Meeting Icebreakers That Do Not Feel Awkward

Low-pressure prompts for meetings, stand-ups and new teams.

Avoid forcing people to reveal private information. Good work icebreakers are quick, relevant and optional, and they should help people speak without turning the meeting into a performance.

Before you start

Avoid forcing people to reveal private information. Good work icebreakers are quick, relevant and optional, and they should help people speak without turning the meeting into a performance. Low-pressure prompts for meetings, stand-ups and new teams. A useful rule of thumb is to keep instructions short, give everyone a clear turn, and stop or change the activity when the group is no longer enjoying it.

For a random version, prepare the acceptable options in advance and use the TossUp tools to make the selection visible.

A simple approach

Avoid forcing people to reveal private information. Good work icebreakers are quick, relevant and optional, and they should help people speak without turning the meeting into a performance. Low-pressure prompts for meetings, stand-ups and new teams. A useful rule of thumb is to keep instructions short, give everyone a clear turn, and stop or change the activity when the group is no longer enjoying it.

For a random version, prepare the acceptable options in advance and use the TossUp tools to make the selection visible.

Keep the activity moving

Avoid forcing people to reveal private information. Good work icebreakers are quick, relevant and optional, and they should help people speak without turning the meeting into a performance. Low-pressure prompts for meetings, stand-ups and new teams. A useful rule of thumb is to keep instructions short, give everyone a clear turn, and stop or change the activity when the group is no longer enjoying it.

For a random version, prepare the acceptable options in advance and use the TossUp tools to make the selection visible.

Make it work for your group

Avoid forcing people to reveal private information. Good work icebreakers are quick, relevant and optional, and they should help people speak without turning the meeting into a performance. Low-pressure prompts for meetings, stand-ups and new teams. A useful rule of thumb is to keep instructions short, give everyone a clear turn, and stop or change the activity when the group is no longer enjoying it.

For a random version, prepare the acceptable options in advance and use the TossUp tools to make the selection visible.

Frequently asked questions