Top 10x icebreakers for a kickass meeting
Starting well is half the battle, and this applies to a meeting, brainstorm, or workshop too. Therefore, a good icebreaker is an essential ingredient for every productive meeting. Icebreakers literally break the ice. They are short, bring participants closer together, and create a relaxed and safe atmosphere. And if you choose an external meeting location, score extra points by incorporating your meet-out location into your icebreaker. Need some inspiration? Discover our personal top 10 here.
Icebreaker #1: My First Job
We start with our favorite icebreaker. It’s everything an icebreaker should be: it doesn’t take time or effort to set up, is simple, and goes straight to the point.
Here’s how it works! Ask each participant to write down their first job and one lesson they learned from it. Then, let everyone share their story. It’s a great warm-up because it doesn’t require too much thinking and allows participants to quickly, informally, and professionally get to know each other.
Icebreaker #2: Say It with One Word
The second icebreaker on our shortlist is not only a perfect audience warm-up but also creates context for the meeting or workshop that follows. The goal is to become familiar with the meeting’s topic in an informal way.
Here’s how it works! Divide the team into smaller groups or pairs and ask each group to come up with one word that describes a specific topic. For example, if the goal of the meeting is to brainstorm new ways to improve customer service, ask them to describe the current process in one word. If you want to collect ideas for a new marketing campaign, ask them to describe the main goal of the next campaign in one word. Afterwards, each group shares its word. Remember that the goal here is not to collect useful ideas, but to get all participants excited about the topic.
Icebreaker #3: Who seeks, shall find
This icebreaker is perfect for breaking the ice in a playful way. During this lightning-fast search, you bring out the competitive spirit in everyone in a lighthearted way.
Here’s how it works! Here’s how it works! As the leader, you name an item that all members of your team must quickly find in their bags and bring to you. Have them search for a red pen, a coin, their car keys, or a photo of a colleague on their smartphone. Besides the feel-good endorphins that will be released, you’ll also spark conversation among the participants. Mission accomplished.
Icebreaker #4: Why? Because!
Number four gets your team talking in a spontaneous way with fun, non-work-related questions, encouraging creative thinking.
Here’s how it works! Come up with a list of playful questions beforehand and have everyone take turns answering them. It’s that simple. Keep your questions light and inclusive, ensuring that all participants can answer. In other words, avoid topics that not everyone may know about, such as your favorite character from a specific TV program. So, what are some great questions to ask?
- If you could have dinner with any celebrity, who would you invite and why?
- What is your most valuable possession and why?
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?
- If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what would you choose and why?
- If you woke up as an expert in something, what area of expertise would you choose and why?
- If you were stranded on a deserted island, what item would you definitely bring and why?
- …
Icebreaker #5: This or That?
This icebreaker is similar to the previous one but is ideal if you want to pick up the pace. It’s a classic that’s enjoyed by both young and old, from playgrounds to boardrooms.
Here’s how it works! Present participants with hypothetical dilemmas that require quick decision-making. You can give each member two colored answer cards (green is for answer A, blue is for answer B). Or stretch your legs and make every corner of the room a possible answer. Again, keep the dilemmas light and inclusive to avoid awkward situations. Will you choose this or that?
- Texting or calling?
- Coffee or tea?
- Washing dishes or drying dishes?
- Behind the scenes or on stage?
- A modern sports car or a vintage one?
- Giving gifts or receiving gifts?
- Never watching TV again or never listening to music again?
- Always being late or always being early?
- Climbing a mountain or skydiving?
- Traveling to the past or the future?
Icebreaker #6: Guess who?
This icebreaker works well with teams who already know each other. The goal is to bring the members even closer and promote empathy within the group. By adding a game element, this icebreaker focuses on maximizing laughter.
Here’s how it works! Each participant writes a random fact about themselves that others might not know. Think of a weird family tradition, surprising talent, guilty pleasure, or life motto. Collect all the notes, read them aloud, and have the other participants guess which fact belongs to which team member. When all votes are in, ask the “rightful owner” to reveal themselves and give some extra explanation. Or even demonstrate! Who can keep the best poker face?
Icebreaker #7: What’s in Your Pocket?
Get to know your team quickly with the pocket moment. For this icebreaker, you need nothing but your team and their own pockets.
Here’s how it works! Ask each participant to take an object from their pocket, bag, or wallet that tells more about themselves. Think of a personalized keychain, a receipt from the last restaurant visit, a bakery loyalty card, or a gym membership card. Afterward, everyone gets half a minute to introduce their chosen item to each other. You might find out fun stuff about each other.
Icebreaker #8: Counting to 20
With this icebreaker, you can test whether your team members have a good sense of each other. You can also discover other qualities among them. Who in your team likes to take the lead and who prefers to stay in the background?
Here’s how it works! Everyone closes their eyes. The goal is to count to 20 together without pre-arranging who will say which number. The task is only successful if everyone has had a turn at least once. As the leader, you start the game by saying the number 1 aloud. Then another participant continues counting. To make it more challenging, you can also say multiple numbers in a row. However, if multiple members say the next number simultaneously, the group must start over.
Icebreaker #9: With Whom?
This icebreaker creates hilarious situations and is a great way to kick off your meeting with some fun.
Here’s how it works! Give everyone five cards with the same five people on them (for example, my boss, friend, colleague, parent, mail carrier…). These people can be anyone, but make sure everyone knows someone in this category. Then ask quick questions that participants must answer with one of the cards. Don’t be afraid to be surprising:
- With whom would you most like to go skydiving?
- Who would you never dare to send on a peacekeeping mission?
- With whom would you most like to sail across the ocean?
- Who would you ask for relationship advice?
- …
If you’re meeting with a small team that already knows each other well, you can also write each team member’s name on the cards. And if you’d rather avoid a fight – although that can also count as a powerful icebreaker – don’t ask questions like “Which colleague has the shortest fuse” or “With which colleague would you never want to go on a business trip”.
Icebreaker #10: Speed Dating
If the participants don’t know each other (yet), this icebreaker is the perfect appetizer.
Here’s how it works! Make pairs in advance or let participants choose a partner they haven’t met or spoken to yet. Then give them 1 minute to discover two things they have in common or to come up with two ways they could help each other. When time is up, they switch partners.
A good start is half the battle
An effective icebreaker is only the start of a good brainstorm or meeting. Because good preparation, tight time management, and varied meeting formats are also essential ingredients to give your meeting flavor. Choose productive meetings and check out our 7 tips for less meeting waste and more productivity or discover 8 tips to boost your meeting.
By the way, did you know that holding meetings in an external location adds a wow factor to every meeting? A new environment creates more connection, creativity, and focus. Discover all the benefits of offsite meetings or try it out for yourself and book a meeting location at Meeting-out.
