10 Icebreakers for Making Your Meetings More Personable

Are you dreading another meeting filled with silence and forced introductions?

We’ve all been there.

But meetings don’t have to be stuffy and impersonal. In fact, a quick and engaging icebreaker at the beginning sets a positive tone, helps your team feel comfortable participating and sets the stage for strong leadership.

As a leader, you probably know that building a sense of connection and encouraging collaboration is key to team success. 

And what’s a fast but powerful way to do that? The icebreaker.

In this post, I’ll share 10 unique meeting icebreaker ideas — a mix of virtual-friendly and in-office options — to get your meetings off on the right foot.

Key Takeaways:

• Icebreakers help team members feel comfortable talking and participating, leading to a more inclusive and dynamic meeting environment.
• A short, interactive activity helps energize the group and encourages out-of-the-box thinking, especially during brainstorming sessions.
• Utilizing icebreakers helps create a more positive and engaging work environment, leading to increased productivity and reduced turnover.

What Are Icebreakers and Why Do You Need Them?

Imagine walking into a meeting where everyone feels a bit on edge, unsure of how to connect or contribute. This lack of connection leads to disengaged employees and, ultimately, higher turnover.

Icebreakers are short, engaging activities used at the beginning of meetings to:

• Build relationships: Help teammates learn interesting facts and commonalities about each other.
• Energize the group: Break the tension, get everyone talking and set a more positive tone for the meeting.
• Encourage participation: Connection helps introverts feel more comfortable speaking up and contributing their ideas.

And the best part? Icebreakers offer big rewards for minimal effort — a win-win for employee retention and engagement.

Icebreakers for Virtual Meetings

Ever miss the camaraderie of in-office meetings when you’ve gone fully virtual?  

The rise of remote work has made virtual meetings the norm for many teams, but the lack of face-to-face interaction can lead to feelings of disconnect.

Over the years, I’ve learned that icebreakers are even more important in a virtual environment. 

Why? Because they help bridge the physical gap and encourage participation from everyone on your team.

Below, I’ll walk you through five icebreakers specifically designed for virtual meetings:

1. Virtual Background Challenge

Virtual backgrounds offer a unique window into people’s personalities and interests. 

A meme, a breathtaking landscape or even a custom design — these choices will spark conversation and reveal hidden aspects of the people you work with.

Before the meeting: 

• Encourage the team to get creative and choose a background that reflects their personality or hobbies. This can be as simple as a funny image or a scenic location.

During the meeting:

• Ask each team member to share their virtual background and explain the reason behind their choice.

This is a low-pressure way for everyone to participate and showcase their personality. You might be surprised by your teammates’ hidden interests.

Quick Tip: Want to take it up a notch? Offer a small virtual prize for the “Most Creative” or “Most Unexpected” virtual background to encourage friendly competition.

2. Bucket List

We all have places we want to see and things we want to do outside the workplace.

The “Bucket List” meeting icebreaker is a unique way for employees to exchange their dreams and aspirations. 

Sharing what’s on your bucket list creates a supportive environment where your colleagues can encourage each other to pursue their passions outside of work. 

During the meeting:

• First, you need to pose a question to the team. Here are some examples you can use:

• What’s one item on your bucket list?
• If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
• Is there a new skill you’ve always wanted to learn?
• What’s something you’ve always dreamed of achieving?

• Start by revealing your own bucket list item, then invite each team member to share theirs briefly. Encourage everyone to elaborate a bit if they’re comfortable.

Quick Tip: If time allows, have a brief open discussion after everyone has shared. This can involve asking follow-up questions about specific bucket list items or sharing any common themes or connections that emerged.

3. Quick, Draw!

If you’re looking for a quick way to energize your team at the start of your meeting, I suggest starting with the “Quick, Draw!” icebreaker game.

This interactive game offers a glimpse into your colleagues’ personalities through a drawing challenge.

Before the meeting: 

• Let your team know in advance that you’ll be doing a drawing icebreaker. Mention that they can use a pen and paper or a digital whiteboard and drawing tool (available on many video conferencing platforms).

During the meeting:

• Choose a word or short phrase related to your meeting topic or a general theme (e.g., for a marketing team meeting, you might use “social media” or “teamwork”; for a general theme, you could use “summer” or “beach”).

• Virtually display the word or phrase (using screen share or a digital whiteboard tool). Set a short time limit (1-2 minutes is ideal) for everyone to draw their interpretation of the word.

• Everyone then takes turns showing their drawings without revealing the word. Have the group guess the word based on the drawing and any clues the artist gives (without saying the word itself).

Quick Tip: For larger groups, have teams collaborate on a single drawing within a breakout group instead of individual creations.

4. Two Truths and a Lie

Two Truths and a Lie is a classic and effective icebreaker that can be used in meetings of all sizes and virtual. 

It’s a simple yet engaging way for people to share a bit about themselves and spark conversation.

A significant benefit of this activity is it promotes active participation. Everyone has a chance to share and listen, encouraging a more inclusive environment.

During the meeting:

• Briefly explain the concept. Each person will take turns sharing three statements about themselves: two that are true and one that is a lie. The challenge is for the group to guess what the speaker is lying about.

• Have participants take turns sharing their three statements. Encourage them to speak clearly and confidently, and avoid giving away clues through body language.

• After each person shares their statements, open the floor for guesses. Allow colleagues to discuss and debate which statement they believe is a lie.

Quick Tip: Add a theme to the game. For example, the theme could be “vacation stories” or “hidden talents.” This will spark even more creative statements and make guessing the lie even more engaging.

5. Guess That Baby Photo

Need to break the ice and build connections with your virtual team? Look no further than the “Guess that Baby Photo” icebreaker game.

This activity allows you to do two things: see a different side of your coworkers and create a more relaxed and engaging meeting atmosphere.

Before the meeting: 

• Encourage everyone to submit a baby photo of themselves to share virtually, if comfortable.

During the meeting:

• Have an appointed employee show each photo one at a time, keeping the person’s identity hidden.

• To help with guessing, offer some clues related to the person’s current appearance or personality (without revealing their identity).

• Let everyone guess who the photo is of and award a virtual point for each correct guess.

Quick Tip: You can take this icebreaker a step further and have everyone vote for the “Most Adorable Baby” or “Most Unrecognizable Baby.”

Icebreakers for In-Office Meetings

In today’s hybrid work environment, in-office meetings hold significant value. They provide a crucial space for collaboration, team building and a strong sense of belonging.

But I’ll be honest: Walking into a room full of teammates can sometimes feel awkward, especially at the beginning. This lack of ease can hinder effective collaboration, which is the very reason you gather in person.

Incorporating a well-chosen icebreaker at the start of your in-office meeting will promote active participation plus build trust and rapport.

Here are five  icebreakers to set the stage for effective collaboration in your next in-office meeting:

1. Guess Who

The Guess Who icebreaker prompts participants to share hidden gems about themselves, ultimately building a stronger team. 

As a bonus, try to guess the facts. It’ll inject a lighthearted and humorous dose of enjoyment into the beginning of your meeting.

During the meeting:

• Ask everyone to write down a random fact about themselves, something unexpected or unique that others might not know. The more interesting, the better. Collect all the written facts anonymously.

• One by one, read a fact out loud. Then, have the group guess who the fact belongs to. Make sure to encourage discussion. 

• After each guess, unveil “who.” The person who wrote the fact can share more details if they’d like.

Quick Tip: If time allows, have each pair share their story and drawing with the larger group. This can spark further discussion and reveal surprising artistic talents within your team.

2. Chain Reaction

Meetings can sometimes feel … well, predictable.

But what if you could start your next gathering with a jolt of creativity and collaboration? 

Enter the Chain Reaction Story, an icebreaker game that’s as entertaining as it is beneficial.

This activity is a playground for the imagination. As the story unfolds, participants have to think on their feet, adding their own unique twist to the narrative while bridging communication styles.

During the meeting:

• Have the organizer ignite the story by offering a sentence or two, setting the stage for the adventure.

• The first participant adds their own sentence to the tale, building upon the foundation laid before them.

• Each participant takes turns contributing a sentence, weaving their ideas into the narrative tapestry. Listen closely to what came before to ensure your addition flows smoothly.

• As the story progresses, the group collectively crafts a unique tale filled with unexpected twists and turns.

Quick Tip: Share brief storytelling tips before you begin. This includes using descriptive language, introducing interesting characters or incorporating plot twists to keep the story suspenseful.

3. Human Bingo

This classic icebreaker isn’t just a fun way to pass the time — Human Bingo goes beyond introductions. 

Each participant receives a bingo card with squares containing interesting prompts instead of numbers. These prompts could be anything from “has climbed a mountain” to “collects vintage records.”

By searching for colleagues who match the squares on their Bingo cards, people discover shared interests, surprising hobbies and unique experiences they might not have known about otherwise.

Before the meeting:

• Have team members fill Bingo card squares with interesting prompts that go beyond introductions — think specific personal facts.

During the meeting:

• Instruct everyone to find teammates who match the descriptions or questions on their Bingo cards. Encourage them to chat and get to know each other as they search for matches.

• The first teammate to get a full row wins.

Quick Tip: Take a playful twist on the classic format. Instead of searching for people who match the squares, have players try to find someone who doesn’t match the description.

4. Map Your Journey

I’m a firm believer that travel drives self-growth and development.

The Map Your Journey icebreaker allows you to share the farthest corner of the world you’ve explored and the story behind it.

In exchange for sharing your journey, you’ll learn about amazing destinations your colleagues have visited. You might even get inspiration for future adventures.

This particular icebreaker is perfect for small groups, allowing for richer discussions and shared stories.

Before the meeting:

• You’ll need a large world map (physical or digital) and a pin (or sticker) for everyone.

During the meeting:

• Each person takes a pin and places it on the map, marking the furthest place they’ve ever traveled.

• Take turns sharing a quick story about your chosen location. What made this destination special? Did you experience a new culture, conquer a personal challenge or simply relax in paradise? 

Quick Tip: No physical map? No problem. Project a world map onto a whiteboard and allow participants to place dots using dry erase markers to pinpoint their journey.

5. The Human Knot

The Human Knot is a classic and engaging icebreaker that gets your team working together physically and mentally. 

It’s a great way to promote communication, problem-solving and teamwork.

During the meeting:

• Have everyone stand in a close circle and raise their right hand. Instruct them to grab the right hand of someone opposite them, not next to them. Then, lower right hands and raise left hands. This time, grab the left hand of someone different (not the person holding your right hand or next to you).

• The challenge: Untangle yourselves without letting go of hands. Encourage communication and strategizing.

Quick Tip: If your team seems stuck, you can offer some gentle guidance. Instruct them to move sideways or step over each other to loosen the knot.

How to Choose the Best Icebreaker Questions and Activities for Your Team

Picking the perfect icebreaker can set the tone for a productive and engaging team meeting. But with so many options, how do you choose the right one for your group? 

Here are some tips to pick a crowd-pleasing icebreaker:

• Know your team: A more outgoing team might enjoy a high-energy icebreaker, while a more reserved group might benefit from a calmer activity involving writing or drawing over public speaking.
• Match your goals: What do you hope to achieve with your icebreaker? Do you want to encourage lighthearted fun and break the ice? Use an icebreaker that allows employees to share their strengths or hidden talents. This can be a subtle yet impactful way to recognize your employees.
• Embrace participation: Not everyone thrives in the spotlight. The best icebreakers encourage participation without pressuring anyone. Also, lead by example. Be enthusiastic and actively participate in the activity yourself.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can select the perfect icebreaker to get your team talking, collaborating and feeling comfortable with each other.  

Remember: A successful icebreaker sets the stage for a productive and enjoyable meeting for everyone.

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To growth and success,
Thomas