ClaryooThis or that questions are the easiest icebreaker there is. Two options, one choice, no wrong answer. Everyone can answer in a second, nobody has to tell a story, and the split often starts a conversation on its own.
Below are 100 this or that questions sorted by topic, all safe for work. Use them to open a meeting, warm up a training, or wake a video call up after a break.
How to run this or that in a meeting
- Pick three to five questions. One is a warm-up, five is a short game. More than that and it drags.
- Ask everyone at once. On a call, people type A or B in the chat. In a room, they raise a hand or answer on their phones. Going round one by one takes ten times as long.
- Show the split. "Sixty percent coffee, forty percent tea" is the fun part. Point out a surprise.
- Ask one person to explain. Pick someone from the smaller side: "Three of you picked mountains. Why?"
- Move on. Two minutes is enough. The point is to get every voice in early, not to fill time.
If you run these on Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams, Claryoo can post each question as a poll in the meeting chat. People answer by typing A or B, and you see the split as it arrives.
Poll · 10 votes from chat
LiveWhere should we spend the afternoon?
Waiting for the chat…
Quick and easy (good for any group)
| Coffee or tea? | Morning or night? | Sweet or salty? |
| Cats or dogs? | Beach or mountains? | Summer or winter? |
| Books or podcasts? | Pizza or burgers? | City or countryside? |
| Movies or series? | Sunrise or sunset? | Call or text? |
| Pancakes or waffles? | Rain or sun? | Chocolate or vanilla? |
| Early or on time? | Window or aisle? | Hot or cold weather? |
| Stairs or elevator? | Cook or order in? | Sneakers or sandals? |
Work style
| Plan everything or figure it out as you go? | Big picture or details? |
| Email or a quick call? | Work from home or the office? |
| Start early or stay late? | Deadline pressure or plenty of time? |
| Written notes or a quick chat? | One big task or many small ones? |
| Work in silence or with music? | Lead the project or support it? |
| Slides or a whiteboard? | Ask for help or figure it out alone? |
| Clear inbox or tidy desk? | Meetings before lunch or after? |
| To-do list on paper or in an app? | Learn by reading or by doing? |
Team meetings
| Camera on or camera off? | Standing meeting or sitting meeting? |
| Short daily check-ins or one weekly meeting? | Agenda sent ahead or decided on the day? |
| Meeting with snacks or meeting that ends early? | Brainstorm out loud or write ideas first? |
| Fifteen-minute meeting or five-minute email? | Celebrate wins or learn from mistakes first? |
| Team lunch or team activity? | Fixed meeting day or flexible? |
Training and learning
| Learn from a video or a live session? | Theory first or practice first? |
| Short lessons or one long workshop? | Work alone or in pairs? |
| Quiz at the end or quiz along the way? | Real examples or step-by-step rules? |
| Ask questions during or at the end? | Take notes by hand or on a laptop? |
| Learn something new or get better at what you know? | Hear from an expert or from a colleague? |
Remote and video calls
| Kitchen table or proper desk? | Headphones or speakers? |
| Real background or blurred? | Slippers or shoes? |
| Mute until you speak or stay unmuted? | Video call or phone call? |
| Morning walk or straight to work? | Chat in the meeting or after it? |
Food and drink
| Breakfast or brunch? | Spicy or mild? |
| Fruit or chips at your desk? | Lunch at your desk or away from it? |
| Cake or cookies for a team celebration? | Sparkling or still water? |
| Leftovers or something new? | Cook for others or be cooked for? |
Travel and weekends
| Road trip or flight? | Plan the trip or be surprised? |
| Busy city break or quiet cabin? | Museum or hike? |
| Stay in or go out? | One long holiday or several short ones? |
| Camping or hotel? | Travel alone or with friends? |
Hypothetical and fun
| Fly or be invisible? | Time travel to the past or the future? |
| Live without music or without movies? | Always too hot or always too cold? |
| Talk to animals or speak every language? | Free coffee for life or free lunch for life? |
| Four-day week or two extra weeks of holiday? | Know the ending or be surprised? |
| Be the best player on a bad team or the worst on a great team? | Read minds or see one day into the future? |
| Super strength or super speed? | Live in a treehouse or a houseboat? |
Deeper questions (for teams that know each other)
| Be liked or be respected? | Do what you love or love what you do? |
| Fix one big problem or many small ones? | Stability or adventure? |
| Give advice or get advice? | Lead a team or be an expert? |
| Speak first or listen first? | Small team or big team? |
Tips for using this or that questions
| Do this | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Keep both options appealing | If everyone picks the same side, there is nothing to talk about |
| Go first with your own answer | It shows how short an answer can be |
| Tie one question to the session | "Theory first or practice first?" also tells a trainer how to run the next hour |
| Let people pass | A poll lets quieter people take part without speaking |
| Skip anything personal | Money, politics, religion and health have no place in a work icebreaker |
For more ideas, see 35 icebreaker questions and games for meetings, would you rather questions for work and check-in questions for meetings.
FAQ
What are this or that questions?
Questions that offer two choices, such as "coffee or tea?", where people pick one. They need no thinking time, so they work well as a quick icebreaker or warm-up in a meeting or class.
How do you play this or that on Zoom?
Ask the question out loud or on a shared slide, and have everyone type A or B in the chat at the same time. Then share the split and ask one or two people to explain their choice. A chat poll tool can count the answers for you.
How many this or that questions should I ask?
Three to five for a meeting warm-up, which takes about two minutes. For a longer team-building session, ten to fifteen works, with a short discussion after the most surprising splits.
Are this or that questions good for work?
Yes. They are low-pressure, everyone can answer, and the answers tell you a little about how people like to work. Keep them light and avoid personal topics.
Run your next warm-up as a chat poll. Start free, no card needed.
Want a co-host in your next session?
Claryoo joins your Zoom, Google Meet or Teams call, runs polls people answer in the chat, and writes up what was decided.
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