Should the new manager run the icebreaker?

Sometimes. It signals confidence on day one if it goes well, and confirms every fear if it goes badly. A safer move for week one is to ask whoever has been running the team's existing warmups to keep doing it. Take it over in week three.

What's the lowest-stakes opener for a manager's first team meeting?

Standpoint, three rounds. The new manager votes alongside everyone else. No one is asked to share anything personal, the new manager doesn't have to perform, and the team gets a small read on how the manager thinks.

When is this the wrong call?

When the manager is replacing someone the team liked. The team is grieving and a warmup will land badly. Skip it, acknowledge the change, and let the team set the pace.

All games

For new managers

Icebreakers for a new manager's first week

First week as a new manager, you're the asymmetric one in the room. The team has worked together; you haven't been there. The classic mistake is asking everyone to share fun facts so you can get to know them. The team has done that already, with each other, twice a year, for years. These games are for the team meeting where you're the new variable.

Why fun-fact rounds backfire in a manager's first week

When a new manager runs a fun-fact round, the team is the audience and the manager is the host of an exercise that's mostly for the manager's benefit. The team can tell. A game where the manager plays alongside everyone else changes the dynamic. The manager is one of the participants, not the one asking the questions, and the team gets to see how the new manager thinks before they get asked to perform for them.

Recommended games

Two TruthsUseful in week two, not week one. Day one of a new manager doing Two Truths reads as the manager wanting to be the focus. Day eight, when the team has settled, it reads normally.10m3–12 Icebreaker QuestionsRotating-question wheel where the new manager answers alongside everyone else. Better than a manager-led question list because nobody is hosting.5m3+StandpointTwo-card vote. Lowest-stakes way for a new manager to participate in a team warmup without taking over the meeting.5m2+Team SpectrumPlot the team on a working-style spectrum. The result gives the new manager a useful read of the team's preferences without anyone having to volunteer it.5m3–10 Name SpinnerA facilitation utility for picking who speaks next. Useful in week-one team meetings where the new manager doesn't yet know everyone's role.5m1+

Common questions

Should the new manager run the icebreaker?: Sometimes. It signals confidence on day one if it goes well, and confirms every fear if it goes badly. A safer move for week one is to ask whoever has been running the team's existing warmups to keep doing it. Take it over in week three.
What's the lowest-stakes opener for a manager's first team meeting?: Standpoint, three rounds. The new manager votes alongside everyone else. No one is asked to share anything personal, the new manager doesn't have to perform, and the team gets a small read on how the manager thinks.
When is this the wrong call?: When the manager is replacing someone the team liked. The team is grieving and a warmup will land badly. Skip it, acknowledge the change, and let the team set the pace.

Plays in your video tool

Zoom Icebreaker GamesFor Zoom Microsoft Teams Icebreaker GamesFor Microsoft Teams

Other meetings these games suit

Icebreakers for a 1:1 With a New Direct ReportFor managers with a new report Icebreakers for New-Hire OnboardingFor new starters 5-Minute Icebreaker Games for Team MeetingsFor weekly meetings

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