The best ice breaker questions for work invite people to talk about something they care about, not recite their job title. Eran Thomson, founder of PowerProv, shares five in the video above. Each one opens a better conversation than "What do you do?"
Below you'll find the five questions, why each one works, and how to ask them so they land.
- The questions that connect people best often aren't funny. They're the ones that let someone reveal a bit more of themselves.
- Skip “What do you do?” and “Where are you from?” Eran Thomson calls them some of the worst ways to break the ice.
- Eran's personal favourite is “What's the most interesting thing that's happened to you this week?”
- Whether a question gets a laugh depends on how you ask it and who you ask.
- A question opens the door. Listening to the answer is what builds the connection.
Why Do "What Do You Do?" and "Where Are You From?" Fail?
"What do you do?" and "Where are you from?" fail because people answer them on autopilot. Eran Thomson calls them among the worst things you can ask if you want to connect with someone. The answer is a label, and a label doesn't tell you who the person is.
People often ask PowerProv for funny ice breaker questions. Eran's view is that the questions that crack someone open and make you feel more connected often aren't funny at all. It's the same myth PowerProv runs into about improv. Improv isn't about being funny. It's a set of tools for being present, listening, and backing the people around you.
Research supports going a little deeper. A study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology by Michael Kardas, Amit Kumar and Nicholas Epley found that people underestimate how interested others are in what they reveal about themselves. Deeper conversations between strangers felt less awkward and more connecting than people expected.
| Ice breaker question | What it opens up |
|---|---|
| What's the most interesting thing that's happened to you this week? | A recent story, usually told with a smile |
| What have you learned recently? | What the person is curious and excited about |
| What have you discovered that you're bad at lately? | A laugh, and some shared humility |
| What's something that really drives you crazy? | Strong opinions and funny stories |
| What are you better at or know more about than most people that's not related to your work? | Hidden passions and skills |
1. What's the Most Interesting Thing That's Happened to You This Week?
This is Eran Thomson's personal favourite ice breaker question. It works because it's specific, it's recent, and almost nobody gets asked it.
Eran says you'll watch people respond "quite joyfully, often with a laugh, because it's not every day that they get asked." The person gets to choose what counts as interesting, so the answer can be as big or as small as they like.
2. What Have You Learned Recently?
This question is more thoughtful, and it says something about the person asking. In Eran's words, it "signals that you care about knowledge, wisdom and learning."
It also leads somewhere good. If someone is learning something, they're probably excited about it. As Eran puts it, there's nothing anyone loves talking about more than the thing they're passionate about.
“So much fun! Not your-run-of-the-mill team offsite. A wonderful way to get to know the team IRL.”
3. What Have You Discovered That You're Bad at Lately?
This is the question most likely to get a laugh. Eran says it "can lead to some really hilarious and fun, authentic conversations."
It works because it makes a small failure safe to share. That matters at work. PowerProv teaches teams to treat failure as a chance to learn, not a reason to point fingers. If a leader answers this one first, it shows everyone else it's safe to do the same.
4. What's Something That Really Drives You Crazy?
Everyone has an answer to this one, and most people enjoy giving it. Eran says it can lead to some funny conversations.
It's a low-risk way to hear what a colleague cares about. A pet peeve is personal enough to be interesting and light enough for any meeting.
5. What Are You Better at or Know More About Than Most People That's Not Related to Your Work?
This question finds the person behind the job title. Eran says it connects to "passions and experiences and knowledge and wisdom", which are the things people love talking about.
It's also the one most likely to surprise a team. People who've worked side by side for years can still learn something new about each other.
How Do You Ask Ice Breaker Questions for Work?
Ask one ice breaker question, then listen to the answer. The question only opens the door. What you do next decides whether it builds a connection.
- Pick one. Five questions in a row feels like an interview.
- Mind your tone. Eran notes these questions "may or may not be funny, depending on how you ask them and who you ask."
- Follow up. Harvard researchers found that people who ask more questions, particularly follow-up questions, are better liked by the people they talk to.
- Answer it yourself. If you're leading the meeting, go first and keep it short.
Following up is a skill, and it can be trained. It's a core part of PowerProv's active listening work with teams.
When Should You Use Ice Breaker Questions at Work?
Use ice breaker questions for work whenever people need to connect before they collaborate. Good moments include the start of a team meeting, a new starter's first week, an offsite, or a one-on-one with someone you don't know well.
Questions suit a group that's sitting down and talking. If the team needs energy, or needs to get out of its chairs, PowerProv's three favourite ice breaker games are a better fit.
A good question starts a conversation. It doesn't build a team by itself. For what does, see PowerProv's guide to fun team bonding. PowerProv's workshops help teams of 10 or more connect, communicate and collaborate, and the results are measured. According to PowerProv's Personal Power Index™, a longitudinal study that began in 2023, 98% of participants improve their listening, collaboration and professional relationships.
“Well suited to any organisation that wants to help their teams connect more, improve focus, active listening and have fun.”
- Ask about the person, not the job title. The best ice breaker questions for work let people talk about what they find interesting, what they're learning and what they love.
- The question is the easy part. Connection comes from listening to the answer. PowerProv trains teams to do that, and measures the result.
Want your team to connect like this every day, not only at the start of a meeting? Book a discovery call, or see how it works first.
Read the full video transcript
Ice breaker questions. Funny icebreaker questions. Fun icebreaker questions for work. We get asked this question all the time. What are five great funny icebreaker questions I can use at work? And the reality is that icebreaker questions, the questions that can crack someone open and make you feel more connected and put you in a more collaborative position, often aren't funny.
I think one of the biggest challenges we have at PowerProv is overcoming the myth that improv is about being funny. It really isn't. It's a set of tools and techniques that help you get better at being present, being aware, responding in the moment, thinking fast on your feet, leaning into intuition and instinct, trusting yourself and each other, having each other's backs, supporting each other's actions, choices and decisions, making each other look good, and embracing failure as an opportunity for growth and learning rather than finger-pointing and blame. None of that is funny.
But if you want to break the ice with someone or connect with them, I think one of the worst things you can do is ask, "What do you do?" or "Where are you from?" So I want to share with you now five great icebreaker questions for work that may or may not be funny, depending on how you ask them and who you ask them to.
The first is, "What's the most interesting thing that's happened to you this week?" This is probably my personal favourite. What's the most interesting thing that's happened to you this week? You'll watch people respond to this question quite joyfully, often with a laugh, because it's not every day that they get asked, and it's a special question that gets great answers. So that's my first.
The second is, "What have you learned recently?" This is a little more thoughtful and maybe in the head, but what I think it shows is that you're a person who cares about personal development and professional development. When you ask someone what they've learned recently, it signals that you care about knowledge, wisdom and learning. And if they're learning something, it's probably something they're passionate about and excited about. There's nothing anyone loves talking about more than the thing they're excited about or passionate about. So I love that one.
Another that I love, that can be quite funny, is, "What have you discovered that you're bad at lately?" So, what have you discovered that you're bad at lately? That can lead to some really hilarious and fun, authentic conversations.
Another one I love is, "What's something that really drives you crazy?" What's something that really drives you crazy? That can lead to some funny conversations. And again, these are all so much better than what do you do, where are you from.
And then the last funny icebreaker question I'll share with you is, "What are you better at or know more about than most people that's not related to your work?" What are you better at or know more about than most people that's not related to your work? Again, this is connecting to passions and experiences and knowledge and wisdom, and those are things people love talking about.
So by opening the door with these five funny icebreaker questions, you're creating opportunities for people to reveal more of themselves in an authentic way that will build connection and improve opportunities for communication and collaboration down the track. I think they're really powerful and really fun. So those are my five fun and funny ice breaker questions for work. There's probably a whole bunch of others we could think of, and I'd be happy to spend time with you thinking about it.
But really, what I want you to do next is consider whether or not PowerProv might be a fit for your team. We are experts at getting people to connect, communicate and collaborate, building confidence, improving camaraderie, and we can prove what we do works. We've got the Personal Power Index, which is a longitudinal study started in 2023. The data proves it. We are transforming teams, and I'd love to share more with you about that. So I invite you to get in touch, and I look forward to chatting with you. Thanks for watching.
Sources
- Overly Shallow?: Miscalibrated Expectations Create a Barrier to Deeper Conversation · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Kardas, Kumar & Epley)
- It Doesn't Hurt to Ask: Question-Asking Increases Liking · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Huang, Yeomans, Brooks, Minson & Gino)
- Personal Power Index™ · PowerProv
Frequently asked questions
What is a good question to ask for an ice breaker?
A good ice breaker question is one a person hasn't answered a hundred times before. Eran Thomson, founder of PowerProv, recommends "What's the most interesting thing that's happened to you this week?" It's his personal favourite, because people don't get asked it every day and they often answer with a laugh.
What is a good icebreaker question for work?
A good icebreaker question for work is "What have you learned recently?" PowerProv's Eran Thomson says it signals that you care about knowledge and learning, and it gets people talking about something they're excited about. It stays professional while telling you far more than "What do you do?" ever will.
What are some fun questions to ask a group?
Two fun questions to ask a group are "What have you discovered that you're bad at lately?" and "What's something that really drives you crazy?" PowerProv's Eran Thomson says both can lead to funny, authentic conversations. Everyone has an answer, and nobody needs to be clever or witty to give one.
What are some good icebreakers for an office meeting?
For an office meeting, pick one question and give everyone a turn. PowerProv suggests "What's the most interesting thing that's happened to you this week?" or "What are you better at or know more about than most people that's not related to your work?" Both help colleagues learn something new about each other.
What are some fun icebreakers for a teams meeting?
A single good question is a fun, simple ice breaker for a team meeting. PowerProv's Eran Thomson shares five, including "What have you discovered that you're bad at lately?" If the team would rather get on its feet, PowerProv also shares three ice breaker games it uses to open workshops.
