Professional Two Truths and a Lie for workplace team building

Two Truths and a Lie is one of the most effective workplace icebreakers for building team connection without crossing professional boundaries. This guide provides 101 office-appropriate examples, facilitation scripts for virtual and in-person meetings, and expert strategies for HR professionals and team leaders.

← New to the game? Start with our complete Two Truths and a Lie guide for basic rules and psychology.

Whether you're facilitating a Zoom kickoff, running an in-person team retreat, or energizing a hybrid meeting, these professionally curated examples strike the perfect balance between personal and appropriate. Each statement encourages authentic sharing while maintaining workplace professionalism.

Why Two Truths and a Lie Works for Team Building

Professional Connection Without Oversharing

The game creates psychological safety by allowing employees to control their vulnerability level. Unlike forced "tell us something personal" exercises, participants choose exactly what to reveal. This autonomy makes the activity feel less invasive while still building genuine connections.

Breaks Down Hierarchical Barriers

When the CEO shares a quirky fact alongside an intern, formal organizational structures temporarily dissolve. The game humanizes leadership and creates peer-to-peer moments that traditional team building rarely achieves.

Works Seamlessly in Virtual Settings

Two Truths and a Lie translates exceptionally well to Zoom, Teams, or hybrid formats. The simple structure requires no special tools, maintains engagement through active listening, and creates camera-on moments without pressure.

📊 Research Insight: Teams that play Two Truths and a Lie at the start of projects report 40% higher psychological safety scores and 35% better collaboration metrics compared to teams using traditional introductions.

Safe-for-Work Guidelines for Workplace Settings

Establish Clear Boundaries Upfront

As facilitator, set the tone with explicit guidelines:

Appropriate Topics:

• Professional achievements and career journey
• Skills, certifications, and education
• Work-appropriate hobbies and interests
• Travel experiences (focus on locations, not party stories)
• Family composition (number of siblings, pets, etc.)
• Food preferences and cooking experiences
• Sports, fitness, and outdoor activities
• Media consumption (books, shows, movies—keep it PG)

Topics to Avoid:

• Anything related to politics or religion
• Romantic relationships or dating life (unless very general and appropriate)
• Health issues or medical history
• Financial details (debt, salary, wealth)
• Alcohol or substance-related stories
• Controversial opinions on any topic
• Anything that could be construed as TMI

The "Grandmother Test"

Use this simple rule: Would you comfortably share this with your grandmother and your CEO in the same room? If yes, it's appropriate. If there's any hesitation, choose something else.

💡 Facilitator Script: "Remember, we're sharing fun facts that you'd be comfortable with anyone in the company knowing. Think 'interesting' rather than 'intimate.' When in doubt, keep it professional."

Virtual/Zoom Facilitation Script

Pre-Game Setup (2 minutes)

Opening: "Good morning/afternoon team! To kick off today's meeting, we're starting with a quick icebreaker that'll help us learn something new about each other. We're playing Two Truths and a Lie—most of you have probably played before, but here's how we'll run it in our virtual setting.

Each person will share three statements about themselves. Two are completely true, one is false. The rest of us will guess which one is the lie. Here's the key: make your lie believable. The best ones are close to truth, not outrageous.

Virtual-Specific Instructions:

• When it's your turn, unmute and share your three statements clearly
• Everyone else, use the 'Raise Hand' feature to vote (or we'll use the poll feature)
• After voting, the person reveals which was the lie and gives us a quick story about one of the truths

Time Commitment: We'll spend about 1-2 minutes per person, so with our group of [X], we're looking at about [Y] minutes total. I'll keep us on track.

Prep Time: Take 2 minutes right now to prepare your statements. Think about:

• A professional accomplishment
• An interesting skill or hobby
• A surprising fact about your background

Remember the 'Grandmother Test'—share what you'd be comfortable with anyone knowing. Ready? Let's start with volunteers..."

Managing Virtual Engagement

Use Chat Strategically: "Here's how we'll vote: After each person shares, type A, B, or C in the chat for which you think is the lie. But don't hit send yet! When I say 'reveal votes,' everyone send simultaneously. This prevents bandwagon voting and makes it more fun."

Handle Technical Issues: "If someone's audio cuts out, we'll use the chat backup plan—type your statements there and we'll read them aloud for you."

Maintain Energy: Between every 3-4 people, inject energy: "Wow, we've had some really tricky ones! Who's got the next challenge for us?"

101 Work-Appropriate Two Truths and a Lie Examples {#work-appropriate-examples}

Career Journey & Professional Background (25 examples)

1. I've worked in three different industries before joining this company
2. I started my career in a completely unrelated field
3. I've been with the same company for 10+ years
4. I changed careers at age 40
5. I got my first job through a random connection on LinkedIn
6. I've worked remotely for five years
7. I was an intern at a Fortune 500 company
8. I've managed teams of 30+ people
9. I've worked in four different states
10. I started in an entry-level role and worked my way to management
11. I've been headhunted for a position
12. I once commuted over 2 hours each way to work
13. I've worked at a startup that later went public
14. I've had seven different job titles in my career
15. I've worked internationally for a full year
16. I've been promoted three times within the same company
17. I got my current job through a referral from someone I met at a conference
18. I've worked in both corporate and nonprofit sectors
19. I've been a manager, an individual contributor, and a manager again
20. I've worked on a project that won an industry award
21. I've presented at a national industry conference
22. I've been quoted in a trade publication
23. I've trained over 100 employees in my career
24. I've successfully led a digital transformation project
25. I've worked on projects with budgets over $1 million

Skills, Certifications & Education (20 examples)

26. I have three professional certifications
27. I speak two languages fluently
28. I have a master's degree
29. I taught myself to code
30. I can type 80+ words per minute
31. I'm certified in project management (PMP)
32. I completed my degree while working full-time
33. I've taken 20+ online courses in the past year
34. I can use advanced Excel features like pivot tables and macros
35. I'm a certified public speaker
36. I have a degree in a completely unrelated field to my current role
37. I've completed a coding bootcamp
38. I'm certified in Lean Six Sigma
39. I can build websites from scratch
40. I've published research in an academic journal
41. I'm a certified scrum master
42. I've taught courses at a university
43. I can analyze data using SQL
44. I have a certification in digital marketing
45. I've completed leadership training programs

Work-Appropriate Hobbies & Interests (25 examples)

46. I've run three marathons
47. I'm an avid hiker and have climbed 15+ mountains
48. I play in a recreational sports league
49. I've completed a triathlon
50. I do yoga every morning before work
51. I'm a voracious reader and finish 30+ books per year
52. I enjoy photography and have sold some of my work
53. I play a musical instrument
54. I'm in a community choir
55. I volunteer with a local nonprofit every month
56. I'm learning a new language using apps
57. I've taken cooking classes
58. I garden and grow my own vegetables
59. I'm a birdwatcher and can identify 50+ species
60. I practice meditation daily
61. I'm part of a book club that's been meeting for 5 years
62. I've written a blog for 3+ years
63. I do woodworking in my spare time
64. I'm a certified scuba diver
65. I compete in chess tournaments
66. I've done stand-up comedy at open mic nights
67. I participate in community theater
68. I make my own bread from scratch weekly
69. I'm training for a half-marathon
70. I create digital art

Travel & Geography (15 examples)

71. I've visited 20+ countries
72. I've been to all 50 states
73. I've lived in three different countries
74. I've been on all seven continents
75. I've taken a solo international trip
76. I've been on a safari in Africa
77. I've worked remotely from 10+ different countries
78. I've visited every national park in my state
79. I've been to the Great Wall of China
80. I've seen the Northern Lights
81. I've taken a cross-country road trip
82. I've been to Antarctica
83. I've lived abroad for more than a year
84. I've visited 40+ countries for work
85. I've been to a World Cup or Olympics event

Family, Background & Personal Facts (16 examples)

86. I'm the oldest of four siblings
87. I was born in another country
88. I have a twin
89. I grew up on a farm
90. I'm an only child
91. I moved more than five times before age 18
92. I was raised bilingual
93. I grew up in a town with fewer than 1,000 people
94. I'm a first-generation college graduate
95. I have a pet that's over 10 years old
96. I have family members on four continents
97. I'm a parent of three children
98. I foster animals for a local shelter
99. I've lived in the same house for 20+ years
100. I have 20+ first cousins
101. I learned to drive at age 25

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Advanced Facilitation Techniques for Managers

Strategically Sequence Participants

Start with volunteers: Early volunteers tend to be extroverts who set an energetic tone and provide strong examples.

Middle positions for introverts: Introverts benefit from seeing multiple examples before their turn, reducing anxiety.

End with leadership: Having senior leaders go last demonstrates vulnerability after others have shared, reinforcing psychological safety.

Handle Different Personality Types

For the oversharer: Establish time limits upfront. "You'll have 30 seconds to share statements and 45 seconds after the reveal to elaborate on one truth."

For the undersharer: Offer categories. "Think about your career journey, a hobby, or a place you've lived." Structure reduces decision paralysis.

For the skeptic: Address resistance directly but lightly. "I know icebreakers can feel cheesy. This one's quick, everyone participates equally, and you control what you share. Give it a shot?"

Read the Room

Energy check: If energy drops, inject enthusiasm. "That was a tough one! Who thinks they can stump us next?"

Time management: For large groups, shift to a speed round format. "We have 12 more people, so let's do 60-second rounds: 20 seconds to share, 30 to vote, 10 for the reveal."

Hybrid challenges: Ensure remote participants aren't forgotten. "Let's alternate between in-room and remote teammates to keep everyone engaged."

Themed Variations for Specific Team Contexts

New Team Kickoff

Focus on background and journey statements that help new teams understand each other's contexts.

Suggested prompt: "Share statements about your professional background, how you got into this field, or your career journey."

Example set:

• I've worked in tech for 15 years
• I started my career as a teacher
• I have certifications in three different areas

Quarterly Team Meetings

Use themed rounds related to recent work.

Suggested prompt: "Share statements about projects you've worked on, skills you've developed this quarter, or professional goals."

Example set:

• I learned a new software tool this quarter
• I've led five client presentations
• I'm working toward a certification

Cross-Functional Collaboration Launch

Highlight diverse skill sets and experiences.

Suggested prompt: "Share statements about your expertise, unique skills you bring to this project, or past cross-functional work."

Example set:

• I've worked with six different departments
• I have experience in data analysis
• I speak three languages

Remote Team Bonding

Emphasize shared experiences of remote work.

Suggested prompt: "Share statements about your remote work setup, time zone you're in, or how you manage work-from-home life."

Example set:

• I have a dedicated home office
• I've worked from a coffee shop
• I've attended virtual meetings in three different time zones

Post-Conflict or Tension Reset

Focus on non-work interests to rebuild human connection.

Suggested prompt: "Share statements about hobbies, interests outside work, or fun facts unrelated to our projects."

Example set:

• I play piano
• I've hiked 10+ major trails
• I'm learning Spanish

Measuring ROI: Does This Actually Help Teams?

Observable Metrics

Immediate indicators:

• Participation rate (target: 90%+ voluntary engagement)
• Laughter and positive reactions
• Follow-up questions after reveals
• Name retention in subsequent interactions

Medium-term impact:

• Increased informal communication between teammates
• References to shared stories in later conversations
• Higher meeting attendance and engagement
• Reduced time spent on small talk (teams already know each other)

Long-term outcomes:

• Psychological safety scores (measurable via surveys)
• Collaboration quality ratings
• Employee engagement scores
• Retention rates

📊 Case Study: A 50-person sales team incorporated Two Truths and a Lie into their monthly all-hands meetings. After six months, their employee engagement scores increased 28%, and cross-team collaboration project proposals increased 45%.

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Mistake 1: Skipping the Setup

Problem: Jumping straight into the game without explaining rules or boundaries.

Solution: Take 2 minutes to explain rules, set boundaries, demonstrate with your own example, and give prep time.

Mistake 2: Making It Optional

Problem: "If you want to participate..." creates an easy exit that reduces engagement.

Solution: Frame it as expected participation. "We'll go around the room" is more effective than "Who wants to share?" If someone truly can't participate, they can pass, but the default is inclusion.

Mistake 3: Not Managing Time

Problem: Letting elaboration go on too long, causing the activity to consume the entire meeting.

Solution: Set clear time expectations upfront. Use a visible timer. Politely redirect: "Love this story—let's grab coffee later to hear more! Next person, you're up."

Mistake 4: Failing to React

Problem: Facilitator remains neutral and doesn't model engagement.

Solution: React genuinely to reveals. "No way!" "That's so cool!" "I never would have guessed!" Your energy sets the tone.

Mistake 5: No Follow-Through

Problem: Game ends, meeting moves on, connections aren't reinforced.

Solution: Reference statements later. "As Sarah mentioned, she's a marathon runner, so she knows about endurance—which we'll need for this project!" This shows you listened and values their sharing.

Integration with Existing HR Initiatives

Onboarding Programs

Include Two Truths and a Lie in new hire orientations. It's less intimidating than open-ended "tell us about yourself" and creates instant memorability.

Script: "Let's learn about our new teammates! [New hire name], share three statements—two true, one false—and we'll all guess."

Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives

The game allows people to share cultural background, languages spoken, and diverse experiences in a structured way that feels natural rather than forced.

Themed round: "Share statements about places you've lived, languages you speak, or cultural traditions you celebrate."

Leadership Development

Use it in leadership training to demonstrate vulnerability and psychological safety creation. Leaders sharing first models openness.

Debrief: "Notice how the energy changed when [senior leader] shared something personal? That's the vulnerability that builds trust."

Performance Review Prep

In team settings before review cycles, use career-focused rounds to highlight accomplishments teammates may not know about.

Prompt: "Share statements about projects you're proud of this year, skills you've developed, or goals you've achieved."

Ready to Strengthen Your Team?

Two Truths and a Lie is a low-risk, high-reward team-building tool that fits into any meeting format, requires zero budget, and consistently delivers engagement. With these 101 professional examples and facilitation techniques, you're equipped to create authentic workplace connections without crossing boundaries.

Next Steps for Team Leaders

✅ Master the fundamentals: Read our complete game guide for psychology, rules, and advanced strategies

✅ Get unlimited ideas: Use our idea generator tool for instant work-appropriate examples

✅ Browse all examples: Check out 400+ ideas across all categories for personal inspiration

✅ Explore more team activities: See our team building icebreakers guide for additional exercises

Transform your next team meeting from transactional to transformational—one truth and one lie at a time.