Software dev and engineering teams can have a hard time disengaging from work. Just go to any lunch as a team, and you will see what I mean. They continue to talk about architecture, technical problems, and an oddity in a technology they found.
But this can keep your team from actually getting to know each other. Instead of building relationships between people, you are building relationships around a product.
And for a team to be a high-functioning team, you need your team to have real relationships.
But then the question - how do we not talk about work? No matter what we talk about, it always seems to steer back to work. How do we break the mold?
You need a catalyst. Something that goes opposite to your typical lunch or standup conversations.
These questions are that catalyst.
These questions are specifically designed for software devs. It will help devs that have deep affinities for fandom, shows, hobbies (or even tech) connect over those things.
It’s easy to talk about work: project timelines, problems, frustrations, etc. And while that can be good, these questions are focused on your team.
These questions will help you avoid the buried landmines that can easily destroy a team. No politics, no religion, no bull.
Each of these questions has been asked on real teams in the real world. No made-up stuff on the fly or stabs in the dark. These questions can create conversation on the spot.
These questions will not only give you a set of questions to ask in a pinch, but they will help you learn to ask better questions. Not just with your team but in all of your relationships. You can learn how from these questions how to ask other great questions to get to know your coworkers better every day.