15 retro icebreaker questions for remote and in-person teams

One of the icebreakers above, run as a word cloud with six made-up teammates.

Light and quick, about two minutes

For a sprint that went fine and a team that is ready to get going.

• In one word, how was your week?

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• What is one thing that made you smile this sprint?

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• Which word best describes this sprint?

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• Morning person or night owl?

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• What is the best thing you ate or drank this week?

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Reflective, about five minutes

For the end of a quarter or a milestone, or a team that wants to look a little further back.

• What is something you learned this sprint, at work or outside it?

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• Who helped you this sprint, and how?

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• What would you tell yourself at the start of this sprint?

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• How is your energy at the end of this sprint, from 1 to 5?

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• What are you most proud of from this sprint?

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After a hard sprint

For when something went wrong, the pace was heavy or the team is tired. Keep these anonymous so people can be honest.

• In one word, how do you feel about the work right now?

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• What felt heavier than it should have?

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• What would have made the last week 10% easier?

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• What did the team do well under pressure?

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• How safe did it feel to raise a problem this sprint, from 1 to 5?

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Using an icebreaker well

• Keep it to two to five minutes. It is a warm-up, not the retro.
• Ask everyone the same question, and answer it yourself as the facilitator, briefly and first.
• For remote teams, use a word cloud or anonymous text, so quieter people answer as easily as the rest.
• Match the question to the sprint. A funny question after a rough week lands badly, and a heavy one after a calm week is out of proportion.
• Skip questions that ask people to share something personal. The goal is to hear everyone's voice, not to make anyone uncomfortable.
• Rotate them. The same question every sprint turns into a ritual that nobody listens to.

Questions

How long should a retro icebreaker take?

Two to five minutes in a 45 to 60 minute retro. If it runs longer, it is eating the time the team needs for real topics.

Should we always use an icebreaker?

No. A team that is already talkative and trusting doesn't need one every time. Use them when people are quiet, a new person has joined, or the sprint was rough.

What if people won't answer?

Make it anonymous and easier: a word cloud asks for one word rather than a sentence. Answering first yourself also helps.

Keep going

• Online retrospective boardRun the retro itself, with votes, a timer and action items.
• Retro templatesSix formats with prompts and a timed agenda.
• Team health check templateA longer-term way to see how the team is doing.