Questions · Coworkers and teams

Team building questions that nobody dreads

Icebreaker questions for work: the Monday huddle, a new teammate’s first week, the team lunch and the office Christmas party. Nothing too personal, nothing romantic, all in English and Filipino.

  • 31 questions
  • EN + TL on every card
  • Free in the app
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Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.

Getting to know№ 43

Who taught you a work or school habit you still use, and what was it?

Sino yung nagturo sa'yo ng work o school habit na gamit mo pa rin, at ano yun?

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A note

Some habits come from people who modeled them first. Their way of doing things can quietly become part of yours.

May habits na galing sa taong nauna lang magpakita. Tahimik mong nadadala yung style nila hanggang maging part na rin ng style mo.

Tap to returnkumustahan

The questions

31 team building questions for work

Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.

Monday huddle warm-ups

9 questions

One sentence each, so the meeting still starts on time.

  1. When your brain is tired, what is your go-to order?

    Kapag pagod na utak mo, ano yung go-to order mo?

    Back of the card

    The reliable order deserves respect. It shows up when decisions are too much and hunger is already making a case.

    Respect sa reliable order. Lumalabas siya kapag ayaw mo nang mag-decide at gutom na rin ang nagsasalita.

  2. When you enter a classroom, meeting room, or café, where do you usually choose to sit?

    Pagpasok mo sa classroom, meeting room, o café, saan ka usually pumipili umupo?

    Back of the card

    Seat choices can reveal comfort, strategy, or pure habit. Somehow we all have a spot our body chooses first.

    May sinasabi rin yung seat choice: comfort, strategy, o habit lang talaga. Minsan katawan na ang pumipili.

  3. Name the small thing you always bring, even for a quick errand.

    Sabihin yung small thing na lagi mong dala kahit quick errand lang.

    Back of the card

    The thing you always bring has earned its place. It may be small, but it clearly passed the trust test.

    Yung lagi mong dala, may reason yan. Maliit lang siya, pero clearly pasado sa trust test.

  4. Name the song that should play when you enter a room.

    Sabihin yung song na dapat tumugtog pagpasok mo sa room.

    Back of the card

    An entrance song is mostly about energy. It says what kind of moment you want everyone to feel.

    Yung entrance song, energy talaga ang usapan. Sinasabi niya kung anong moment ang gusto mong dala.

  5. Choose a fake job title that fits your personality.

    Pumili ng fake job title na bagay sa personality mo.

    Back of the card

    A fake title can be more accurate than a real one. It gives a playful name to the thing people already notice.

    Minsan mas accurate pa ang fake title kaysa real one. Binibigyan lang niya ng playful name yung napapansin na ng tao.

  6. Pick a mascot for your current mood: sleepy, dramatic, cheerful, chaotic, or something else.

    Pumili ng mascot para sa current mood mo: sleepy, dramatic, cheerful, chaotic, o iba pa.

    Back of the card

    Current mood is sometimes easier to explain through a mascot. It can be tired, dramatic, cheerful, or strangely accurate.

    Minsan mas madaling i-explain ang current mood gamit mascot. Puwedeng pagod, dramatic, cheerful, o weirdly accurate.

  7. Would you rather always arrive twenty minutes early or exactly on time?

    Mas gusto mo bang laging dumating nang twenty minutes early o laging sakto sa oras?

    Back of the card

    Finish if you like: "While everyone else is getting ready, I..."

    Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Habang naghahanda pa ang iba, ako..."

  8. Would you rather know the exact weather or the exact traffic before leaving home?

    Bago umalis, alin ang gusto mong siguradong alam: lagay ng panahon o lagay ng traffic?

    Back of the card

    Imagine you check before a day out. What would you pack differently?

    Isipin na nag-check ka bago ang lakad. Ano ang iibahin mo sa mga dadalhin mo?

  9. Pick one small mood upgrade, like a drink, song, scent, snack, or clean space.

    Pumili ng isang small mood upgrade, like drink, song, scent, snack, o malinis na space.

    Back of the card

    A mood upgrade does not need to be big. Sometimes one small detail is enough to change the angle of the day.

    Hindi kailangang malaki ang mood upgrade. Minsan isang small detail lang, nag-iiba na yung angle ng araw.

For a new teammate’s first week

8 questions

How people like to work, without turning it into an interview.

  1. If someone worked or studied with you for one week, what would they notice about your style?

    Kung may makakasama ka sa work o school for one week, ano kaya ang mapapansin nila sa style mo?

    Back of the card

    Your style may show in pace, focus, questions, breaks, or how you handle pressure. People notice more than we think.

    Pwedeng lumabas ang style mo sa pace, focus, tanong, breaks, o paano ka humarap sa pressure. Marami palang napapansin ang tao.

  2. Which kind of task makes you lose track of time?

    Anong klaseng task yung nakakalimutan mong oras kapag ginagawa mo?

    Back of the card

    The tasks that make time move fast can reveal what absorbs you, energizes you, or quietly fits how your mind works.

    Yung tasks na nagpapabilis ng oras pwedeng clue kung ano ang kumukuha ng focus mo, nagpapagana sa'yo, o bagay sa utak mo.

  3. In a group, which role feels most natural to you: listener, storyteller, organizer, or side-comment person?

    Sa group, anong role yung natural sa'yo: listener, taga-kuwento, organizer, o taga-side comment?

    Back of the card

    Group roles can shift, but most of us have a default. It is one way people learn how to read us.

    Nagbabago minsan ang role sa group, pero madalas may default tayo. Doon din tayo minsan nababasa ng mga tao.

  4. In an adventure story, would you be the guide, cook, builder, storyteller, or someone else?

    Sa adventure story, anong role ang pipiliin mo: guide, cook, builder, storyteller, o iba pa?

    Back of the card

    Your character has one familiar object in their bag. What is it?

    May isang pamilyar na gamit sa bag ng tauhan mo. Ano iyon?

  5. Who taught you a work or school habit you still use, and what was it?

    Sino yung nagturo sa'yo ng work o school habit na gamit mo pa rin, at ano yun?

    Back of the card

    Some habits come from people who modeled them first. Their way of doing things can quietly become part of yours.

    May habits na galing sa taong nauna lang magpakita. Tahimik mong nadadala yung style nila hanggang maging part na rin ng style mo.

  6. What useful skill did someone patiently teach you?

    Anong kasanayan ang matiyagang itinuro sa'yo ng isang tao?

    Back of the card

    Imagine you are teaching the skill now. What would you show a beginner first?

    Isipin na ikaw naman ang nagtuturo nito. Ano ang una mong ipapakita sa baguhan?

  7. What comic-book hero name would fit something you are good at?

    Anong comic-book hero name ang bagay sa talento mo?

    Back of the card

    What problem would your hero solve?

    Anong problema ang kayang ayusin ng hero mo?

  8. Give yourself a funny award for something you are surprisingly good at.

    Bigyan mo sarili mo ng funny award para sa bagay na surprisingly magaling ka.

    Back of the card

    A funny award makes small talents official. Some skills may not belong on a resume, but they still deserve a ceremony.

    Ginagawang official ng funny award ang small talents. Hindi man pang-resume, deserve pa rin ng ceremony.

Team lunch and the Christmas party

9 questions

Light rounds for a long table and a little noise.

  1. Create a new holiday that everyone gets to celebrate. What happens that day?

    Gumawa ng bagong holiday na puwedeng i-celebrate ng lahat. Ano ang ginagawa sa araw na iyon?

    Back of the card

    What tradition would belong to your holiday?

    Anong tradisyon ang bagay sa holiday mo?

  2. If you could open a tiny shop just for fun, what would it sell?

    Kung magbubukas ka ng maliit na tindahan for fun, ano ang ibebenta mo?

    Back of the card

    What would you call your shop?

    Ano ang ipapangalan mo sa tindahan?

  3. Which would you want free for life: breakfast or dessert?

    Pumili ng libreng pagkain habambuhay: breakfast o dessert.

    Back of the card

    Make your first order. You can choose something familiar or invent a dish.

    Piliin ang unang oorderin mo. Puwedeng paborito mo na o pagkaing iimbentuhin mo.

  4. For one month, you can have music or movies, but not both. Which do you keep?

    Kung isa lang ang puwede mong ma-enjoy sa loob ng isang buwan, music o movies ang pipiliin mo?

    Back of the card

    Name the first song or movie you would return to when the month ends.

    Anong kanta o movie ang una mong babalikan pagkatapos ng buwan?

  5. Would you rather have someone cook or clean for you?

    Mas gusto mo bang may magluto o maglinis para sa'yo?

    Back of the card

    Picture doing something you enjoy while they handle the task.

    Isipin ang masayang gagawin mo habang sila ang bahala.

  6. Pick one joke style that makes you laugh right away.

    Pumili ng joke style na mabilis kang mapatawa.

    Back of the card

    Humor has shortcuts. The joke that gets you fastest usually knows your exact kind of silly.

    May shortcut ang humor. Yung joke na mabilis kang tamaan, alam niya yung exact kind of silly mo.

  7. Name a word or line you misheard that made the conversation funny.

    Magbanggit ng word o line na mali mong narinig at naging funny yung usapan.

    Back of the card

    Mishearing one word can send a conversation somewhere else completely. Sometimes the mistake is funnier than the original point.

    Isang maling dinig lang, ibang direction na yung usapan. Minsan mas funny pa yung mali kaysa original point.

  8. Share a small mistake or awkward moment that feels funny now.

    Mag-share ng small mistake o awkward moment na funny na ngayon.

    Back of the card

    A small fail gets lighter once it becomes a story. Sometimes the best part is realizing everyone survives awkward little moments.

    Gumagaan yung small fail kapag naging kuwento na. Minsan best part yung ma-realize na nakakalusot naman tayo sa awkward moments.

  9. What made you laugh when you least expected it?

    Ano ang nagpatawa sa'yo noong hindi mo inaasahan?

    Back of the card

    Give the scene a caption if you like.

    Kung gusto mo, bigyan ng caption ang eksenang iyon.

Once the team knows each other

5 questions

For retros, offsites and the end of a long project.

  1. After finishing something hard, how do you usually celebrate or recover?

    Kapag natapos mo ang mahirap na bagay, paano ka usually nagse-celebrate o nagre-recover?

    Back of the card

    Finishing something hard deserves a landing. Some people mark it loudly; some just need a quiet exhale.

    Kapag may natapos kang mahirap, kailangan din ng landing. May nagse-celebrate nang malakas; may tahimik na hinga lang.

  2. What have you done recently that you are pleased about?

    Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?

    Back of the card

    If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?

    Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?

  3. When did you last change your mind after hearing a good reason?

    Kailan ka huling nagbago ng isip dahil may narinig kang magandang reason?

    Back of the card

    Try an optional before-and-after: "I thought..., but now..."

    Kung gusto mo: "Dati, akala ko..., pero ngayon..."

  4. What are you looking forward to over the next few weeks?

    Ano ang inaabangan mo sa susunod na mga linggo?

    Back of the card

    Finish if you like: "The part I cannot wait for is..."

    Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Ang pinaka-inaabangan ko ay..."

  5. What is something you can handle better now than before?

    Ano yung mas kaya mo nang i-handle ngayon kaysa dati?

    Back of the card

    Growth is often noticed in comparison. What used to shake you may now take less from you.

    Madalas napapansin ang growth kapag may comparison. Yung dati kang kinakabahan, baka ngayon mas kaya mo nang harapin.

How to use them

Before you ask

Most work icebreakers fail in one of two ways. They are so bland that people answer on autopilot, or they ask something too personal and the quiet ones freeze. A good team question sits in between: easy to answer in front of your manager, but specific enough that you learn something about the person.

Use the warm-ups at the start of a Monday huddle or a video call, one card, one round, two minutes. For onboarding, the questions about work style do the job of an awkward introduction: the new hire learns who likes quiet, who likes lists, who taught whom the shortcuts. Save the sillier rounds for the team lunch or the office Christmas party.

Keep it work-safe. No questions about relationships, money, faith or family plans, and no one is made to answer. Whoever is running it answers first, so the room sees how long an answer should be.

Good for

  • Monday huddles and stand-ups
  • Onboarding a new teammate
  • Team lunches and offsites
  • The office Christmas party
  • Video calls with a hybrid team

Tips

  1. Pick one card per meeting, not five. A short ritual lasts longer than a long one.
  2. The person running the meeting answers first and keeps it short.
  3. Anyone can pass a card, no explanation needed.
  4. Go around in a fixed order on video calls so nobody talks over each other.
  5. Let the new hire choose the card in their first week. It gives them a small job.
  6. For the Christmas party, deal from the Icebreakers deck and let tables swap cards.

Decks for this

Coworkers and teams

Frequently asked questions

What are good team building questions for work?

Questions about work style, small habits and harmless opinions: where someone likes to sit, what task makes them lose track of time, how they celebrate after finishing something hard. They are easy to answer in front of coworkers and still tell you something real.

What are fun icebreaker questions for meetings?

Quick ones with a one-sentence answer, like a song for walking into a room, a fake job title that fits you, or a mascot for your current mood. Ask one at the start of the meeting and keep the round under five minutes.

Which questions should you avoid at work?

Skip relationships, salary, religion, politics, health and family plans. Anything that would feel like an HR form or a checkup is too much for a team round.

Can we use these with a team that speaks Tagalog?

Yes. Every question has an English and a Filipino version, and the free Kumustahan app lets you switch between them, so a mixed team can each read the one they prefer.

Bring a better question to the table.

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