Objective: This activity is designed to allow team members to bring up issues to discuss or to simply have some fun with each other. Facilitators can learn a bit about how the team functions by what questions are shared. Use with small groups.

Materials: Paper or shared virtual whiteboard/space

Time required: 15-45 minutes, depending on need

Instructions:

• Break participants into groups of around five people. For each table, virtual breakout room, or virtual whiteboard, there is one question: What would you like the group to answer or discuss?
• One person can record all the questions or everyone can write their own. (This can be done on a shared piece of paper, in a virtual chat, or in another location.) After everyone's question has been recorded, everyone places a check mark next to the questions they want to answer and an X next to any they do not.
• Each group picks the top question or two and everyone responds. (If participants don't know each other, suggest that one person begins by saying "Answer me this," then the name of another person in the group, then the chosen question. The person who answers then does the same, addressing another person and repeating the question.)
• (Optional) Ask the groups to discuss why they chose the question(s) they did. What does it tell them about their team?

Questions can be anything, or you can ask that people be topic-specific. You can offer examples to subtly lead the groups. Examples:

• What’s your favorite place for lunch nearby? What was your favorite childhood game? (warm up questions; also could be used to teach participants how to use their virtual tool)
• Who was your best boss and why? What leaders do you find inspiring and why? (introduction to a training like Everything DiSC Work of Leaders)
• How can we get more resources for our project? What's preventing our team from moving faster? (looking for team-related problems or solutions)
• What superpower would you like to have for a week? In what town were you born and when were you there last? (building trust and familiarity)
• What's wrong with the idea of painting all north/south roadways purple? Why don't we require everyone to wear hats on Tuesdays? (encourage creative and critical thinking)