Ice Breaker & Team Building Questions

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Are you seeking ways to improve the relationships among your employees? Are you looking to increase the productivity of your organization? Are you trying to increase morale in the office? Well, these two epic lists of team building and icebreaker questions are here to save the day!

The words “icebreaker” and “team building” can seem a bit daunting. Many of us wince and cringe when someone says we need to participate in these types of activities. Often, team building exercises can feel cheesy or like a waste of valuable time that could be spent balancing spreadsheets or clearing out your email inbox.

While team building does take up time, it is extremely valuable! This list of questions to incorporate into your next team building activity will not only break the ice, but make it way more fun and enjoyable.

Why team building questions are so important:

When a new employee joins your team, it is imperative that they feel welcomed, valued, and a part of the team. It is also important that the rest of the team meets this new person and feel they can work with them comfortably on a daily basis. Typically, when an employee thinks about what they enjoy most about their job, the answer is the people they work with, not the actual work they are doing.

If we have strong relationships with our co-workers, more work can get done seamlessly due to increased communication, higher team morale, increased passion for the work being done, and so much more.

It can be hard to find time to talk about ourselves when there is so much to be done at the office. These team building questions offer a speed team bonding opportunity that will later increase productivity due to strengthened relationships.

Additionally, when an employee decides to leave a position, more often than not, they quit their bosses and not their jobs. If an employee does not feel connected and valued by their boss, they may not stick around. Team building and icebreaker questions give you the opportunity to get to know your employees on a personal level, while keeping professionalism intact.

A boss may not want to be “best friends” with their employees, but having a solid relationship filled with mutual respect is vital to organizational success!

What makes a good team building question?

If you want to get to know your team better, the first thing you need to do is ask them about their past, their passions, and why they are in their current role.

While, that conversation will help you understand why they are on the team and what they plan to contribute, it probably won’t give you many details about their personality or about their unique experiences and perspectives.

These two epic lists of questions will not only help you understand how your team works within the office, but also offer deeper connections. These questions will give you a larger picture of the people you are working with and what makes them laugh, what makes them cry, and what excites them!

Team Building Questions:

Epic List of Team Building Questions:

What was your first job?
Have you ever met anyone famous?
What are you reading right now?
If you could pick up a new skill in an instant, what would it be?
Who is someone you really admire?
Have you seen any good movies lately that you would recommend?
What is your favorite quote?
Have you been pleasantly surprised by anything lately?
What was your favorite band 10 years ago?
What is your earliest memory?
Have you been anywhere recently for the first time?
What is your favorite family tradition?
Who had the most influence on you growing up?
What was the first thing that you bought with your own money?
What is something you want to do in the next year that you’ve never done before?
Have you seen anything lately that has made you smile?
What is your favorite place that you have ever visited?
Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
How do you like your eggs?
Do you have a favorite charity that you wish more people knew about?
Do you have any phobias that you would like to break?
Have you returned anything you’ve purchased lately? Why?
Do you collect anything?
What is your favorite breakfast cereal?
What was the worst day of your life and why?
What would you most like to be remembered for when you are reminiscing about your life in your old age?
What aspect of your personality adds the most value to the world?
If you could change one thing about yourself, what change would you make?
If you could choose any one person, living or dead, whom would, you most want to emulate? Share why.
Who had the most influence on the choices you eventually made for your life when you were growing up?
What was the best day of your life and why?
What soothes your spirit when you are unhappy or in a bad mood?
What talents do you have that is not utilized successfully in your workplace?
What are three things that you would change about your work environment that would make you a more successful employee?
If you had your work life to live over, at what point would you have chosen a different path that would have led you to more success and happiness?
What skills do you bring to your workplace that are currently underutilized?
What is one activity, that if you could do it every day at work, would most increase your appreciation of your current job?
Are you a day person or a night person and how does this affect how you work?
What words would you most like to hear from your boss that would help you feel motivated and successful in your job?
What would you like to do next in your current organization? What would you bring to the new position?
What are the most significant characteristics of the people who have been your best bosses during your career? What made them best bosses?
What are the most significant characteristics of the people who have been your worst bosses during your career? What made them the worst bosses?
Would you make a good boss? What makes you answer the question the way you did?
Do you get to do something at work every day that you love? If so, what is it? If not, what can you do about that?
Do you have a best friend at work? Who is it and what draws you to this person?
If you invited a child to a take your children to work day/event, what would you show the child about what you do at work? What would you tell the child about your job?
Looking at your whole life, not just your work life, what are three areas or activities in which you wish you were spending more of your time?
What five characteristics must your work environment or culture have to make you feel engaged, alive, excited, and contributing as an employee?
What are the one or two things in a work environment or culture that would drive you to look for a new job and leave?
Who inspires you?
What was the best concert you ever attended?
Where is your favorite place in the world?
If you could be any animal, which would you be?
What is the last book you read?
What are you passionate about?
What is your favorite movie?
What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
What are you currently binging on Netflix?
What is the coolest thing you are working on right now?
Who would you most like to swap places with for a day?
What is the best meal you have ever had?
If you could visit anywhere in the world you have never been, where would you go?
What are some of your pet peeves?
What is your secret talent that no one knows about?
Which four individuals, living or dead, would you like to eat dinner with the most?
If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
What is the most helpful way for you to get feedback?
Who is your least favorite superhero?
If you could be any animal for a week, which would you choose to be and why?
Who’s your favorite superhero and why?
What’s your favorite thing to do in the summer?
Do you have any pets?
What is/was the name of your favorite pet?
Who is your favorite cartoon character and why?
Describe yourself in three words.
Where did you grow up?
When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do?
What is your favorite movie quote?
Show us the most interesting thing you have in your purse/wallet.
At which store do you shop the most?
What’s the longest time, in a single stretch, that you’ve ever been in a car?
What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever worn?
What’s the lowest grade you ever received in college, and which class was it for?
How many keys are on your keyring right now?
What’s your favorite song?
How many siblings do you have, and where are you in the order?
What is one food you can’t give up?
Which sport do you most like to watch?
Describe your team in one word.
Tell us something about yourself that would surprise most people who know you.
What do you admire most about the person to your right?
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
What do you do to beat stress?
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
What’s your favorite genre of movie?
What’s your favorite genre of music?
What is your dream car?
What’s the most surprising thing that’s ever happened to you in another country?
Are you a plant person?
What kind of chocolate do you prefer — white, dark, or milk?
Do you have a favorite animal?
What was your favorite TV show as a teenager?
Where were you, and what were you doing when [insert name of famous event] happened?
Have you ever written a letter to the editor of, or an article or opinion piece for, the local paper?
How many languages can you speak?
Are you good at fixing things?
Which is your least favorite fruit?
How long have you lived in [insert name of place]?
What do you like to do on weekends?
What’s your favorite color?
What’s your favorite nursery rhyme?
Have you ever traveled in a submarine or helicopter, or on a dogsled?
Who played at the first live concert you ever attended?
Have you ever climbed a mountain or run a marathon?
Which sports team(s) do you support?
What’s your favorite video game?
Have you met anyone famous in the last year? If you have, may I see a photo?
Do you cook? What’s your favorite recipe?
Do you play a musical instrument?
Name one movie you think should have had a sequel.
What was your favorite board/card game as a child?
Have you ever driven anything other than a car or light truck?
What’s your favorite time of year?
When it comes to candy, what is your guilty pleasure?
Can you read music?
What do you like on your pizza?
What’s the oldest article of clothing you still wear?
Have you ever skydived? Would you?
What’s the longest book you’ve ever read?
What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Which show are you currently watching?
What do you usually have for breakfast?
What is your middle name?
What is your favorite junk food?
What car do you drive?
What color is your kitchen?
Which is your favorite brand of clothing?
Where would you like to move when you retire?
What happened on your worst birthday?
What is your favorite dessert?
Which is your favorite flower?
What date on your calendar are you looking forward to this year?
Which is your favorite restaurant in [insert name of place]?
What is your favorite drink?
Do you prefer dancing with others or alone?
If I opened your closet, I would find __________.
Who is your favorite comic-book character?
Who is your favorite artist?
What is your favorite work of art?
Are you good at imitating foreign accents?
Tattoos: yes or no?
If you could paint a portrait of anyone, who would you paint?
What’s at the top of your bucket list?
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
How many books have you read this year?
What are you most afraid of?
What was your favorite book as a child?
When people compliment you, they’re most likely to comment on your __________.
Which celebrity would you hate to sit next to on a plane?
Who is your favorite U.S. president?
What do you think is your best feature?
What has been your most exotic trip?
Which song are you likely to have on repeat this week?
If you could change one aspect of your appearance, what would it be?
What genre of music do you dislike?
What is your favorite type of cuisine and why?
Have you ever seen a phenomenon you still can’t explain?
If you had a time machine and could make a single, one-way trip, where would you go?
Which award would you most like to win and why?
Tell us your earliest childhood memory.
What’s the best thing to happen to you this year?
Have you ever had to do something for work you knew you’d struggle with? How’d you prepare for it?
Which developing technology do you think will transform the future?
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?
If you could add a word to the dictionary, what would it be?
What upcoming technological innovation do you think will impact you most during the next five years?
How would you spend a million dollars in 24 hours?
What one skill should everyone on Earth have?
If you had an extra hour of time each day, how would you use it?
Would you rather have the power to become invisible or read minds? Why?
Describe one time you took a huge leap of faith. Did it pay off?
What color would you paint this room?
Which of your five senses do you think is the strongest? Which is the weakest?
Share a good riddle or brain teaser with the group.
Which amenity do you think your workspace currently lacks?
If you had a chance to rescue an armful of your possessions during a natural disaster, what would you grab?
If you had to pick only one type of food to survive on for a week, what would you pick?
Which living person do you admire most?
What is your dream job?
If you could swap jobs with anyone for a day, who would it be?
What would you do with fifteen minutes of fame?
What one thing do you own that you wish you didn’t?
What is your biggest addiction?
If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
What do you think is the most important quality in a friend?
What is the worst job you could have?
What is the meanest thing you’ve ever said to someone in person?
If you could call the president, what would you say to him?
Have you had a lifelong dream?
If I were running for president, my campaign slogan would be __________.
What product would you refuse to promote?
If I were a teacher, I’d teach __________.
What is the most useful advice you’ve ever received?
Which dead person would you like to add to Mount Rushmore?
With a million dollars, I would__________.
Who is your hero?
If I could write a note to my favorite school teacher, I’d say __________.
What’s the best gift anyone could give you?
If you were the host of a national talk show, who would you invite as your first guest?
What personal attribute do you think your current role demands above all else?
If you were healthy, wealthy, and had plenty of time, would you stick with your job?
Which three persons, living or dead, would you invite to dinner?
What do you plan to do once you retire?
Which person, living or dead, would you like to have as your mentor?
If you could be rid of one of your fears, which would it be?
What person do you think has had the greatest influence on your life so far?
If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?
What single event did the most to change the way you see the world?
If you could grant yourself a new professional or personal skill, what would it be?
My dream business would be __________.
When was the last time you stayed up all night because you were excited about something?
What personal trait do you dislike most in yourself?
Do you volunteer anywhere?
What advice would you give to an 18-year-old version of yourself?
What future event would you most like to see?
The time I waited longest in line was to get __________.
What did you want to be when you were little? What did you actually become?
For me, the perfect day is __________.
What was the highlight of the year for your team? What might have happened if you hadn’t been part of the team?
If you knew you only had one year left to live, what would you change about the way you live?
What is the thing you most want people to say about you at your funeral?
What thing would you most regret not doing by the end your life?
What is the most important thing you have learned in the past year?
What would you be doing if you weren’t at your current job?
What more are you wanting in your career right now?
If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are living right now?
Describe your biggest failure in business.
What is one word you would use to describe yourself as a child?
How do you recharge?
If you were to tell one person “Thank You” for helping me become the person I am today, who would it be and what did they do?
What one thing about you do you want in your elegy?
What movie or novel character do you most identify with?
When are you the happiest?
Fill in the blank: If you really knew me, you’d know_____.
What quality in you would you hate to see emulated in your employees or children?
If you were to start a company from scratch, what values would you build it on?
What would you most regret not having done by the end of your life?
What characteristic do you most admire in others?
What kind of impact do you believe you have on people?
What one memory do you most treasure?
If you could change one thing about how you were raised as a child, what would it be?
What superpower would you like to have?
What would a “perfect” day look like for you?
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in the last year?
How do you think your coworkers see you?
If you ruled the world, what would you change on Day 1?
How do you act when you’re stressed out?
What are you most afraid of and what’s it stopping you from doing?
What’s the greatest bit of advice a parent or mentor has given you?
What technology innovation made the most impact on your life?
Describe a challenging situation you’ve been in and tell how you resolved it?
How would you spend one million dollars?
Who is your hero, and why?
Tell us your earliest childhood memory.
Who was your favorite teacher in school and how did s/he impact you?
If you could choose an age to remain forever, which age would you choose?
What is one important skill every person should have?
What is your favorite sport to watch?
If you had one free hour each day, how would you use it?
What was the best thing that happened to you this weekend? This month? This year?
How would your friends describe you?
What would be the ultimate gift for you to receive?
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Would you rather be invisible or be able to read minds?
If you had a time machine, what point in the past or future would you visit?
Name two things you consider yourself to be very good at.
If you could live in any period of history, when would it be?
What is the best perk that you have had at a job?
Describe one experience you’ve had where you took a huge leap of faith.
What is the best vacation you’ve ever had?
Where in the world have you been that you thought was paradise?
What is the meaning of your name?
If you could host a talk show, who would be your first guest?
What is one word that you would use to describe your team?
Share a personal fact no one would ever guess about you.
What is the most important personal attribute that you bring to your job?
What is one thing you admire most about the person to the right of you?
What would you like to be known for?
What fictional place would you like to visit?
Share a funny incident in your life.
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
Who would you like to exchange roles with?
What is one of the things on your bucket list?
Describe yourself in 3 words.
What do you enjoy doing to relieve stress?
If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
What do you think you will be doing 20 years from now?
If you didn’t need a job, were healthy, and had plenty of time, what would you do?
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
What is a recent book that you have enjoyed? Why?
What would you do with your “15 minutes” of fame?
Over the course of your life, how many cities have you lived in and which was your favorite?
What was going on during the happiest time of your life?
If you could only take one physical item with you on a deserted island, what it would be?
What’s one sentence you’d like to hear from your boss?
If you could have a dinner with someone who is alive or dead, who would it be and why?
What are you going to do when you retire?

Epic List of Fun Team Building Questions:

If you were a vegetable, what vegetable would you be?
If you woke up tomorrow as an animal, what animal would you choose to be and why?
If you could live anywhere on this planet and take everything that you love with you, where would you choose to live?
What favorite color are you and how does being that color make you feel?
If you could choose an imaginary friend, who would you choose and why?
If you could sit on a bench in a beautiful woods, who would you like sitting next to you on the bench and why?
Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight, or night? Please share why you picked your time of day.
If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why?
If you could be in the movie of your choice, what movie would you choose and what character would you play?
If you could meet any historical figure, who would you choose and why?
If you were a city, which city would you choose to be and why?
What are your 10 favorite foods?
If you were a candy bar, which candy bar would you be? Share why.
If you were to change your name, what name would you adopt going forward? Why?
Are you spring, summer, fall, or winter? Please share why.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you want to have with you?
Share a description of your favorite material object that you already own?
What item that you don’t have already, would you most like to own?
If you could only choose one vacation destination where would you pick and why?
If you were to create a slogan for your life, what would the slogan be?
Pick something out of your pocket or purse and share with the group why it’s important to you.
If you could meet any living person for a chat over a shared dinner, who would you pick and why?
If you awoke one day as a flower, what flower would you choose to be?
If you could choose one hobby that now seems out of your reach either financially or time-wise, what hobby would you take up and why?
Thinking about the architecture of houses, what type of architecture is the best fit for you? What appeals to you about your choice?
If someone made a movie about my life, it would be a __________ (genre), and I’d be played by __________ (actor/actress name).
While on a date, what’s your biggest pet peeve?
What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Who is the quirkiest person in your family?
Tell us about one of your quirks.
What is your favorite joke?
If you were on Mars, what would you do for fun?
I’d hate to be stuck in an elevator with __________.
Where would you go if you were invisible?
When I dance, I look like __________.
Tell us about a person you’ve met and wish you hadn’t.
What’s your biggest pet peeve in general?
If I had a yacht, it would be named __________.
What’s the best thing about being really tall?
If you could change your nationality, what would you change it to?
How long do you take to get out of bed?
Which TV sitcom family would you fit into best?
What is the best insult you can think of?
What fashion trend do you just not understand?
If I were a dictator, I’d name my country __________.
If I could give myself a nickname, it would be __________.
Tell us about the worst haircut you’ve ever had.
How would your worst enemy describe you?
What one sentence would you most like to hear from your boss tomorrow morning?
Which TV game show would you have the best chance of winning?
If you were a chef, your least favorite dish would be __________.
Who is your favorite comedian?
What was the last thing that made you laugh out loud?
Which famous person do you think you look like?
When I write my autobiography, I’m going to call it __________.
What’s the most exotic dish you’ve ever eaten?
What is something about you that most people would find funny if they knew?
How would you describe what you do for a living to a bunch of five-year-olds?
What never fails to make you laugh?
What would you name your pet monkey?
If you had a Second Life avatar, what would they look like?
What makes you geek out?
Which famous person would you ask to autograph your cast?
Which city in America should not be included on a map for tourists? Why?
When did you last get the giggles in an awkward place?
How can you tell if someone’s a nerd?
If you had the chance, would you choose to stay your current age forever?
At which store would you like to max-out your credit card?
Which storybook/cartoon character turns you on the most?
What was your favorite TV show when growing up?
Choose a movie title for the story of your life.
What was your favorite toy as a kid?
How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet?
Can you play any instruments?
What is the oldest thing in your refrigerator?
What is the nerdiest thing you do in your spare time?
What is your favorite cereal?
What, if anything, have you ever re-gifted?
What was the worst punishment you received at school?
What’s the strangest talent you have?
What was your childhood nickname?
Do you have any strange phobias?
What’s your favorite flavor of Pringles?
Have you ever had a poem or a song written about you?
Which way does your toilet paper hang on the wall – over or under?
What, or who, are you a “closet” fan of?
When did you accept a dare that you later regretted?
What is one thing that all of your love-interests have had in common?
Where and when did you have your first kiss?
What are three things still left on your bucket list?
If you could have any one superpower, which would you choose?
What is the worst pet you have ever had?

Incorporating these questions into your meetings, project briefings and debriefings, retreats, and team building activities is an awesome way to get to know your team and co-workers on a deeper level. If you are looking for an even deeper level of connection and team bonding, consider incorporating one or a few of these epic team building games into your workplace! They are sure to get your team fired up and ready to be even more productive as a team! If you want to get even deeper let CityHUNT plan a completely epic and life-changing scavenger hunt for your team in your location! We pride ourselves on our customized hunts that are brought to you to fit your team’s specific needs.

Whether or not you decide to take the next step and incorporate team building games or a CityHUNT scavenger hunt into your organization, these team building and icebreaker questions will get you started on your team bonding journey towards a more cohesive and productive work environment!