Better team questions

Why better questions matter

We’ve all been forced into awkward icebreakers that make everyone want to sink into their chairs.

These questions are designed to be approachable, light-hearted, and genuinely interesting. Use them at the start of team kick-offs, sprint retrospectives, planning sessions, or 1:1s to help people get to know each other, without any pressure.

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Light and easy (great for quick warm-ups & retros)

What’s the last great TV show or movie you watched?

What is your most used emoji?

Coffee, tea, or neither?

What’s your favourite sandwich?

Sunrise or sunset?

Favourite season?

What was your least favourite food as a child? Do you still hate it or love it now?

What is your favourite breakfast food?

What’s your favourite flower or plant?

What is your favourite item you’ve bought this year?

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Imagination and a bit of fun (great for team kick-offs)

If you could learn one new skill, what would it be?

You have your own late-night talk show, who do you invite as your first guest?

If you were famous, what would you be famous for?

If you were left on a deserted island, what’s one luxury item you’d take with you?

If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your phone, which ones would you keep?

What fictional family would you be a member of?

What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics?

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

What place would you like to visit in the world?

If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or into the future?

What’s your favourite place of all the places you’ve travelled?

Have you ever met someone famous?

Have you ever completed anything on your “bucket list”?

You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life (not money) - what is it?

If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?

If you could see one movie again for the first time, what would it be and why?

If you could choose any two famous people to have dinner with, who would they be?

If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?

If you could become fluent in any language, what would it be?

If you could have the power of teleportation right now, where would you go and why?

If you could write a book that was guaranteed to be a bestseller, what would you write?

What ordinary thing do you find fascinating?

What would you choose: learn any instrument or any language in 2 hours?

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Slightly deeper (great for 1:1s and building trust)

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

What is the smallest thing for which you are grateful?

What is something you're terrible at but wish you could do well?

What is the quality you admire the most in others?

Which books/movies/games never get old for you that you can read/watch/play over and over again?

What one thing have you made that you're most proud of?

What's your biggest non-work-related accomplishment?

What’s the most memorable meal you've ever had?

If you could live in another time period (but same location), when would it be?

What’s something you’ve been meaning to do but haven’t yet?

What’s your favourite word?

What’s a lesson you’ve had to learn repeatedly?

If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

Did you have a childhood habit you never grew out of?

Have you ever longed for something only to find out it was overrated?

What trait do you admire in others but lack yourself?

What’s something people admire about you?

What's the best accident that's ever happened to you?

Have you ever gotten the giggles somewhere totally inappropriate?

What’s something you wish you enjoyed but just don’t?

What small thing annoys you way more than it should?

When do you feel most like yourself?

What’s a core principle you’ll never compromise on?

What gives you hope for the future?