Tool
Icebreaker questions
A working set for remote teams, grouped by how much they ask of the person answering.
Low stakes — for a team that has just met
Answerable in one line, revealing nothing anybody would rather keep private.
- What is on your desk that has no business being there?
- What is the last thing you looked up to settle an argument?
- Which everyday task do you enjoy far more than you should?
- What is a small thing that reliably improves your day?
Medium — for a team that already talks
These invite an opinion rather than a fact, which is where the interesting disagreements live.
- What advice in your field do you quietly think is wrong?
- What is the most useful thing you learned by doing it badly first?
- Which tool would you defend in public and complain about in private?
Warmer — for a team that trusts each other
Save these for groups that have earned them. Asked too early they read as an interview.
- What were you doing five years ago, and would that person be surprised?
- What is something you changed your mind about?
- What part of your work would you keep if you only kept one?