Welcome Wednesday: What's your favorite icebreaker? 🧊

[Dave Liao]

🏁 How do you start a conversation started?

🛜 How do you get people to connect?

If you're meeting new teammates, or are at a social mixer, what icebreakers have you heard - or tried yourself - to get a conversation flowing? What has worked well for you, especially in situations where there might be a diversity of languages spoken, or of the participants themselves?

Looking forward to hearing what the community has tried!

🔎 And yes, if you search Community there's a few posts on icebreakers, including some in the Teamwork Lab collection!

[Matt Doar _Adaptavist_]

Pre-prepared icebreakers alway make myecringe a bit. So I talk about where I live and work, and people often respond with their own places. Or I ask how to properly say their name if I'm not sure. 

But I'd love to go on one of the nuclear-powered icebreakers that run cruises in the Arctic!

[Jimmy Seddon]

I believe it was at Team '24 that the Community Managers handed out a deck of conversation starter cards to Community Champions to use as Ice Breakers at local events.

One of them is: "Is there a skill you'd like to learn?"

I have altered that slightly for virtual social events for our company to:

"If you could instantly master one skill what would it be? and why?"

That one usually results in some very passionate answers.

[Amanda Barber]

I really like the idea of a lot of the suggestions from this site - these nametags seem like a great way to jump into a true connection (and maybe I'd actually remember someone's name if I made a real connection first!) https://shop.weand.me/products/we-connect-sticker-nametags

Other than that, I rarely need icebreakers without a context I feel comfortable chatting in (like the gym, kids' activities, etc - they all offer an easy way into conversation.) 

Currently, here in the United States, I like to determine if I want to have further conversation by starting with some political statement or question. 🤪

[Natalie Beiler]

I'm with you @Amanda Barber in that I find it pretty natural to jump into a conversation with a contextual question depending on the setting. 

[Andy Gladstone]

@Dave Liao you know me well enough to know that I am the person that the ice-breakers are intended for, otherwise I'll just sit quietly in my corner hoping that no one speaks to me. 99% of the time, I am the ice. 

That being said, my favorite 'hey I don't know you, but I'm going to ask you a question that coming from a stranger will shock you' moment was when I was approached by someone at a conference and asked what my annual income was. No hello. No what's your name. Just a straight shot looking for a number. I remember just blinking and being confused whether I heard the request correctly. By the time I came to, he had moved on to someone else. 

[Matt Doar _Adaptavist_]

Wow. That's a child's tongue in an adult's head. 

[Barbara Szczesniak]

If I've met the person once or twice before, I generally start with something like, "I'm Barb. I know we've met before, but I have forgotten your name." I'd rather know their name than pretend I know their name.

If we haven't met, I will ask their name on meeting and before walking away in the hope that I will remember it when I see them again. 

[Andrea Dunlop]

When I’m meeting new people—whether it’s teammates or people at a social event—I usually start with something simple and natural. I’m a pretty warm, positive person, so I like to make eye contact first. Once someone meets my eyes, I’ll smile, ask their name, and mention that we haven’t met yet.

From there, I just let the conversation flow on its own. Sometimes it’s quick if we don’t really click, but other times we end up having a great chat and even exchange numbers. Honestly, my best icebreaker is that initial eye contact—it sets the tone and makes it easier for the other person to open up.