The first few minutes of a meeting or a party set the tone for everything after. A good icebreaker gets each person talking about themselves for a few seconds without putting them on the spot, and gives everyone else a hook to keep the conversation going.
The wheel steers clear of overly personal questions and of tired classics such as “describe yourself in three words”. Each result shows the full question and a tip for running it: timing, a follow-up, or how to do it on a video call. The Work variant is for opening a meeting or welcoming a new team member; the Party variant helps you get talking with strangers without falling back on “so, what do you do?”.
How to use it
- Choose the variant that fits: a work team or a group meeting for the first time.
- Spin the wheel and read the question aloud, then answer first yourself to show how long an answer should be.
- Hand over in a clear order (round the table, or each person picks the next) and aim for 30 seconds each.
- Anyone can pass without giving a reason; offer them another chance at the end if they want it.
All the options
- First ever job
- What was your very first job, and what did it teach you? Answers range from delivering newspapers to waiting tables and often reveal an unexpected skill.
- Best advice received
- What is the best piece of work advice you have ever been given? Ask who it came from: the story behind it matters as much as the advice.
- Hidden skill
- What skill do you have that your colleagues would never guess? Note the answers: they will come in handy the day the team needs someone who speaks Italian or can edit a video.
- Tool you can’t live without
- Which tool, app or desk item could you not do without? The round usually turns into a swap of tips that help everyone.
- Win of the week
- What small win from this week would you like to share? One sentence each keeps the round under five minutes.
- How you start the day
- How do you start a working day: coffee, a to-do list, email, or none of those? A quick question that works well on video calls.
- Dream job at 8
- What did you want to be when you were 8? Ask what is left of it in your current role: the link is often surprising.
- Perfect lunch break
- Where and how would you spend the perfect lunch break? A good opener for a team that has just moved to a new office or area.
- Currently learning
- What are you learning at the moment, at work or elsewhere? Suggest that people learning the same thing swap resources.
- Proudest project
- Which project are you proudest of, and why? For a longer round, ask what obstacle had to be overcome along the way.
- Office superpower
- Which superpower would be most useful to you at work? It sounds light-hearted, but it reveals the real daily frustrations.
- Dream remote office
- If you could work from anywhere for a week, where would you go? In a remote team, everyone can share a photo of the place.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a good icebreaker question?
One that everyone can answer in under thirty seconds without revealing anything awkward. Memories, tastes and habits work better than salary, family life or opinions.
How long should an icebreaker last in a meeting?
Five minutes at most for an hour-long meeting, which is about 30 seconds each for ten people. With more than fifteen, answer in small groups or in the chat.
What is a good icebreaker for a video call?
A question that calls for a short or visual answer (showing an object or a photo), with people invited to speak by name to avoid awkward silences. The chat also lets everyone answer at the same time.
How do you start a conversation with strangers at a party?
Skip “what do you do?” and ask about something the person enjoys or has done recently. Listen to the answer and ask a genuine follow-up before talking about yourself.