in

Your Best Friend in High School

The company I work for in my full time job is famous for using icebreakers questions at the beginning of every meeting. It gets old when you are meeting with the same people every week. This morning our ice breaker was “Describe your best friend in high school.”

My answer was simple, “I didn’t have one.”

It took only seconds to realize that my answer was considered totally inappropriate. The chatter began. Finally the facilitator asked me if I could amend my answer. 

“Sure, I can. I don’t remember having a best friend in high, I remember having friends. Perhaps my experience was different than yours, and that is my final answer.”

After the meeting the facilitator asked me why I chose to answer the question in such a manner. I  was uncomfortable with having a full blown discussion about something as simple as an icebreaker question. But, I felt forced to respond.

So I said “I am uncomfortable with this line of questioning. I answered the questions honestly, and to the best of my ability. I barely remember the names of people from high school. I don’t keep in touch with any of them. I moved away and created new friends and left high school behind.” 

Then I thought a minute as she stared at me with no response. “What does it matter who I knew in high school thousands of miles from here and a lifetime ago?”

She replied “I need team players.”

“Oh, well I played so we’re good. Have a great day.” 

  • Question of

    Was there something wrong with my response?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    Do you meetings have ice breaker questions?

    • Yes
    • No
  • Question of

    Are your meetings too long?

    • Yes
    • No

Report

What do you think?

Written by Ghostwriter

3 Comments

  1. Personally speaking, all my high school batchmates are my best friend. But I lost my real best friend in primary school, he died right after we graduated.

  2. I thought I had a best friend during my school days but at the end, she proved me that I was wrong and that I have been trusting in the wrong person.

  3. Meetings are always too long!

    I agree with you – if you honestly did not have a “best friend” at school, then why pretend that you did? The assumption behind this question is absurd anyway – you do not prove that someone is a team player because they had a best friend – surely this would be far more likely of someone who treated their friends as equals and did not allow one individual to take precedence? Is not that what team playing is all about?