Icebreaker-type questions for coworkers

January 31, 2018 1:48 PM

We take turns every week at the office asking a question to learn more about our coworkers (UX designers). It's my turn this week. Can you give me some fun questions to ask?
posted by Dragonness to Human Relations (23 answers total)

Best answer: 'Is cereal soup?' kept our office going for over a week.
posted by phunniemee at 1:50 PM on January 31, 2018 [4 favorites]

Best answer: "If you were a nut, what kind of nut would you be?"

"What's the silliest thing you've ever done that you're willing to admit?"

"What's your hobby?"

Tell two truths and a lie about yourself is one of those cheesy icebreaker things that actually works.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:52 PM on January 31, 2018

Best answer: "Is cheesecake pie?" is similar to "Is cereal soup?"

If Hollywood made a movie about our office, who would play you and why? What about the person to your left?

One time a coworker answered the "two truths and a lie" question with "I shot a tiger when I was five," "I crashed two planes into the Indian Ocean" and "I hate beets," which was a lie.
posted by carmicha at 1:58 PM on January 31, 2018 [11 favorites]

Best answer: This could, possibly, be the best ever use of Richard Herring's Emergency Questions app. But you should maybe download the app and choose some questions first rather than picking the questions in front of your colleagues - they range from the brilliantly-discussion provoking ("Would you rather have a hand made out of ham, or an armpit that dispenses suncream?") to the definitely NSFW ("Have you ever tried to suck your own cock?").

(For context: They originated on RH's podcast, to be deployed when he ran out questions for the comedians he interviewed, and quickly gained enough momentum of their own that they spawned two books and the app.)
posted by penguin pie at 2:04 PM on January 31, 2018 [7 favorites]

Best answer: If you're in UX, you may already know the Signal v Noise blog, but they just posted the 25 most popular ice-breakers.
posted by homesickness at 2:09 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Two truths and a lie is so fun (it does take a while though).

What (movie) (book) (tv) character would you be and why?

What did you want to be when you grew up when you were (5) (10) (however old)?
posted by snaw at 2:16 PM on January 31, 2018

Best answer: What is your favourite bad TV show? was probably the best ice-breaker I've ever heard. By the end everyone was just using their time to argue with earlier answers and laughing. We still argue about whether or not this show or that counts as "bad".
posted by fshgrl at 2:48 PM on January 31, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: What musician do you secretly like but are ashamed to admit in public? (Celine Dion, here)

Do you know what happened the day the music died? (Most people will guess it was the day Lennon was killed, but it was actually when Ritchie Valens, Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper had their plane crash. May not work with a millennial crowd.)
posted by Liesl at 3:01 PM on January 31, 2018

Best answer: I recently bookmarked an article about ice breakers to use at work. There are some good ones included.

The 25 Most Popular Ice Breakers

The question "what was your first job" generated some interesting conversation and stories.
posted by JennyJupiter at 3:47 PM on January 31, 2018 [2 favorites]

Best answer: "What is a talent you have that most people here probably don't know about?"

I've worked at the same place 10 years now and although my co-workers know I am good at public speaking, none of them know I also sing pretty darn well. I've never had a reason to sing around them.
posted by tacodave at 4:09 PM on January 31, 2018

Best answer: What's your favorite song to sing out loud?
What's the last book you read and what did you think of it?
A person that you admire and why
If you were going to pick one word as the "theme" of your year, what would it be?
What's something you do for self-care?
3 things you can't live without
What did you want to be when you grew up?

Also - a colleague therapist of mine used to initiate daily or weekly "highs and lows" check ins and it was really popular for us (YMMV as a group of therapists will ALWAYS want to do that) and prompted a lot of great conversations.
posted by fairlynearlyready at 4:12 PM on January 31, 2018

Best answer: How many holes does a drinking straw have?

Also, what makes an ideal travelling companion?
posted by pseudostrabismus at 5:34 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

What/when/where was the first concert you ever attended? Who else was there?
posted by JoeZydeco at 5:43 PM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]

"To what extent do you resent being forced to disclose personal details in order to 'fit in' and 'get along'?"

(This is a suggestion that maybe questions like these are not universally welcomed or appreciated.)
posted by Lexica at 10:12 PM on January 31, 2018 [4 favorites]

Do you have any poems memorized?
posted by red chip blue chip at 11:00 PM on January 31, 2018

Best answer: "Tell us about your most embarrassing public moment." is usually fun
posted by artdrectr at 1:31 AM on February 1, 2018

Best answer: Given these nine groups of animals, which two groups would you choose to defend yourself from attack by the remaining seven?
posted by rollick at 6:39 AM on February 1, 2018

Have you ever been arrested?
posted by emd3737 at 7:01 AM on February 1, 2018

Best answer: Name the kind of pet you would have enjoyed having as a child, in spite of your family's objections?
If you could spend a year away from home, all expenses paid, where would you go?
If you could apprentice with one artist currently living, who would you choose?
posted by TrishaU at 8:08 AM on February 1, 2018

Best answer: What was your favorite band when you were in high school?
posted by AJaffe at 12:45 PM on February 1, 2018

If Hollywood made a movie about our office, who would play you and why? What about the person to your left?

I don't usually mind these types of get to know you things, but this question is like my worst nightmare. It's basically asking 'okay, how do you see yourself? Now what famous person can you compare yourself to in a way that is slightly self deprecating but also kind of cool and funny and contains a hint of the truth? Additionally, who can you compare your coworker to that won't offend them or throw them into an existential crisis where they have to reconsider their entire self image? If you navigate those pitfalls, you can still choose a super dumb comparison for either which will cement your office reputation as boring, unfunny and out of touch.'

Something silly like 'Is cereal soup?' is way more fun for me. Also, two truths and a lie is always fun.
posted by geegollygosh at 4:02 PM on February 1, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: "What is the weirdest/worst job you ever had?" can elicit some really fascinating answers. Be careful, though, because you never know when someone might say, "This job. I hate working here."
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 6:03 AM on February 2, 2018 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Speaking as an Asian American female, I would skip asking people to cast their coworkers in a Hollywood film. It is not very fun and pretty awkward for people whose physical / ethnic types who aren’t well represented in the media.
posted by sestaaak at 5:49 PM on February 2, 2018 [1 favorite]