Break Ice, Not People

A fight between an onion and a potato. This will make sense soon.

You wouldn’t walk up to a stranger in the street and ask them what their most embarrassing experience was.

Or where they grew up. Or their favourite childhood memory [these are the top Google results when you type ‘workshop icebreaker questions’].

Yet we accept it as normal for facilitators to ask these questions to a group they’ve met 2 minutes ago.

Here are a few non-invasive question to ask a stranger, contributed by my network with notes by me on how I would use them.

What’s your most controversial food opinion? (from Shaheen)

Have you got a group of reserved people or maybe it’s the post-lunch slump? This question is a good one for getting people talking, laughing, and preparing or reflecting on workshop content about respectful debate or active listening.

What can we learn from adventure? (from Joel)

The possibilities are endless - swap out ‘adventure’ for a topic relevant to your group such as empathy, collaboration, or creativity.

Who would win in battle - an onion or a potato? (from Alethea)

Sometimes silliness is necessary to create rapport or break tension. This question is sure to surprise, and I would absolutely use it in a workshop about critical thinking or group dynamics.

What was your best learning experience and why? (from Jacinta)

This one is an obvious choice for a train-the-trainer course or workshop co-design session. I love asking this question to senior stakeholders so they can reflect on whether their expectations [clicky thing that locks people in for a mandatory hour of doom] are actually a good experience for their people. Many aha moments ensue.

What should not go in a pie? (from Feona)

It’s novel, it’s memorable, and almost irresistible to answer. I’m a believer in making sure all activities link to the subject material, so would use this one for workshops about problem solving, design, user experience, and customer service.