10 icebreaker questions for meetings and networking.
If you winced at the word, “icebreaker,” you can be assured that you were not the only one. Get-to-know-you questions, and games tend to feel cheesy. We’ve all been victim to a terribly tired icebreaker (two truths and a lie, anyone?) with co-workers that made us roll our eyes.
However reluctantly, chances are, you have realized that you need to break the ice at work. A new employee just joined your team, and you want to make sure they feel welcome. Or, you need to find a way to warm up a conference call between remote team members, and ask some get-to-know you questions for team-building.
Trust is the oil of the machine in the team. After all, it is always harder to work well with people you don’t have a rapport with. The more trust you have, the more things run smoothly. The key to building trust within your team is to ask questions that help everyone get to know each other.
10 Free icebreakers
To get the ball rolling here are 10 icebreakers that you can use over the next few weeks.
#1: What was your first job?
By far, this question has prompted the most interesting responses for the companies we work with. Employees are always find it hilarious to learn that their boss’ first job was as a pool boy, or find it fascinating that a co-worker’s first job was working in her mum’s doctor’s office. While it’s an unassuming question, the responses stand out.
#2: Have you ever met anyone famous?
This question is a fun one, as it taps into the people that your coworkers admire. People bond over a mutual love for Hemsworth brothers, or have a laugh when a manager shares her story about meeting someone famous at the supermarket.
#3: What are your favorite quotes?
Personally, I’m a sucker for a good quote. I think it can provide a fascinating look into a person’s point-of-view. Asking about a person’s favorite quote is a great way to break the ice and get to know them better.
#4: Been pleasantly surprised by anything lately?
While this question may seem vague, the answers to this question are often a delight and intriguing to read. Someone might share an excellent customer service experience that surpassed their expectations, or share a funny story about them liking squash soup despite their initial reservations. This is especially a great question to ask to a group of folks who might know each other a little better already.
#5: What was your favourite band 10 years ago?
This question always elicits a chuckle or two. You’ll find out that you shared a embarrassing favorite band from years ago, and also find the generational difference between coworkers humorous as well.
#6: Been anywhere recently for the first time?
Sharing a new, novel experience is a wonderful way to create a sense of connection between people. You’ll learn about a new restaurant, a fun out-of-the-city getaway, or a never-heard-about bookstore you might find interesting.
#7: What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
Maybe it was a goldfish as a pet or a pair of designer shoes. This is another great question that fosters a sense of nostalgia and provides insights into people’s interests of the past and what they valued when they were younger.
#8: Seen anything lately that made you smile?
The answers from this question are often unexpectedly lovely. You’ll find yourself nodding your head as a coworker talks about his kids, or about a beautiful tree she saw on her walk recently.
#9: Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?
This is a cheeky question that turns up a variety of answers and interpretations. You might be impressed about how a coworker was in the newspaper one time or get a good laugh about how they were on the evening news.
#10: What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?
This question continually (and surprisingly) blows people away with the response when they ask it. One customer of ours had such an enthusiastic response on this from her staff, she created a Cereal Day for her team.
Facilitated Training have used these questions to get to know a new employee, kick-off group meetings for training, and even in one-on-one coffee meetings when meeting someone for the first time.
Looking for more out of the box icebreakers?
Look no further. We have created 100 brand new icebreaker, ebook. Perfect for virtual and face to face interactions.
Designed as simple team building activities to help ease employees or groups into a little team bonding, icebreaker questions don’t need to be as scary, or boring as they seem. When an icebreaker is properly executed, it can diffuse team anxiety!
Icebreakers are great for starting everything from meetings to events because they involve hardly any planning. Print this epic list of icebreakers for easy access. Once you get into the rhythm of using good icebreaker questions, your team will expect them and be excited about them!
You’ll find our 100 virtual icebreaker questions, funny icebreaker questions, great icebreaker questions to provoke thoughtful insight, the best icebreaker questions for meetings in the workplace, awkward icebreaker questions, and ‘If You Could’ icebreaker questions. We’ve even added some of our favourite ‘Would You Rather’ questions, which always have the potential to spark great conversation!
Feedback from our icebreaker ‘testers’ has been positive. We are onto a winner here. So can you. We have a just launched, special offer. So, grab yours before the offer ends at the end of the month.
Learning excellence awards close at the end of the month.
The Learning Excellence Awards are business awards for the whole business training/learning and development sector.
These awards are Learning-centred, impartial and independent and look to reward relevant, agile, innovative, excellent, and effective initiatives, programs, products and services. The Awards are open to in-house training, learning and development teams and activities, to external professional practitioners and suppliers to the sector.
In the inaugural awards, all organisations can enter the Learning Excellence Awards FREE OF CHARGE.
3 award categories
- Learning Impact Award
- Driving innovation in learning.
- Learning Professional of the year
Closing date for entries: Friday 26th February 2021
Winners announced: Friday 19th March, 2021
This Learning and Development Excellence awards recognizes and celebrates an inspirational Learning and Development practitioner, facilitator, or team that role model learning excellence and contribute to the success of adult learners.
Nominees must demonstrate excellence in learning against one or more of the behaviours identified below:
Total word count for Learning and Development award 800 maximum
NOMINATING
If you know an individual, organisation or team deserving of recognition for their achievement and innovation in workplace learning, show them your appreciation by nominating them for a Learning Award.
With this simple process, you can let your peers know that their hard work and contribution has been recognized and will also enable them for a chance to celebrate their achievements on the global stage.
Learning and Development Excellence Criteria
Excellence in Learning and Development could be about one or more of the following:
- Their team, colleagues, unit, or department in 2020
- A project, program, subject, course deployed in 2020
- A committee, working party, community of practice that occurred or commenced in 2020
Eligibility Criteria and how to nominate for Learning and Development Excellence Awards.
- At least one of the project contributors must be a current subscriber to Facilitated Training . (Click here to sign up for some great free resources.)
- At least of the project contributors must be a current subscriber to Facilitated Training’s Facebook page.
- The project must have been substantially designed within OR for Asia Pacific and have been completed within the last 12 months.
- Where a program was designed for a third party, the user/client must give authorisation for the program to be entered in the awards.
As a learning and development professional, you can nominate an individual or a team. Self-nominations are permitted.
Depending on the quality of the nominations, one award winner may be selected for each award subcategory. Subject to the quality of the nominations for a category, an award may not be made. Depending on the award category, you may choose to nominate an individual or a team.
Note: All decision regarding winners is final.
Individual nominations
You may choose to inform the person that you are nominating before your submission. However, all nominees will be advised of their nominations via email once all submissions are received.
Team nominations
Team nominations would not exceed 8 team members. A team member may be defined as someone who has made a significant contribution to the project or learning event.
Learning and Development Excellence Award, Winners.
Award winners will receive a certificate of recognition.
Winners will be announced via the following channels:
- Email (hello@facilitated Training training)
- Facilitated Training’s Learning Maven blog
- Facilitated Training Facebook page and Instagram pages
How to nominate:
Individual
Full name, Organisation, and email address
Individual ‘s photograph and a brief biography (max 200 words* number tally not included as part of the 800-word maximum for award submission)
Teams:
The nominees’ email, organisations name, and email address
Team or individual photograph (optional) and brief biography of the team (max 200 words* number tally not included as part of the 800 word maximum for award submission)
Your response to the selection criteria (maximum 800 words in total) This excludes cover page and introduction email and biographies). Your email body should not be longer than 100 words.
Email nominations to hello@facilitatedtraining.com
Award entry closing date: Friday 26th February 2021
Please prepare your response to the selection criteria in the relevant nominations and save as PDF named as:
Nominee for Excellence awards (name and organisation) e.g., Barry Pyke_Faciitated Training_Learning Impact Award.
Feeling inspired? Explore our award categories and familiarise yourself with our applicant criteria. Plus get to know what our Judges are looking for in a winning entry.
Before you start the application process, it can be helpful to take on board the following criteria, tips and pointers.
- Start with reflection of 2020.
- Our Judges are looking for concise answers that are relevant, accurate and honest. They are wanting to get an understanding of the learning and development principles, philosophies, and practices. They also want a sense of how the team became successful, and your plans and vision for the future.
- Applicants teams must be operating for 12 months to 3 years only.
- Projects and initiatives must be focused to the year 2020
- Make sure you allocate a reasonable amount of time to focus on your application.
- Make sure you read the question and give specific answers to each.
- You must answer all the questions. Only completed applications will be considered.
- Each answer should be around 400-500 words (maximum of 800 words).
The key to impressing the judging panel is evidence. You should be able to clearly show how the improvements and or innovations you have made in your L&D work have been defined, measured and verified. If you have the data, you will have a clear advantage over others who do not.
Tell the judges about the challenges you identified, the solutions you put in place to solve the problems, and the outcomes that verified the improvement.
Business impact.
The judges will be looking for proof of a positive impact on the business. Share with them how areas of your business were improved as a result of your work. Try to go beyond numbers. If you saw an increase in the number of employees who completed a learning program, as a result of your work, what effect did it have on the business as a whole?
Show the judges your data, testimonials from stakeholders, feedback, and any other material that you have that indicates an overall improvement for a business area or function.
All results and awards are final.
PRIVACY NOTICE: By submitting this form, you consent to your contact details being used to inform you of any updates to Learning Awards schedules on the status of your submission, and to offer instructions, help and guidelines regarding your submission. Please refer to our Privacy Policy.
Our independent judges hand-pick only a few Finalists from entries across APAC so to make the shortlist is a phenomenal achievement. Every finalist has the potential to win, and success often hinges on the quality of their presentation and the evidence they give.
But wait there’s more! New customisable training courses and resources have been uploaded!
1 hour modules. Perfect for remote learning and lunch and learn sessions.
Non verbal communication and remote working. Click on the title to learn more.
½ day module
Exploring the benefits of diversity awareness in the workplace. Click on the title to learn more.
Looking for other resources?
We have just launched new learning and development templates including, learning strategy, template bundles and job descriptions. Find them here.
Launching next month, Emotional intelligence training. 1 day, customisable workshop.
Looking for other topics, or templates? Let us know. Email hello@facilitatedtraining.com
About Facilitated Training.
Learning and Development should not get in the way of business. It should help business excel. That’s what we believe at Facilitated Training. And if that means doing things differently, then so be it.
Our mission is to help organisations thrive through quality, editable professional development training materials and resources. We are not like other training companies; we won’t charge you for every minute of courseware development. Instead, our fixed-priced product ensures you have unlimited access to customisable training materials and our easy-to-understand facilitator guides.
We keep things simple. It is about making things easier, saving you time, removing barriers, and giving you the freedom to do what you love. We want to build a relationship and create a beneficial partnership that goes beyond the menial day-to-day tasks and helps you identify commercial challenges and opportunities.
Facilitated Training can assist your business with everything from leadership training, customer service and other soft skills training, to short courses, lunch and learn materials, reference guides, templates, and more.
If you’ve reached an inflexion point and are starting to scale, using any old generic training, or death by PowerPoint presentations just won’t cut it anymore. We are ready to work with you, to educate and coach you and your team, so that you don’t need us ever again – all for a fraction of the price consultants and instructional designers.
Leaving the creation of training materials to us reduces risks and gives you more time to dedicate to what really matters – the people.
If you are in HR or operations and need learning and development assistance, get in touch today and let’s chat.
hello@facilitatedtraining.com +61 412299202