Now that all of our meetings are online, it’s more important than ever to start each one with an ice-breaker:
- Social interactions don’t happen by chance anymore. Whilst working remotely, you need to encourage the casual conversations which would often occur naturally in the office.
- Help your team bond. You’ll learn something new about your teammates, perhaps something you have in common, which is proven to increase trust and collaboration.
- Increase engagement. By getting everyone’s voices in the first 5 minutes of the meeting, you’ll increase participation for the rest of the meeting!
Here are our favourite ice-breakers and warm-up questions from the Saberr team.
What did you have for breakfast?
Why? “It’s low risk or inconsequential which makes people feel safe in answering. But it’s also a good way to get people comfortable sharing things that are more personal and less work-related.”
What was your first job?
Why? “A simple question that's easy to answer but allows you to share something about your life outside work. A lot of people were teenagers when they started work so it might prompt some funny stories as well!”
What are you proud of having accomplished this week?
Why? “It encourages people to think back and to acknowledge their own successes — either personal or work-related. However small they may be.”
If you could choose your age forever, what age would you choose and why?
Why? “No matter how long you’ve been working together, you can always learn something new about your colleagues with a question like this”
If you magically had more free time, what would you spend it on?
Why? “Simple and safe as it allows people to talk about anything and reveals a bit about them or what they value.”
What are you bringing with you today?
Why? “It’s quick, helps people offload and gives you a sense of what headspace each person is in.”
What are you grateful for?
Why? “People can answer this by explaining how they overcame a challenge, or simply to share something good!”
What’s the story of your shoes?
Why? “People first look down, take a moment to reflect. Then you listen and the stories reveal so much about how the person thinks and communicates.”
See the full Manager's Remote Working Handbook here.
