Work meetings, get-togethers, and teamwork within companies are formal tasks. Employees don’t always show all they can contribute or feel they may be judged for their opinions. That’s why it’s important to know how to break the ice and make employees feel comfortable, making work days more enjoyable and fun.
The Harvard Business Review conducted a study in an organization with 11 managers and an executive committee. It calculated that a single weekly committee meeting consumed a total of 300,000 hours per year. Making these 300,000 hours productive is often a matter of reaching out to employees.
Breaking the ice has the power to strengthen the bonds between co-workers. It helps to stimulate better brainstorming sessions and create an atmosphere of inclusion. And to achieve all this, we’ve put together a list of the best ice breaker games and activities.
Summary
- Knowing how to break the ice can strengthen the bonds between co-workers.
- It is important to create an atmosphere of trust and inclusion so that employees are more open in meetings.
- Being innovative in meetings makes employees more attentive and keeps them interested.
The best ice breaker games and activities for employees: the ultimate list
A key aspect of starting a meeting is the right atmosphere. It is not advisable to start a meeting in a cold, unfriendly manner.
You should create a friendly and informal atmosphere so that people feel confident and tension is reduced. And to achieve this, we would like to show you the 10 best ice breaker games.
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1. Guess the childhood photo
“Guess the childhood photo” requires collecting fun childhood photos of the workers. During the meeting or activity, you’ll show them to employees, and they must guess which co-worker is in every photo. It is a perfect game for the participation of the whole team, managers, and employees.
Nowadays, videoconference meetings are part of established social routines and practices. “Guess the childhood photo” can be used in this type of meeting, with the option of screen sharing, as well as in face-to-face meetings.
2. Questions and answers
“Questions and answers” is one of the simplest activities that a company can perform to break the ice among its employees. It is based on randomly asked questions. They can be work-related or nonwork-related, more personal or trivial in nature. The questions can be posed by the employees themselves to other employees, or a few questions can be selected and answered by all employees.
A good relationship between boss and employee improves the impression that the employee has of the organization. With this activity, you can work on this relationship. It helps employees to get to know each other better and helps managers to talk to employees.
3. What would you prefer?
“What would you prefer?” This is one of the games that all children play on occasion. It is based on asking questions where you have to choose what you prefer between the two things. It is an excellent ice breaker game for work, and it doesn’t require any preparation, as the questions can come up on their own.
Some examples of the questions:
- Would you rather have just summer or winter for the rest of your life?
- Would you prefer to travel all over the world, but never return to your country or never leave your country?
- Would you rather travel for free by plane, or sleep for free in hotels?
- Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?
- Would you rather eat only your favorite food every day, or eat a variety of food but never be able to taste your favorite food again?
- Would you rather win 1 million EUR and not be able to use your cell phone anymore, or keep using your cell phone without the 1 million EUR?
4. Themed meetings
Themed meetings are a great way to break the ice. There are certain times of the year when you can suggest this type of meeting. Call a meeting where everyone has to go characterized with Christmas motifs, with their most terrifying costumes or look for the most original costume. This can make that meeting, which nobody wants to attend, the most successful and unforgettable. Some examples of themes are:
- Christmas
- Halloween
- Carnival
- Vintage
- Superheroes
- Musical
5. 18 years old or younger
“18 years old or younger” is a very attractive ice breaker game. It requires encouraging team members to share funny or interesting stories that happened to them before they turned 18. They can also talk about activities they did or accomplishments they achieved. Unexpected stories, or hidden skills among co-workers, are sure to emerge.
6. Two truths and a lie
“Two truths and a lie” is a classic among ice breakers. To play the game, people have to tell three facts about themselves, two of which are true and one of which is a lie. The rest of the team have to guess which ones are true and which one is a lie. It’s a fun way to get to know employees better.
For example, I am a professional salsa dancer, I appeared on a TV show, or I won a photo contest. Which one is a lie?
7. Fantastic stories
“Fantastic stories” is an ice breaker game where everyone will have to think quickly. A story will be started, and each participant will have to make up three sentences to add to it. The last sentence will have to have a plot twist before switching to the next one.
Each player will be able to change the story as they wish and complicate at for the next partner. A way to have fun, give free rein to the imagination and create a relaxed atmosphere.
8. Guess the character
A classic at any gathering of friends, and one that can be applied at work, is the “Guess the character” game. Someone should write the names of famous people or work colleagues on a piece of paper, and the others should imitate the person or character. This should always be done respectfully and only with gestures or facial expressions. A fun way to see how others perceive us.
9. Who is it?
“Who is it?” is a way to break the ice and get to know new and surprising things about the workers. All participants should write a unique, strange or unexpected fact about themselves on a piece of paper. All the papers will be placed in an urn together and pulled out one at a time and read aloud. The rest of the team must guess who wrote it.
10. One Word
The ice breaker game “One word” serves to provide an initial context for the topic of a meeting and get everyone ready for discussion. The participants in a meeting should be divided into smaller groups. For a few minutes, they will have to think of one word on the assigned topic and then share it with the group.
Those attending a meeting must know the topic and that this topic affects them so that they feel involved. Everyone is encouraged to think about the topic to be discussed at the meeting, but in smaller groups, making communication easier.
Conclusion
The success or failure of a meeting can be judged in the first ten to fifteen minutes. Ice breaker games help to achieve that success. At first, they may cause disagreement or disinterest, but in the long run, they are a great way to build trust in the team.
Read about Zoom Meeting Ice Breakers
Any of these games are perfect to play at the next business meeting. Many of them can be applied both face-to-face and remotely. They help employees have a better impression of the company and build a better relationship with management.
