This or That Questions for Work: 80 Team Icebreakers

Looking for a simple yet effective way to break the ice and spark conversation among your team? “This or that questions for work” are the perfect solution. These quick, fun prompts can transform any meeting, standup, or Slack chat into an engaging and inclusive experience. Whether you’re in the office or working remotely, these icebreakers will help your team connect, laugh, and learn more about each other. In this article, you’ll find 80 “this or that” prompts across various themes, along with tips on how to run a poll with your team.

Workday Habits

• Early bird or night owl?
• Planner or improviser?
• Tea or coffee?
• Desk lunch or lunch out?
• Email or instant message?
• Phone calls or video chats?
• Pen and paper or digital notes?
• Headphones in or out?
• Strict schedule or go with the flow?
• Work from home or work from a café?

Remote vs Office

• Remote work or in-office?
• Home office or coworking space?
• Virtual meetings or face-to-face?
• Slack or in-person chat?
• Remote team bonding or office socials?
• For more on making remote meetings fun, check out these icebreaker polls for remote meetings.
• Desk plant or no desk plant?
• Formal attire or casual wear?
• Commute or no commute?
• Office snacks or home snacks?

Meetings

• Meetings: love them or hate them?
• Long meetings or short meetings?
• Weekly standups or monthly all-hands?
• For more engaging meeting questions, visit poll questions for work meetings.
• Agenda-driven or free-flowing?
• Action items or brainstorming?
• Video on or video off?
• Meeting notes: digital or paper?
• Presentations or discussions?
• Team meetings or one-on-ones?

Food & Coffee at Work

• Coffee or tea?
• Black coffee or with milk?
• Tea with or without sugar?
• Sandwich or salad?
• Takeout or homemade lunch?
• Snacks: sweet or salty?
• Cafeteria or local café?
• Water or soda?
• Healthy snacks or indulgent treats?
• Microwave meal or fresh food?

Career & Growth

• Leader or follower?
• Specialist or generalist?
• Climbing the corporate ladder or finding work-life balance?
• Mentorship or self-learning?
• Job security or career advancement?
• Public speaking or behind-the-scenes work?
• Feedback: giving or receiving?
• Team player or independent worker?
• Risk-taker or cautious planner?
• Traditional career path or unconventional route?

Team Culture

• Team lunches or after-work drinks?
• Casual Fridays or dress code every day?
• In-person team building or virtual socials?
• For more on team bonding, see these this or that poll questions.
• Open office or cubicles?
• Collaborative projects or individual tasks?
• Celebrate wins big or small?
• Team outings: frequent or occasional?
• Feedback: informal or formal?
• Work hard or play hard?

Tools & Tech

• Mac or PC?
• iPhone or Android?
• Slack or Microsoft Teams?
• Google Drive or Dropbox?
• Trello or Asana?
• Zoom or Microsoft Teams for video calls?
• Email or instant messaging?
• Excel or Google Sheets?
• Traditional keyboard or ergonomic?
• Desktop or laptop?

Just for Fun

• Early bird or night owl?
• Summer or winter?
• Beach or mountains?
• City life or countryside?
• Spicy or mild food?
• Sweet or savory snacks?
• Action movies or rom-coms?
• Reading or watching TV?
• Music: pop or rock?
• Dogs or cats?

How to run a this-or-that poll with your team

Running a “this or that” poll is simple and can be done in a few easy steps:

1. Choose a theme or topic from the list above.
2. Select a few questions that resonate with your team.
3. Use a poll maker like the OXPoll poll maker to create your poll. It’s free and requires no sign-up.
4. Share the poll with your team via email, Slack, or any other communication platform.
5. Encourage team members to participate and share their preferences.
6. Review the results together and discuss any interesting findings.

Email vs Slack

• Would you prefer to communicate with your team via Email or Slack?
• Do you like getting a quick response on Slack or a detailed reply via Email?
• Is it easier to keep track of conversations on Email or Slack?
• Would you rather have a searchable archive on Email or real-time chat on Slack?
• Do you prefer the formality of Email or the casualness of Slack?
• Is it better to share files on Email or Slack?
• Would you rather receive company announcements via Email or Slack?
• Is it easier to manage tasks on Email or Slack?
• Would you prefer to brainstorm ideas on Email or Slack?
• Do you like the privacy of Email or the transparency of Slack?

Office Perks

• Would you rather have a Free Coffee Bar or Weekly Team Lunches as an office perk?
• Do you prefer Gym Memberships or Flexible Work Hours as a benefit?
• Is it better to have Remote Work Options or On-site Childcare?
• Would you rather have Unlimited Vacation Days or Paid Parental Leave?
• Do you prefer Learning & Development Stipends or Office Games & Entertainment?
• Is it better to have Health Insurance or Stock Options as a perk?
• Would you prefer Commuter Benefits or Pet-Friendly Office?
• Is it easier to have Casual Dress Code or Free Snacks & Beverages?
• Would you rather have Employee Recognition Programs or Team Outings & Retreats?
• Do you like the idea of Mental Health Days or On-site Massage as a perk?

Dress Code

• Would you prefer a Casual Dress Code or a Business Professional environment?
• Do you like wearing Jeans and T-shirts or Suits and Ties to work?
• Is it better to have a Business Casual or a Smart Casual dress code?
• Would you rather have No Dress Code or Themed Dress Days?
• Do you prefer Casual Fridays or Everyday Casual?
• Is it easier to have a Uniform or Any Clothing policy?
• Would you prefer Business Casual with Casual Fridays or Casual with Formal Events?
• Is it better to have Seasonal Dress Codes or Year-Round Casual?
• Would you rather have Casual with Occasional Formal or Formal with Occasional Casual?
• Do you like the idea of Themed Dress Days or a Standard Dress Code?

Monday vs Friday

• Would you rather start your week with a Team Huddle on Monday or a Wrap-Up Meeting on Friday?
• Do you prefer to have Planning Meetings on Monday or Celebrations on Friday?
• Is it better to have Goal Setting on Monday or Feedback on Friday?
• Would you prefer to have Brainstorming Sessions on Monday or Team Outings on Friday?
• Do you like Quiet Mondays or Fun Fridays?
• Is it easier to have No Meetings on Monday or Half-Day on Friday?
• Would you rather have Monday Morning Motivation or Friday Afternoon Reflections?
• Is it better to have Team Lunch on Monday or Happy Hour on Friday?
• Would you prefer to have Weekly Planning on Monday or Weekly Review on Friday?
• Do you like the idea of Monday Motivation Emails or Friday Farewell Emails?

Planning & Deadlines

• Would you rather have Weekly Planning Sessions or Monthly Planning Sessions?
• Do you prefer Daily Stand-Ups or Weekly Check-Ins?
• Is it better to have Flexible Deadlines or Firm Deadlines?
• Would you prefer Short-Term Goals or Long-Term Goals?
• Do you like Task Lists or Kanban Boards?
• Is it easier to have Deadline Extensions or Strict Deadlines?
• Would you rather have Team-Based Deadlines or Individual Deadlines?
• Is it better to have Weekly Deadlines or Bi-Weekly Deadlines?
• Would you prefer Rolling Deadlines or Set Deadlines?
• Do you like the idea of Milestone Deadlines or Final Deadline Only?

Feedback & Learning

• Would you rather have Monthly Feedback Sessions or Quarterly Feedback Sessions?
• Do you prefer Anonymous Feedback or Face-to-Face Feedback?
• Is it better to have Peer Feedback or Manager Feedback?
• Would you prefer Formal Feedback or Informal Feedback?
• Do you like Weekly Learning Sessions or Monthly Learning Workshops?
• Is it easier to have Online Courses or In-Person Training?
• Would you rather have Mentorship Programs or Coaching Sessions?
• Is it better to have Feedback Forms or Feedback Meetings?
• Would you prefer Feedback on Projects or Feedback on Processes?
• Do you like the idea of Learning Journals or Learning Logs?

Team Celebrations

• Would you rather have Team Lunches or Team Dinners?
• Do you prefer Office Parties or Off-Site Retreats?
• Is it better to have Birthday Celebrations or Work Anniversary Celebrations?
• Would you prefer Holiday Parties or Team Achievement Celebrations?
• Do you like Themed Celebrations or Casual Get-Togethers?
• Is it easier to have Team Games & Activities or Team Outings?
• Would you rather have Potluck Lunches or Catered Lunches?
• Is it better to have Friday Celebrations or Monday Celebrations?
• Would you prefer Monthly Celebrations or Quarterly Celebrations?
• Do you like the idea of Team Awards or Team Recognition?

Frequently asked questions

What are “this or that” questions for work?

“This or that” questions for work are simple, binary choice prompts designed to spark conversation and engagement among team members. They can be used in various settings, from meetings to Slack chats, to foster team bonding and communication.

How do you make “this or that” questions inclusive?

To ensure inclusivity, avoid questions that might exclude or alienate certain team members. Focus on neutral topics like work habits, food preferences, and fun activities. This ensures everyone can participate and enjoy the poll.

Can “this or that” questions be used in virtual meetings?

Absolutely! “This or that” questions are perfect for virtual meetings. They can be used as quick icebreakers to energize the team and make virtual interactions more engaging. For more ideas, check out icebreaker polls for remote meetings.

How often should you use “this or that” questions?

There’s no hard and fast rule, but using “this or that” questions once a week or every other week can help maintain team engagement and provide a regular opportunity for team bonding. It’s a great way to keep the team connected and energized.

What are some creative ways to use “this or that” questions?

Get creative by incorporating themes, using them as part of a larger team-building activity, or even creating a “this or that” competition. You can also use them as a tool for decision-making by framing questions around work-related choices.