vote next to the statement they think is the lie.
3. 3Once everyone has voted, reveal the right answer.
4. 4Give the team the chance to ask follow-up questions.

Tips

• Leave a bit of time for storytelling!

When to use it

A great way for people to show their fun, non-work side.

Step by step

1. 1On the video call, everyone grabs something within arm’s reach.
2. 2Take turns telling a story about that item: where and when did you get it? Is it meaningful?

Tips

• On several calls with the same people, grab something new each time.

When to use it

Around a (virtual) water cooler. A shorter take on a trivia game.

Step by step

1. 1Ask everyone to answer a few pop culture questions, such as “What was the last TV show you binge-watched?” or “Where is your dream holiday destination?”.
2. 2Go around for each question.

Tips

• Pop culture is always a good conversation starter: you'll quickly find teammates with the same guilty pleasures to talk them over with.

When to use it

Bringing remote teams closer together, so they learn more about each other while having fun.

What you need

• A QuizBreaker account

Before the meeting

• Add the team to QuizBreaker and pick how often it should run.

Step by step

1. 1QuizBreaker sends everyone icebreaker questions, like the ones in “What, Where, When?”.
2. 2It then quizzes the team on who gave each answer, automatically, on its schedule.

When to use it

Helping teams with language and cultural differences strengthen the company culture.

What you need

• Paper and pens, or a shared online whiteboard

Step by step

1. 1Tell the group to imagine aliens have landed on Earth and want to learn about the company. They don't speak your language or understand what you do, so it has to be explained with five symbols or pictures.
2. 2Each participant draws five simple images that best describe the company’s products and culture.
3. 3Take a few minutes to look at all the images together and talk through the common themes.

Tips

• It really lights up the group chat during a virtual meeting.

When to use it

When you want to stay focused on company talk. These stories help people feel more engaged with their teams, and give everyone a chance to celebrate themselves and their peers.

Step by step

1. 1Ask each participant (or pick one a day) to share a great experience they had at the company.
2. 2It could be a brainstorming session that led to a breakthrough idea, an amazing customer service moment, or a time a teammate chipped in to get a project done before a deadline.