Author: Carly Syms

When you have a room full of people with different interests and backgrounds, it can be hard to break the awkward silence that wafts through a room. Icebreakers are relaxed questions that help ease your employees into talking about themselves and learning about each other. Properly executed icebreakers are ideal for cutting anxiety in team building situations.  Sometimes people feel more comfortable answering questions that require a specific answer, rather than offering up a general personal fact.

However, not all icebreakers are created equal!

We’ve saved you from an icebreaker disaster by compiling a list of five fun and creative icebreaker questions.  You can use these to get your team warmed up before a team building activity or meeting. At their core, these icebreakers are light and fun but the answers you hear will be insightful. You’ll find your team bonding over shared qualities and laughing about things in no time.

Here are the five questions…

#1 If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing, what would it be?

• The question, while sounding slightly superficial, will actually give your team insight into what people enjoy outside of work. That could be a type of food, music, or product!

#2 What was your least favorite food as a child or now?

• An easy childhood question that doesn’t pry. The goal is to avoid having your team members feel uncomfortable sharing something. A simple question like this can give your employees a little background on each other.  

#3 If you had to be on a reality TV show, which one would you choose and why?

• Pop culture questions are always funny and get people giggling, laughing and connecting. You’ll learn a lot about a person from the type of TV they like or dislike.

#4 If you were a wrestler what would be your entrance theme song?

• Having your employees envision their wrestling personality is hilarious for learning about personal taste. What kind of music they choose could reflect the type of music they enjoy outside of work.

#5 If you were to perform in the circus, what would you do?

• A fun way to ask what qualities people value in themselves. Your employees will have fun thinking up answers but also get insight into what their co-workers feel they are good at.

The great thing about icebreakers is that they involve little to no planning. Keep this list of icebreakers on hand and use them at team meetings or at the start of a particularly busy work day. You don’t have to make it a big event. Just remember that the more relaxed and comfortable your team, the better the exercise will work!  

Building strong, cohesive, and powerful teams can be a daunting task. From team building activities to creating a positive company culture, the ways to boost performance and help teams succeed are endless – which is why we’ve compiled a list of our favorite tips for creating – and sustaining – strong teams.

Check out these six simple tricks to help you create an amazing team!

#1 Show your teams that you value them.

• Teams often perform better if they know they are valued and feel the work that they do matters. Be creative and show your teams how important they are to overall company success.

#2 Encourage team members to congratulate each other.

• This type of camaraderie and pride is great for making your teams stronger. If your team is remote try creating a space for positive feedback and small wins where employees can share something AWESOME a co-worker did or accomplished.

#3 Don’t leave any team members behind.

• Sometimes it can be difficult to get teams together outside of work hours. When planning team building events think about doing them during work-day-hours or cater to your employees’ personal lives by providing services like childcare or a car service during the activity. This gives everyone the opportunity to get involved.

#4 Create a safe and open environment so everyone feels comfortable sharing.

• Teams are normally made up of an array of personality types: introverts, extroverts, ambiverts (that’s someone who has both introvert and extrovert qualities) – so don’t forget to plan activities and organize meetings in a way that embraces all personalities. Everyone should feel comfortable participating or get a chance to speak.

#5 Practice, teach and get better at problem-solving.

• Encourage your teams to try creative problem solving and solve problems on their own first. This can help make them become more confident in their roles.

#6 Encourage collaboration!

• If you create an environment that promotes collaboration, your teams will share ideas, create new ones, and help each other do their best and make decisions.

What They Do: Clue Chase is New York’s largest escape room venue. They specialize in corporate team building events and offer themed escape room games like The Lost Spy, Egyptian Tomb, Ultimate Heist, and Alien Encounter.

How They Do it: Clue Chase will work closely with you to accommodate your corporate team of up to 100 for a 60-minute experience. Your team will need to work together to solve mysteries, find hidden relics, and infiltrate secret vaults.

What Makes Them Special: At over 4000 square feet, Clue Chase is the largest escape room space in New York City. Each escape game includes a story-driven mission that brings it to life. The entire experience is very polished and all of the rooms have been built by by professional movie, TV, and Broadway set designers.

Quote From The Website: 

Corporate Events at Clue Chase

Our escape games immerse your team in cinematic stories that invigorate their group dynamics and promote long-lasting bonds. Together your team will sharpen their skills in an unforgettable 60-minute experience, including:

• Critical thinking & problem solving
• Communication skills
• Teamwork under pressure
• Adapting to evolving challenges

The perfect activity for groups up to 100! Ideal for:

• One-of-a-kind team bonding
• Celebrating team goals, employee birthdays, retirements, and more!
• Holidays and other special occasions
• Welcoming new hires
• Entertaining out-of-town clients and co-workers

We spend a lot of time here talking about our favorite team building activities and offering our best tips, tricks, and strategies for getting the most of our your company team building events.

Now it’s your turn.

We want to know what makes an amazing team building experience for you and your company.
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It’s time to change the way we think about team building.

For many employees, team building evokes images of trust falls or corporate retreats. We’re here to tell you that team building in New York City doesn’t have to be that way! We want to make it something your employees look forward to – and the options in NYC are endless!

Here are four companies that are changing the team building game in the Big Apple:

1. The Art Studio NY – The Art Studio NY will tap into your team’s creative side with a customized art class and workshop! Your team will end up creating something special to take home – and there may even be the chance for a glass of wine!
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