Reverse Q&A Hot Seat
Let the team interview leadership or facilitators
Game Overview.
Flip the script by putting leaders or facilitators on the hot seat while participants rapid-fire thoughtful questions. It builds trust and surfaces insights you might otherwise miss.
Objectives
- ✓Demonstrate transparency from leadership or facilitators
- ✓Give employees or students agency to guide the conversation
- ✓Collect qualitative insights about morale and priorities
What You'll Need
- •Question collection tool (form, sticky notes, or chat)
- •Timer to keep answers concise
- •Moderator to prioritize questions and keep tone constructive
Preparation
- 1Invite participants to submit questions anonymously before the meeting
- 2Clarify boundaries or topics that are off-limits to maintain safety
- 3Decide the order of hot-seat guests so transitions are quick
How to Play
STEP 1
Set Expectations
Explain the purpose, time limit, and guidelines for respectful questions.
STEP 2
Curate Questions
The moderator selects questions in real time or from the pre-submitted list.
STEP 3
Answer Rapid-Fire
Each hot-seat guest has one minute per question before moving on to the next topic.
STEP 4
Summarize Learnings
Close by highlighting any commitments or follow-up items that emerged.
Pro Tips
- Start with a light question to warm everyone up before diving deeper
- Rotate hot-seat guests so more voices are heard across sessions
- Use a shared doc to capture unanswered questions for later response
- Encourage participants to upvote questions to surface common themes
Variations
Ask-Me-Anything
Run longer AMAs for execs or subject-matter experts with optional anonymous submissions.
Peer Hot Seat
Have teammates interview each other to build empathy across departments.
Lightning Polls
Intermix multiple-choice polls between questions to keep the audience engaged.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we prevent inappropriate questions?
Use a moderator or upvoting tool so questions are screened before they are asked live.
What if there are not many questions?
Seed a few prompts ahead of time or ask participants to reflect on recent wins, blockers, or curiosities.
Should we record the session?
If the tone stays candid, consider sharing a written recap instead of a full recording.
Tags
Similar Games You Might Like.
Two Truths and a Lie
A Classic Ice Breaker Game for Any Setting
Each person shares three statements about themselves - two true and one false. Others guess which statement is the lie. Perfect for helping people learn interesting facts about each other.
Human Bingo
Interactive Ice Breaker for Large Groups
Participants receive bingo cards with different characteristics or experiences. They must find people who match each square and get their signatures. First to complete a row wins!
Virtual Background Challenge
Perfect for Remote Teams and Online Meetings
Participants choose creative virtual backgrounds that represent something about themselves. Others guess the meaning behind each background choice.