The Giant List of "This or That" Questions for Workplace Fun
120 ‘This or That’ Poll Ideas You Can Launch Instantly at Work
In this article
- Work Style "This or That" Polls
- Communication & Meeting Polls
- Culture, Breaks & Just-for-Fun Polls
- Focus, Tools & Workspace Polls
- Frequently Asked Questions
These This or that questions for work are ready-to-run binary poll questions you can drop into Slack, Teams, Zoom, town halls, or newsletters in seconds. Each one is written for quick engagement, fast decisions, and low-pressure fun that still reveals useful insights about how your team prefers to work. Every question on this page can be copied straight into Poll Maker and launched as a free poll in moments, with no sign-up friction required. If you want deeper dilemmas alongside these light prompts, pair them with our Would you rather questions for work.
Work Style "This or That" Questions
Use these work-style prompts as fast, low-friction binary poll questions to understand how people like to structure their day, without turning it into a heavy survey. They’re perfect for stand-ups, retrospectives, one-on-ones, or planning sessions, and you can paste any of them into Poll Maker to launch a free poll instantly. If you want to lighten the mood even more, mix in a few Fun poll questions for work between the more practical ones.
- When to use these polls: During stand-ups, sprint planning, town halls, onboarding sessions, or as async check-ins to align expectations about how work gets done.
- Best poll types for this section: Single-vote polls for clear decisions, anonymous polls for sensitive topics, and multi-vote polls when several options might apply.
- How to act on the results: Turn majority preferences into team working agreements, note strong disagreements for follow-up conversations, and revisit polls after changes to see whether satisfaction improves.
Work from home or in the office?
This is the single most revealing This or that question for work, perfect for understanding your team’s ideal setup before changing policies or planning meetups. Run it as an anonymous Poll Maker poll to get honest input and quickly spot whether remote, office, or hybrid is the best fit.
- Remote most days
- Mostly office
- Hybrid mix
- No preference
- Prefer not to say
Early bird schedule or later start?
Use this poll before setting default meeting times so you can respect people’s natural rhythms and time zones. It works well in Slack or Teams as a quick Poll Maker check-in before changing calendars.
- Early morning
- Standard 9–5
- Late morning
- Afternoon focus
- Night owl
Set schedule or flexible hours?
This poll quickly surfaces whether your team prefers predictability or autonomy around working hours. Use the results to fine-tune policies and clarify expectations in team charters.
- Very structured
- Some structure
- Mostly flexible
- Fully flexible
- Depends on day
Heads-down focus time or constant collaboration?
Run this This or that question for work before changing office layouts or collaboration norms to see how much uninterrupted time people actually want. It’s great for balancing open-door culture with deep work blocks.
- Mostly solo
- More solo than group
- Balanced mix
- More group than solo
- Mostly group
Short sprints or steady pace all day?
Use this poll before planning sprints or big projects so you can decide whether the team does better in intense pushes or calm, consistent progress. It’s especially helpful in cross-functional groups with mixed preferences.
- Intense sprints
- Steady pace
- Mix of both
- Depends on project
- Something else
Paper to-do list or digital app?
Ask this when choosing or renewing productivity tools so you know how people already manage their work. You can instantly load it into Poll Maker to compare habits across teams or locations.
- Paper notebook
- Digital app
- Both equally
- I just remember
- Something else
Many short breaks or one longer break?
This question is useful when designing break policies or scheduling long workshops. It keeps the conversation light while still capturing how people actually recharge.
- Many microbreaks
- Few longer breaks
- No set pattern
- Depends on day
- Prefer not to say
Hard stop at day’s end or “one more thing”?
Run this anonymous poll to understand norms around after-hours work and help prevent burnout. It’s a gentle way to start conversations about boundaries and sustainable pace.
- Hard stop
- Often one more task
- Depends on workload
- No clear pattern
- Prefer not to say
Communication & Meeting "This or That" Questions
These communication-focused prompts work brilliantly as Slack poll prompts before you change meeting norms, channels, or tools. They help you crowdsource preferences quickly so you can reduce meeting fatigue and notification overload without lengthy debates. You can copy any of them into Poll Maker for free, and for more playful calls, mix them with a few Funny poll questions for Zoom.
- When to use these polls: Before reshaping meeting cadences, rolling out new tools, running remote town halls, or checking in on communication overload.
- Best poll types for this section: Single-vote polls for clear team norms, multi-vote polls when several formats work, and comment-enabled polls to collect context.
- How to act on the results: Update communication guidelines, adjust default meeting lengths, tweak channel naming, and follow up with experiments you can re-poll later.
Slack message or email for quick questions?
Use this poll to agree on the default place for quick clarifications so people aren’t checking every channel all day. It’s ideal for cross-functional teams juggling lots of tools.
- Slack / chat
- Either is fine
- Depends on topic
- Something else
Async status updates or live standup meeting?
Ask this before redesigning your daily standup so you know whether people prefer typing updates or talking through them. It’s a great binary check-in for distributed teams in many time zones.
- Async in chat
- Live video standup
- Rotate both
- No standup needed
- Something else
Video on or off by default in meetings?
This This or that question for work helps you balance connection with camera fatigue. Run it as an anonymous Poll Maker poll, then set clear expectations that match the majority preference while still allowing flexibility.
- Camera on
- Camera off
- Mix, your choice
- Depends on meeting
- Prefer not to say
Fewer long emails or more short messages?
Use this poll to shape communication guidelines and reduce context-switching. It’s especially useful before you roll out documentation practices or new internal comms tools.
- Long, detailed emails
- Short quick notes
- Mix of both
- No preference
- Something else
15-minute meetings or 30-minute meetings by default?
Run this poll while improving your meeting culture so you can nudge people toward shorter, more focused sessions. It’s also a strong opener for a meeting hygiene workshop.
- 15 minutes
- 25 minutes
- 30 minutes
- 45+ minutes
- Depends on topic
One main channel or many topic channels?
Use this to design your chat channel strategy so people can actually find what they need. It’s ideal when a team is growing fast or merging with another group.
- One general channel
- Few broad channels
- Many topic channels
- No strong view
- Something else
Shared team inbox or direct messages to individuals?
Poll your team before changing how support or internal requests come in. The results will help you choose between a shared queue and personal DMs for smoother workflows.
- Shared inbox
- Direct messages
- Mix of both
- Depends on request
- No preference
Recorded demos to watch later or live walkthroughs?
This question is great when you’re planning product demos, internal training, or stakeholder updates. Use a Poll Maker vote to decide whether async recordings or live sessions are your default.
- Recorded first
- Live first
- Mix both
- Depends on audience
- Something else
Culture, Breaks & Just-for-Fun "This or That" Questions
Use these light-hearted prompts for quick team bonding moments that don’t eat up the whole agenda. They’re playful enough for warm-ups, all-hands, or chat threads, yet still spark conversations about how people like to socialize and recharge. When you’re kicking off new projects or welcoming new hires, combine them with classic icebreaker questions for work to help everyone feel included fast.
- When to use these polls: At the start of meetings, during virtual socials, in internal newsletters, or as ongoing engagement in chat channels.
- Best poll types for this section: Single-vote fun polls, recurring weekly polls, and anonymous polls when you want honest cultural feedback.
- How to act on the results: Plan events, perks, and rituals that reflect what people actually enjoy, and use outlier votes as creative ideas for future experiments.
Coffee or tea during the workday?
This classic This or that question for work is perfect as a low-stakes opener in Slack, Teams, or live meetings. Use the results to plan office supplies, swag, or just a fun “coffee vs tea” themed social.
- Coffee
- Tea
- Both
- Neither
- Something else
Virtual game session or in-person team lunch?
Run this poll when planning your next team event so people can vote on the vibe they actually enjoy. It works well across remote, hybrid, and office teams.
- Virtual games
- In-person lunch
- Alternate both
- Not my thing
- Prefer not to say
GIFs or emojis to react in chat?
This poll is a fun way to set the tone for informal communication in your channels. It doubles as a mini culture check on how playful or polished your team wants to be.
- Mostly GIFs
- Mostly emojis
- Both equally
- Keep it plain
- Something else
Big annual party or smaller frequent events?
Use this Poll Maker question when you’re allocating budget for culture, retreats, or celebrations. It’s a simple this-or-that choice that quickly shows what format people actually value.
- Big annual
- Small frequent
- Both types
- Skip formal events
- No preference
Public shout-outs or private thank-yous?
Ask this before revamping your recognition program to ensure it actually feels good for your team. It’s especially helpful across cultures where public praise norms vary.
- Public praise
- Private note
- Both matter
- No preference
- Prefer not to say
Quiet solo break or group coffee walk?
Use this during offsites or in-office days to plan breaks that feel restoring, not draining. It keeps the tone light while making sure introverts and extroverts both get what they need.
- Solo break
- Group break
- Depends on day
- No preference
- Prefer not to say
Team swag: hoodies or mugs?
Run this fun poll before ordering swag so you don’t end up with boxes of items nobody wants. It’s a quick win for engagement that people love voting on.
- Hoodies
- Mugs
- Both
- Skip swag
- Something else
Memes in work chat or keep channels serious?
This This or that question for work is great when you want to set expectations about professionalism vs playfulness. Use results to define which channels are fun, which are formal, and how you’ll keep both inclusive.
- Lots of memes
- Occasional memes
- Work only
- Depends on channel
- Prefer not to say
Focus, Tools & Workspace "This or That" Questions
These polls dig into how your team focuses best—across tools, spaces, and time of day—while still working as quick workplace icebreakers for new offices or reorgs. They’re perfect for town halls about office design, tech stacks, or “ways of working” discussions. Many of these questions also double as engaging LinkedIn poll ideas if you want to showcase your culture externally.
- When to use these polls: When choosing or reconfiguring office layouts, investing in hardware or software, or running engagement surveys about focus and productivity.
- Best poll types for this section: Single-vote polls for clear trade-offs, segmented polls by location or role, and recurring polls to track how opinions shift over time.
- How to act on the results: Prioritize investments that support the most common preferences, design focus-friendly spaces, and set default tools that match real usage patterns.
Open office layout or quiet private spaces?
Use this poll before redesigning a floor plan or booking coworking space. It quickly highlights whether your team leans toward buzz and collaboration or calm, focused zones.
- Open office
- Private spaces
- Mix of both
- No preference
- Something else
Laptop only or multiple monitors?
Ask this before ordering equipment so you can match setups to real working styles. It’s especially useful for engineering, design, and data teams with heavier visual needs.
- Laptop only
- One extra monitor
- Two+ monitors
- Depends where I am
- No preference
Kanban board or simple task list?
Use this This or that question for work when standardizing project tools so you’re not forcing people into a workflow they dislike. It helps you pick between boards, lists, or calendar-based planning.
- Kanban board
- Simple list
- Calendar only
- Mix of tools
- Something else
Many pinned tabs or clean browser?
This lighthearted poll works well as a quick icebreaker while still revealing how people manage digital clutter. It’s fun in all-hands slides or as a recurring Friday poll in chat.
- Many pinned tabs
- Few open tabs
- Chaos, many tabs
- Clean browser daily
- Something else
Do-not-disturb blocks or always available?
Run this poll to decide whether to adopt company-wide focus blocks or keep a more ad-hoc style. It’s a powerful but simple way to start improving deep work time.
- Regular DND blocks
- Mostly available
- Mixed approach
- Depends on day
- Prefer not to say
Morning deep work or afternoon deep work?
Use this poll when scheduling focus blocks, training, or complex work sessions. Knowing when people naturally focus best helps you design a more humane calendar.
- Morning
- Midday
- Afternoon
- Evening
- No preference
Hot desking or assigned desks?
Ask this before changing seating policies so you can balance flexibility, collaboration, and a sense of home base. It’s handy for new offices or when space is getting tight.
- Hot desking
- Assigned desk
- Hybrid system
- No preference
- Something else
Digital whiteboard or physical whiteboard?
This This or that question for work helps you prioritize which tools to invest in for workshops and ideation. It’s especially useful for hybrid teams that collaborate across locations.
- Digital board
- Physical board
- Either is fine
- No preference
- Prefer not to say
Frequently Asked Questions
These answers will help you get the most value from This or that questions for work, whether you’re just starting with polls or already running advanced engagement and feedback programs.
- What are “This or That” questions for work, exactly?
- They’re short, binary-style poll questions that ask people to choose between two approaches, options, or preferences—like remote vs office or coffee vs tea. Unlike long surveys, they take seconds to answer, making them ideal for quick temperature checks, lighthearted engagement, and fast decisions in busy workplaces.
- How do I run these polls in Slack, Teams, or email?
- Copy any question from this page, paste it into Poll Maker, choose a poll type, and generate a share link. You can then drop that link into Slack or Teams, embed it in meeting slides, or include it in an email or intranet post. Responses update in real time, so you can discuss results on the spot.
- When should I use polls instead of open discussion?
- Use polls when you want quick, structured input from many people at once—such as deciding norms, planning events, or checking how people feel about changes. Open discussion is better for complex trade-offs or sensitive topics. Many teams start with a poll to see where people stand, then use the results to guide a deeper conversation.
- How many “This or That” questions should I ask in one meeting?
- For most meetings, one to three targeted questions is plenty. Use a single key poll to drive a decision, or a rapid-fire questions round at the start for energy and at the end for feedback. If you ask too many at once, participation can drop and results become less thoughtful.
- Should workplace polls be anonymous?
- Anonymity works best for topics like workload, boundaries, or psychological safety, where power dynamics may influence answers. For light culture polls—like swag choices or event ideas—named votes are fine and often more fun. Poll Maker lets you choose anonymity on a poll-by-poll basis, so match the setting to the sensitivity of the question.
- Can I give more than two options in a “This or That” poll?
- Yes. While the core idea is binary poll questions, adding options like “Both,” “Depends,” or “Something else” makes results more realistic and inclusive. This is especially important when people’s circumstances differ (for example, hybrid vs fully remote employees) or when you’re testing multiple formats at once.
- How do I write good This or That questions for work?
- Keep wording clear and specific, avoid jargon, and make sure both options feel equally valid so people aren’t nudged toward one “right” answer. Limit each poll to a single idea—such as timing, format, or channel—so results are easy to interpret. When in doubt, run a small test poll with a pilot group before rolling it out widely.
- How can I use poll results to improve culture and productivity?
- Look for strong majorities (over 60–70%) as easy wins for new norms, and use split results to justify experiments or A/B tests. Share high-level findings back with the team so people see their input turning into action, and re-run key polls after changes to measure whether satisfaction, engagement, or performance is trending in the right direction.
- Can I reuse these questions for onboarding, hiring, or customer feedback?
- Yes, many of these prompts adapt well beyond internal meetings. You can tweak wording for candidate surveys, onboarding check-ins, or even external customer polls about product preferences or support channels. Just keep the tone appropriate for the audience and remove any inside jokes or internal jargon.
- How often should I run these polls without overwhelming people?
- A good rhythm is one lightweight poll per week in a main channel and one or two targeted polls around specific initiatives, such as new tools or events. Keep them short, rotate topics, and clearly explain why you’re asking so people see each poll as useful rather than noise.
To get the best results from These This or that questions for work, keep each question focused, avoid double meanings, and make the options short enough to read at a glance. Aim for balanced choices that feel equally acceptable so you collect honest preferences rather than “correct” answers, and add options like “Both” or “Depends” when nuance matters. Review results with your team, turn clear patterns into working agreements or experiments, and re-poll after changes to see what’s working. All of the questions on this page can be created, customized, and launched as free polls in seconds using Poll Maker, so you can focus on listening and acting rather than building forms from scratch.
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