The Question Menu - August Edition
Image by Bernell MacDonald from Pixabay
If you lead a team and dare to do anything that even resembles an ice breaker, someone will suddenly become very interested in their inbox. And at least one person will say, “I hate ice breakers.”
There’s always one. Or ten.
And yet…I am undeterred.
Why? Because five minutes on a video call of "conversation starters", "meeting jump-starts"....call them whatever you want...can remind people that there are real humans behind the screens. It can keep us from sliding into silos of purely transactional interactions.
One of my favorite ways to do this, is to kick off a group call with something I've dubbed The Question Menu. It's simply a set of eight or ten questions people can choose from. The idea is that hopefully at least one of the questions will feel easy and inviting for everyone to answer.
Here’s my recipe. The questions are always:
OPEN-ENDED: People can choose any question that resonates if they want to contribute without any put-on-the-spot pressure. None of us wants to look silly or unprepared in front of our colleagues, especially if there's not already established trust. Offering a selection gives the steering wheel to each person and allows for conversations to flow more naturally as a result. (Honestly, I think the #1 reason people say they “hate ice breakers” is not that they don't want to connect with their colleagues, it's that they dread that uncomfortable spotlight moment. Who wouldn't!)
REALITY-BASED: No “What kind of cereal would you be if you were a cereal?” stumpers. (That’s probably reason #2 people hate icebreakers. Abstract prompts can frustrate or exclude, especially for some neurodivergent colleagues. Questions that get at lived experiences and opinions make it more inclusive.)
PERSONAL, BUT NOT TOO PERSONAL: Bring your movie recs and dog photos, leave your deepest fears at the door. Think coffee-break conversation...not anything that could quickly turn into group therapy.
I usually set it up so people know they don't have to share if they don't want to. But I'm telling you, I’ve seen the ice breaker-haters light up when they hear their colleagues share, and suddenly, we all know they’re binging Love Island!
It might seem ridiculous in the moment, but these tiny touch-points help build the connectivity that serves all other aspects of what people create together in their work.
Every team is different. But if your remote or hybrid team is struggling to feel connected, try making a Question Menu for your next group meeting. You may just learn your data analyst has a side hustle on Etsy making tiny baked clay vegetables.
I'm sharing my summer-themed template here that you can use or adapt with your own questions!
✨ Link to editable slide here ✨ https://bit.ly/3UB3NWq
I'm Annie, and my favorite "feels like summer" movie is A League of Their Own.
I also work with leaders of remote and hybrid teams to strengthen their toolkits and their team culture, so they can lead with confidence no matter where their people are. If that’s you, I’d love to connect!
