50+ Icebreaker Questions for Ultimate Team Building at Work

How well do you know your team? This set of 50+ Interactive, creative and reflective questions will help you explore the inner workings of your teams.

Team building with icebreaker questions is a critical aspect of any organization. A strong team can overcome adversity and challenges, and often outperform teams made up of individuals who lack cohesion. Many companies conduct virtual team building activities for their employees and these can take different forms. These activities are great for getting people in an unfamiliar environment to get to know one another, build better rapport and improving overall employee engagement.

Question games like Most Likely To, Icebreaker Questions, Never Have I Ever, and Would You Rather are all great games for such occasions.

Read more: 21 Questions: 100+ Deep & Interesting Ideas For Your Next Get-Together

Certain time these activities will need icebreakers to get started or reflective questions to truly understand an individual. Here are questions that will help you do just that:

Icebreaker Questions For Team Building

  1. Would you rather have a day off or a day alone at the office?
  2. Would you rather support your favorite team at home or away?
  3. Would you rather do team building online or in person?
  4. Would you rather be on a small team or a large one?
  5. Would you rather be the leader or follow the leader?
  6. Would you rather come in early or leave late?
  7. Would you rather play baseball with your coworkers or do trivia?
  8. Would you rather be the only person in an office of monkeys or the online monkey in an office of people?
  9. Would you rather sing in front of your coworkers or dance?
  10. Would you rather have dinner with your team or lunch?
  11. Would you rather attend an office party or an office BBQ?
  12. Would you rather have an office dog or cat?
  13. Would you rather fail in business and be bankrupt or fail in marriage and be divorced?
  14. Would you rather deliver babies or pizzas?
  15. Would you rather take care of animals or people?
  16. Would you rather work for the FBI or NASA?
  17. Would you rather be a dentist or a dress designer?
  18. Would you rather be a cartoonist or a sports columnist?
  19. Would you rather work hard to gain what you want or have it given to you?
  20. Would you rather be a police officer or a firefighter?
  21. Would you rather be a librarian or a chemist?
  22. Would you rather work outdoors with your hands or indoors at a desk job?
  23. Would you rather receive daily encouragement from your boss or a 5 percent raise?
  24. Would you rather work for a pleasant boss or for yourself?
  25. Would you rather work at a job that was challenging or one that was easy?
  26. Would you rather be a farmer or a politician?
  27. Would you rather have a high-paying job and travel 50 percent of the time or an average-paying job with no travel?
  28. Would you rather be highly educated or highly successful?
  29. Would you rather play more or accomplish more?

Read more: 25 Best Icebreaker Questions For Your Next Christmas Get Together

Deep Icebreaker Questions For Team Building

  1. What is the longest project you have ever worked on?
  2. What is the right choice between a man and a woman equally qualified for a managerial position when there are no other women at the top?
  3. In what ways have you seen racism at work?
  4. Have you changed your occupation?
  5. Is your organization a Ferrari, a Ford Taurus, or a VW Beetle?
  6. What was the most difficult paycheck you have ever earned?
  7. Where is the most interesting destination you have ever had to travel to for business?
  8. What was the dirtiest job you have ever had?
  9. What do you think about the wife as the primary wage earner?
  10. What do you think about the President stepping into a labor dispute?
  11. What was the most unusual job you have ever had?
  12. On a typical work day, what takes up most of your time?
  13. Are you hard-working or lazy?
  14. Which do you prefer to do business with: a small company or a giant?
  15. Who is the most naturally gifted person you have ever worked with?
  16. Have you ever worked at a fast-food restaurant?
  17. What work assignment(s) have you particularly enjoyed?
  18. Have any major setbacks occurred in your career(s)?
  19. Should employers be able to cite diversity as the reason for using race to determine who will be laid off from a job?
  20. What should companies provide for child care benefits?
  21. What was the most unpleasant job you have ever had to do?
  22. If you did not have to worry about making a living, what would you most like to do the rest of your life?
  23. What are the best and worst business decisions you have ever made and how did they affect your life?
  24. Do you think it is better or worse when management and rank-and-file mix?
  25. Is it easy or hard to adapt your behavior to the company you are in?
  26. Has fear of sexual harassment lawsuits affected your office?
  27. What do you think about the portable workplace?
  28. Who was the most difficult boss you have ever had to deal with?
  29. What honor would you like to attain at work?
  30. What is the harshest job advice you have ever received?
  31. Does creating a harassment-free workplace invade staffers’ privacy?
  32. What kinds of jobs did you have as a kid?
  33. Does your work define your identity, or is it defined by family role and personal interests?
  34. Have you ever had a mentor?
  35. What was the most creative or exciting place you have ever worked?
  36. What were the most challenging working conditions you have ever had?
  37. What was your first job and how did it influence your career? What did you get paid?
  38. Were you encouraged to explore all your talents and interests no matter how often they changed?
  39. Have you ever gone on strike or have to deal with a strike at your workplace?
  40. Do you have any desire to be the President of the United States?
  41. How often do you feel others are better, smarter, richer, happier, or more successful than you?
  42. Have you ever achieved a success without experiencing fulfillment?
  43. What is the highest honor you have ever received?
  44. If you could change anything in the world’s history, what would it be?
  45. For what one activity would you like to regain the hours you have lost doing it?
  46. What significant social change would you like to see happen in your lifetime?
  47. Do you hesitate to answer strangers’ questions?
  48. What scares you?
  49. What is your worst nightmare and how often do you have nightmares?
  50. Which worries you more: financial or physical security?
  51. What will and will you not compromise on?
  52. What do you carry to protect yourself? In what other ways do you protect yourself?
  53. Where have you experienced joy in your life?
  54. What do you hate most?
  55. What do you never seem to find time for?
  56. Why do you get up in the morning?
  57. What do you expect each day to bring you?
  58. Do you live in the moment, dwell on the past, or dream about the future?
  59. What has been the most difficult decision or series of decisions where your integrity was at risk?
  60. What daily activity do you treasure more than any other?
  61. Is it possible that certain difficulties require bending, giving in, and even allowing yourself to feel overwhelmed?
  62. In what ways do you express anger?
  63. What is your most prevailing thought?
  64. Do you like snow?
  65. What special places do you go to think things out?
  66. How you would like to change your outer life?
  67. What things were you once afraid of, but are no longer?
  68. Do you ask questions like a reporter but cringe when the conversation turns back to your life?
  69. Which of life’s mysteries are you most curious about?
  70. If you could own the world’s largest collection of anything, what would it be?
  71. What superhero powers would you like to have?
  72. Of all the things someone could say about you, what would make you feel the best?
  73. What did you once find frightening that no longer scares you?
  74. What things do you avoid thinking about?
  75. Ten years from today, what will you wish you had done now?
  76. What is something you would like to do that you are not allowed to do?
  77. How do you picture the end of the world?
  78. What is one key thing you could do to produce a quantum leap in your personal life?
  79. How do you view failure? What were important failures for you?
  80. Where do you have immense patience and very little patience?
  81. Do you enjoy the attention of crowds?
  82. How would you rate your public speaking ability: poor, fair, good, or exceptional?
  83. What are some big things that make you happy?
  84. If you were to perform an act of grace, what would it be?
  85. Can you manage life situations as easily as most people?
  86. What gives you a feeling of abundance in life?
  87. Do you enjoy reminiscing about the past?
  88. When are some times you have had low self-esteem?
  89. What percentage of the things that you worry about actually happen?
  90. I feel alone when _____.
  91. Are you an optimist or a pessimist?
  92. Can you make up excuses easily?
  93. List ways in which these things have had a negative impact on your life: alcohol, drugs, sex, work, money, food, family, and friends.
  94. Where is apathy most present in your life?
  95. Have you ever considered suicide, even fleetingly?
  96. What are five reasons not to kill yourself?
  97. What is something you would be tempted to do if you knew you would never be found out?
  98. When you accomplish something, do you make sure everyone knows, or do you keep your success to yourself?
  99. What is something you found out that you wish you never knew?
  100. What three wishes do you have for your genie in a bottle?
  101. What is funny about yourself that makes you smile when you think about it?
  102. What are three expectations you have of yourself?
  103. What are you proudest of about yourself?
  104. What do you get enthused about?
  105. Have you tried breaking the what-shall-I-do logjam by taking one step, any step?
  106. What is your need for privacy?
  107. How much do you care about your personal space?
  108. What emotion do you seem to experience the most?
  109. What is the greatest amount of emotional pain you have endured?
  110. If your life has not gone where you thought it would, was it your actions that held you back or your thinking?
  111. What things do you think you cannot live without?
  112. What activities would you do if you were not so afraid?
  113. How can you relate a recent dream to a current problem?
  114. How do you behave when you feel depressed and what do you need most at that time?
  115. What things, people, or activities give you peace of mind and restore you?
  116. How do people know you are angry?
  117. What is one thing you would like forgiveness for?
  118. Is everything a drama with you?
  119. What do you continually get away with?
  120. What are three sounds that disturb you?
  121. How can you tell when people are really listening to you?
  122. What struggles or weaknesses in your life have brought you the greatest frustration?
  123. What is a recent fad you admit to trying?
  124. What is the worst thing that could happen to you if you took a risk and failed?

Read more: 10 fun Slack games and activities for remote teams

Icebreaker Questions For Team Building

  1. What’s your favorite trip you’ve taken to date?
  2. Have you been out of the country? If so, what other countries have you visited?
  3. Have you ever gone on a cruise? If so, where did you go and how long was the cruise?
  4. Do you prefer traveling in airplanes or in cars?
  5. What’s the longest trip you’ve ever taken? Where did you go?
  6. If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be?
  7. Do you prefer beach or city vacation spots?
  8. What’s your favorite dessert?
  9. Can you cook? If so, what’s your favorite dish to prepare?
  10. Do you prefer breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
  11. If you could get rid of one food forever, what would it be?
  12. What’s the strangest meal you’ve ever eaten?
  13. If you could play a role in any movie, what would it be?
  14. What’s your favorite TV show right now?
  15. What movie have you watched the most times?
  16. What’s the last show you binge-watched?
  17. What TV show do you think is overrated?
  18. If you could be any fictional character, who would you choose and why?
  19. What kind of music do you like?
  20. What’s your favorite song right now?
  21. What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
  22. What’s the last book you read?
  23. What’s your favorite book of all time?


Fun Questions For Team Building

reflection questions for team building

  1. What is your strangest talent?
  2. Which direction do you hang your toilet paper, over or under?
  3. Would you rather always be early or late?
  4. What would your perfect day look like?
  5. What is your guilty pleasure?
  6. What one word would you want other people to use to describe you? Why?
  7. If you could remove one thing from your morning routine, what would it be?
  8. What is your favorite movie quote?
  9. Can you play an instrument? If so, which one?
  10. What's the most important lesson you've learned this year?
  11. What song title best describes your life?
  12. What's something that always makes you smile?
  13. It's Friday night. Would you rather go out or stay in?
  14. What's a charity you wish more people knew about?
  15. What is your most-used emoji?
  16. What was the worst style choice you have ever made?
  17. If you were stuck on a deserted island, would you want to be alone or with an ex?
  18. If you were famous for the last thing you did before leaving for work today, what would it be?
  19. If you had to eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? - If you had a late-night talk show, what would make it unique?*
  20. You're having a celebrity over for dinner. Who is it and how do you plan to entertain them?
  21. What is your spirit animal and why?
  22. If a movie was made about you, who would play the lead?
  23. Would you rather be a nickel or a dime? Why?
  24. What’s your favorite knock-knock joke?
  25. What game show do you think you could win?
  26. What’s the most embarrassing thing your parents did when you were a kid?
  27. What’s an embarrassing memory from when you were a teenager?
  28. Who did you have a crush on when you were little?
  29. What did you want to be when you grew up?
  30. What style trend did you follow that you deeply regret?
  31. If you could hire a personal assistant, what would he or she do for you?
  32. If you could have had any job in history, what would it be and why?
  33. If you could work fewer hours in exchange for less pay, would you?
  34. If you could choose what hours and days you work, how would you schedule your forty hours?
  35. If you could trade work skills the way kids swap baseball cards, who would you trade with and for what skills?
  36. If you could start your own business, what would it be?
  37. If you could create a new, unique position for yourself in your organization, what it would be?
  38. Do you agree or disagree that it is important to have a good hard failure when you are young?
  39. Do you take more or fewer sick days from work than most people?
  40. Do you take shortcuts to get your work done fast?
  41. Do you define yourself by your job or other things?
  42. Do you socialize with coworkers?
  43. Do you feel confused if you are interrupted while working?
  44. Do you call yourself ambitious?
  45. Do you worry that you will lose a job?
  46. What is your favourite place for a business lunch?
  47. What is your favourite thing to put on after work?
  48. What is your favourite day of the workweek?
  49. What is your favourite thing to do after work?
  50. What is your favourite word-processing software?

Read more: 13 Fun Question Games to Enjoy With Friends and Coworkers


Reflection Questions For Team Building


  1. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
  2. What are you most grateful for right now?
  3. What would you do with $1 million?
  4. Who was your childhood hero and why?
  5. Who influenced you the most when you were growing up?
  6. What is the most challenging aspect of your job right now?
  7. What is one of your worst fears?
  8. What is the most important thing still on your bucket list?
  9. What is your highest goal for your career?
  10. What is your greatest professional success?
  11. What is your greatest personal success?
  12. If you had to pick another career, what would it be?
  13. How do you deal with change?
  14. What is something you want to be written in your eulogy?
  15. Do you hold stronger opinions than most people?
  16. What is the most beautiful word in the English language?
  17. Do you state your opinions with vehemence?
  18. Where would you move tomorrow if you could, and why?
  19. What is the stupidest thing you have ever done?
  20. What is your ideal living environment?
  21. How much responsibility do you take for your own problems?
  22. In what areas of your life do you need long-term solutions rather than quick fixes?
  23. What was a decision you made in an instant that gave you a lifetime of heartache?
  24. Can you confess three tiny faults and a giant one?
  25. What bothers you most about your life?
  26. Who is one of the luckiest people you know, and why?
  27. What is one thing about your life now that you would not change?
  28. What horrendous blunder did you make in the past year and what did you learn from it?
  29. What do you need changed in your life before you can have more fun?
  30. You love it when people ask you _____.
  31. I am unhappy with myself when _____.
  32. Is it essential that you succeed in life?
  33. Do you approve or disapprove of casino gambling on Indian reservations?
  34. Do you know someone whose life or personality has been changed by money?
  35. Do you find it hard or easy to say “no” to a salesperson?
  36. What is your view on selling personal items?
  37. Do you feel comfortable selling anything?
  38. Does legalized gambling encourage people who can least afford to squander their money?
  39. Have you ever been audited by the IRS?
  40. In what circumstances do you feel most susceptible to temptation?
  41. How do you minimize temptation in your life?
  42. What kind of person would you like to be?
  43. Where does honesty work well in your life?
  44. If you had to kill your own food, would you become a vegetarian?
  45. Are you sensitive to the pairing of wine and food?
  46. If you opened a restaurant, what would the house specialty be?
  47. No electricity: how would you manage and what would be different?
  48. How do you deal with things you cannot change?
  49. How did you feel each time you changed homes?
  50. Architecturally, what kind of house do you prefer to live in?
  51. Tell about the time when you were the coldest, the hottest.
  52. What do you like most about your home?
  53. Describe your decorating style.
  54. Which would you choose: to be the most attractive, the most athletic, or the smartest kid in your class?
  55. When you are happy, you need _____.
  56. In general, do you live for today or plan for tomorrow?
  57. Do you agree “life begins at forty?” What would you like to be doing in twenty years?
  58. What is your most treasured memory?
  59. What is a word for which you have always needed a synonym?
  60. How much responsibility do you have in your life, positive and negative?
  61. What do you think the next ten years of your life will be like?
  62. What self-limiting thoughts or fears would you like to overcome?
  63. How and when do you think that the world will come to an end?
  64. What do you think the world will be like 100 years from now?


Read more: 8 Fun Online Zoom Games to Play with your Coworkers

Get To Know You Questions For Team Building

  1. What’s one misunderstanding that’s happened on your team recently? 
  2. When looking backwhen you were young, what was your silliest fear?
  3. What conditions need to change in order for everyone to feel comfortable and speaking candidly?
  4. What’s the underlying tone of this team?
  5. How are the team’s dynamics affecting its output?
  6. Is there trust among the team members?
  7. What has been the most worthwhile interaction this team has had? What did we learn as a result?
  8. What does the ideal team dynamic look like? How will we know when we get there?
  9. What did I learn from the team? What did the team learn from me?
  10. In what moments did I show up my best self? In what moments did I show up less than what I was capable of showing up as? 
  11. What conditions allow us to be most productive? How might we replicate those conditions daily?
  12. Do you like a peaceful or hectic life?
  13. If an activity does not result in progress toward a goal, is it a waste of time?
  14. What makes you blush?
  15. What compliments do you receive on a regular basis?
  16. If you did not have commitments to others, how would you live your life differently?
  17. What have you not had enough of in your life?
  18. Is your life moving ahead, backward, or is it on hold?
  19. What is the greatest goal you want to achieve within the next five years?
  20. What is something you believed for a long time that you do not believe anymore?
  21. Do you think helmets should be mandatory for motorcycles and bicycles - for kids and/or adults?
  22. What are three things that you are optimistic about?
  23. What are three things that you are pessimistic about?
  24. What are some of the phone calls that changed your life?
  25. What would you do if you earned $100,000 a day? How would your life change?
  26. Would you rather live in Los Angeles or New York City?
  27. Would you feel comfortable moving to a city where you do not know the language well?
  28. What can you guarantee about yourself?
  29. How do you think the world will look in 25, 50, 75, 100 years?
  30. What is your greatest talent?
  31. How can you further develop your talents?
  32. What is something you truly appreciate or enjoy doing that most others probably do not care for?
  33. Which do you like best about yourself: appearance, personality, or intellect?
  34. What was the greatest peer pressure you felt as an adult?
  35. Are you jealous of other people’s success?
  36. What legacy would you like to leave?
  37. What is something you feel too young to do?
  38. What parts of your life do you feel you control and how much of your life is beyond your control?
  39. Do you like or dislike change?
  40. How close to contentment are you in your life right now?
  41. What was the most anti-establishment thing you ever did?
  42. What needs to change for you to have greater contentment?
  43. What is the most beautiful man-made object?
  44. Define “hope.”
  45. What continually robs you from appreciating or enjoying the moment?
  46. What are five things you are grateful for?
  47. What worries you the most?
  48. Is there something you feel too old to do?
  49. If you had massive energy, how would you put that energy to work?
  50. What would you do if you met your exact double?
  51. Do you try innovations or stick to tested methods?
  52. What is something you have dreamed of doing for a long time?
  53. What are the most positive changes you have seen in your lifetime?
  54. What are the most negative changes you have seen in your lifetime?
  55. What would you do if you had $500 to spend on anything?
  56. How do you feel when someone teases you?
  57. What public figure has inspired you?
  58. What could you do, change, or eliminate to help simplify your life?
  59. What is the most precious thing you have lost?

Also Read: 250 Random Questions to Get Better Acquainted With Your Coworkers

Meeting-Specific Team Building Icebreaker Questions & Activities

Team Building Icebreaker Questions to Highlight the Topic of the Meeting and Deep-dive

  1. What is the meeting about? Discuss statement of purpose, agenda and use a topic-centered icebreaker to focus attention on the conversation or meeting subject.
  2. What interests you about the topic at hand?
  3. How long have you been studying or using the topic being discussed (eg: balanced scorecard, OKRs, etc)?
  4. What was your initial thoughts about the topic?
  5. If you created an e-mail subject line about this topic, what would it be?
  6. Why have you come to this meeting? What brought you here (only if this is not a mandatory meeting)?
  7. We’re here to talk about 'topic'. Different people might have different perspective about the topic, ask them to discuss...
  8. How do you define the topic (example: leadership)?
  9. How does your perspective on the topic differ from most people’s?
  10. What do you want to explore about the topic?
  11. What do I need to know about the 'topic'?
  12. What about topic lights a fire in you and peaks your interest?
  13. What do you know about 'topic' that other people probably don’t know?

Team Building Icebreaker Questions to Uncover Expectations

  1. Do you need to know what people want? What people know? What people expect?
  2. I’ll cut to the chase. What can I/We (as a reporting manager or top management) do for you?
  3. I’d like to know why you’re here. Can you tell me what you hope to get out of this meeting?
  4. Imagine you have a magic wand. What would you like to change by the end of the meeting?
  5. One thing I’m hoping to learn today is ____________.
  6. One thing I find confusing is ____________.
  7. One thing I’d like others to learn today is ____________.
  8. What are your outcomes and objectives for this meeting?
  9. What is you fondest, dearest wish for today?
  10. What are you hoping to get out of today?
  11. What would make this discussion a success for you?
  12. What will you contribute to the success of this session?
  13. I’m going to role-play something. Ready? (Stomp in the room, slam the door, sigh heavily, throw a book on the table, and peer at the group).
  14. Describe what just happened?
  15. How do you know that’s what happened?
  16. What part of what you described is objective? How do you know?
  17. Did you directly observe that?
  18. What did you directly observe?
  19. How many of you found it difficult to separate your observations from your interpretation of your observations?
  20. How common is it for us to make assumptions without realizing we’re doing it?
  21. How can we keep from doing that today?

Read more: 10+ leadership Games to Play as a Team Building Activity at Work

Team Building Icebreaker Questions to Get Your Team to Focus on Outcomes

  1. As much as people enjoy checking in before getting down to business, today we need to focus if we’re going to get 'things' done
  2. Start by picturing ourselves walking out of this meeting happy with what we did here. What did we accomplish?
  3. Stay focused on our task of purpose today. We have a lot to accomplish, and I’m committed to our finishing on time.
  4. Go around the room and speed share names today. Then we’ll turn our brains like lasers to focus.
  5. We can visit and stay late, or we can focus and get out of here on time. I’d love to visit, but I know my priorities. How about you?
  6. We chewed on these topics extensively last meeting. Today we are here to decide. I expect this to go quickly.
  7. What are the issues we need to focus on ?
  8. How do we detect tangents so as to ensure that we don't digress from the matter at hand?
  9. Break into groups of three. Each group is to be tasked with deciding what you want to get out of this (meeting, event). Pick a leader to present the desired outcome according to your group.
  10. How did your group reach consensus?
  11. Now go back to your groups, and see if any of your outcomes have changed from what other groups said.
  12. Now decide what each of you intends to do to make sure you get what you came for.
  13. Did being asked to take action to ensure your outcome change anyone’s desired outcomes?
  14. What kind of actions did you come up with?

Team Building Questions to Build Rapport in a Team Project

  1. Have you ever had someone get down to business too quickly? Kind of like you’re all a bunch of machines instead of people? How’d that feel to you? A simple icebreaker designed to build rapport can grease the wheels for subsequent communication. These icebreakers create a quick sense of commonality, relationship, and trust.
  1. Why don't we start matching faces to the email address? go around introduce yourselves. We’ll start with (name) his or her perspective, and his or her expertise.
  2. Who else had been curious about what it would be like to actually meet in person?
  3. Do I look like my e-mails?
  4. We’ll be working with new technology today, so this might take a group effort. Who brought a sledgehammer?
  5. What did we do the last time we were in this situation that really worked?
  6. We didn’t create this situation (problem at hand) but we’re in it together. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have on my team for support in a situation like this.
  7. We have different roles in this project, but let’s start by defining our common commitment.
  8. Why do we care about this project?
  9. What are we all committed to doing here?
  10. Start by sharing a motto, a phrase or saying that you live by. What mottos do you like? Go around the table...
  11. A simple activity to help break the ice
  12. Begin with everyone asking their neighbours their name, what they came to learn, how they see situation), and what expertise they bring. Be ready to share what you learn.
  13. We’re going to tune in by matching and adding to actions. I’ll start by patting my head. The person on my right then will pat his or her head and add a new motion. The person on the right of that person then will mimic the first two motions and add his or her own—and on and on. Got it? Here goes.
  14. How many did we complete?
  15. Did you find it fun, frustrating, or both?
  16. Who had a strategy they used to remember that could be useful to the rest of us?

Also Read: 100 Team Trivia Questions for Fun & Team Bonding

Icebreaker Questions To Inspire Collaboration on a Team Project

  1. Survival of the fittest is programmed into us in many ways. We often unconsciously take adversarial stances. Open in a way that invites—and involves—collaboration. Ask you teamamtes how to overcome this instinct?
  2. We have a choice. We could argue and negate each other to defend our own positions, or we could listen and discuss different perspectives in ways that support each other and move us forward together.
  3. We’ve been at odds on (issue). What will it take for us to work together?
  4. Have you ever had a situation where everyone worked together like magic?
  5. What made it work?
  6. Why did it feel like magic?
  7. What can we apply here from that?
  8. What do the phrases “looking out for each other” and “having each other’s back” really mean?
  9. When have you experienced that before? Please be specific.
  10. What helped create that kind of collaboration?
  11. What kept that kind of collaboration from happening?
  12. Inject some fun into the meeting
  13. I need one person who favors (one option you’re meeting to discuss) and one person who favors (an opposing option).
  14. Sit across this table from each other. Get in arm-wrestling position. Now go!
  15. OK, we’ll go with the winner’s idea. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
  16. Of course we wouldn’t make an important decision by arm wrestling. However, that’s what we’re doing when we let the most aggressive person or the person with the loudest voice overpower the reasons behind our options.
  17. Let’s think of ourselves as the guardians of each other’s success here. What does that mean to you?
  18. What would you like for it to mean to the people on your team?
  19. Are there systems in place that get us working as adversaries when we need to work cooperatively?
  20. Introduce a team building exercise
  21. Let’s do a quick exercise. Turn to your partner.
  22. Partner A, make a fist. Show your fist to Partner B.
  23. Partner B, see that fist? Try as hard as you can to open your partner’s fist.
  24. Now switch. Partner B make a fist. Partner A, try as hard as you can to get your partner’s fist open.
  25. How many of you were able to open your partner’s fist without resorting to tickling or bribery?
  26. How many of you thought to ask your partner, will you please open your fist?
  27. And those of you who had your fist closed, what were you holding on to? What kept you from being the guardian of your partner’s success and allowing your partner to open your fist? Were you looking out for your partner or just looking out for yourself?
  28. Now, I set this exercise up to trigger competition. I confess. And you still had the choice to work collab-oratively. Let’s applaud those of us who worked collaboratively. Now let’s applaud the rest of us for demonstrating the normal response to this situation.
  29. First, I’d like each of you to write a work-related challenge, problem, or area you’d like to improve on the top of the sheet in front of you. For example, “How can I build rapport among team members who have never met?” Then pass your sheet to the person on your right.
  30. Now take 60 seconds to write possible solutions to the challenges that are passed to you. I’ll time you and tell you when to pass again. pass...
  31. Does everyone have his or her own sheets? Please take two minutes to review what you have.
  32. Tell us what ideas you like that people offered.
  33. Let’s use each other as resources to handle our challenges.
  34. We’ll start with an activity to build teamwork. Without talking or mouthing words, please line up according to how long you’ve been working here.
  35. What did you do that worked?
  36. What could you have done to be more efficient?
  37. Did someone take a leadership role? How did they do it? Was it useful?
  38. I didn’t give a lot of direction. What interpretive decisions did you have to make in implementing?
  39. How’d we do as a team?

Read more: 5 Fun and Innovative Teamwork Games Your Employees Will Love


Conclusion

This article lists out several questions to ask your team so that you can find out what they enjoy, what motivates them, and how they like to work. By discovering the commonalities between team members, managers can create better environments for these employees.

If you are looking for more resources to help you with your team building exercise, feel free to explore more insights from our blog Ricotta and our Team building product: Ricotta Trivia.

Read more:

20 Virtual Microsoft Teams Games, Bots & Integrations

80+ Deep & Interesting Thought-Provoking Questions For Introspection

500+ Funny and Clever Team Names for Your Workplace


FAQ: Icebreaker Questions

What are good team building questions?

Team building exercises can be a great way to unify your team and get everyone on the same page. They can also help you know your teammates better and work together in the best way possible. But there's a catch: you need to find questions that will make them want to participate and answer with heartfelt honesty. It is important that these questions are fun and interesting. You don't want to bore them with all the same old icebreaker questions; they might start tuning out before you even get started. That's why we put together a list of 50+ team building questions that will make for an engaging experience. 

Why is team building important?

Team building is important because it allows for a shared sense of meaning and purpose. This develops a sense of belonging and an environment where everyone's contributions are valued, which in turn will increase morale and lead to increased productivity. A strong team produces a strong output. Plus, it is nice to work with people that care about their jobs and each other. 

What is the purpose of a team-building activity?

Team-building activities are a very common way of getting to know your team better and understanding how they work. They are also a good way to make sure that the team is on the same page and motivated throughout their work. A lot of these activities are light-hearted and fun, which can be great for stimulating creativity. Activities that are competitive in nature can help boost the spirit of the team as well as promote healthy competition between teams. These activities also help several people get on the same page and learn about each other’s personalities. It can also help with communication skills and leadership styles.

How to measure the success of any team-building activity?

The success of a team-building activity can be measured in a variety of ways. A few examples are the activities’ ability to increase workplace morale, improve teamwork, or make participants more productive. Team-building activities should have an objective that is tangible and achievable in order to increase the chances of success.

To measure the success of team-building activities, it is necessary to determine what was accomplished by this activity both short-term and long-term. Did team members get to know each other better? Did they feel more supported? Did they even have fun? These are all aspects that need to be evaluated when measuring success.

You should take into consideration the following factors when evaluating a team building activity:

  1. Participation of employees in the activity.
  2. The level of engagement in the team-building activities.
  3. The impact of increased communication among co-workers on an individual level.
  4. Company culture and climate changes due to the team-building activity. 

What are team building skills?

Team building skills are the skills that enable people to work effectively as a team and achieve their desired outcomes. Team building is an interactive process that involves communication, team-building exercises, and feedback. Often times we all need to be reminded of how we can better help each other or what we can do to better improve communication within a group. In order to be successful in any industry, it’s important for employees to have the right team-building skills.

These are the skills that help develop interpersonal relationships between team members. This is why these skills are very useful in business settings where different people need to work together on projects. Team building skills can be learned with practice and exposure to different people and cultures. They will also depend on the type of profession that someone has chosen to pursue, as some professions will require more team-building skills than others.

If you had to break down team building to multiple auxiliary skills, it would include

  1. Communication
  2. Empathy
  3. Constructive Feedback
  4. Conflict Management 
Play fun Games & Trivia with your team on Slack!
Explore Ricotta
Subscribe to our newsletter
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

2,000+

Teams uSE
Ricotta Trivia

20+

Fun Games

5,000+

Icebreaker Questions

Try Ricotta Games & Trivia

Build a great team culture!