18 virtual icebreakers for your remote team

Today, people face many tasks that keep them busy and stressed. The most common reason for this is hard work - it takes up most of the time and often has little to do with pleasure. This is why it is useful for teams to use team building techniques.

What is Remote Teamwork?

Remote teamwork is a mode of operation that involves members of the same team (remote or distributed) doing their work at a distance. In this workflow, team members may meet rarely or not at all. Management and workflow communication takes place in online meetings and other remote resources.

What are the challenges and challenges of remote teamwork?

Misunderstanding and coldness are most often encountered by teams in remote communication. If the team worked in the same office, and then switched to a remote form, the connection weakens. If the team has been re-staffed or recruited with new members, building trust and friendships is even more difficult. But nevertheless, this condition is crucial for efficient operation and high-performance business. This is the reason for the use of virtual icebreakers in videoconferencing.

What are virtual icebreakers?

Virtual meetup icebreakers are activities or events that are used to learn more about each other and build connections between team members. So meetings with icebreakers are more informal events that colleagues spend together.

These actions can be applied at the beginning or in the middle of a long conference. Or you can focus the entire meeting on using team icebreakers.

What icebreakers to use for a remote team?

The choice of an icebreaker for team meetings is determined by the moment when you want to use it:

• offer some easy or unexpected idea at the beginning of the meeting;
• ask something distracting in the middle of a conference;
• Prepare games and invite team building events - Submit an agenda with a non-work-related conference theme so your colleagues can prepare and actively participate.

You can use ideas from games like Two Truths, One Lie or modify games you know. If this idea doesn't work for you, consider some timely activities such as discussions, exchange of ideas, etc. that will help you learn more about people.

Tips for Great Icebreakers

When using icebreakers to build a team, remember the simple points to follow:

• use video conferencing services such as iMind, which provide uninterrupted communication;
• have a leader who will be an intermediary between all participants and those who keep track of time;
• plan for thirty minutes;
• keep the tone light - don't let awkward questions or pauses ruin the atmosphere;
• show your sense of humor;
• avoid ideas or questions about something very personal.

The general recommendation is to be attentive to the participants so that everyone is involved and having fun.

To summarize, icebreakers are a smart solution for those teams that often interact on work issues, but feel separated. The more friendly the atmosphere, the better the result of the performance.