Though I sometimes dread participating, I often find icebreakers to be the most interesting and memorable parts of work meetings. They are a chance to learn something new about your coworkers, find shared interests, and build collegiality.
In my opinion, the icebreaker question that elicits the most engaging answers is, “What is one thing no one knows about you?” My go-to answer recently has been, “I write for a Legend of Zelda fansite called Zelda Universe.” This response has spurred some pleasantly surprising reactions.
I first got a chance to use my Zelda Universe answer in the fall of 2019 during a company strategy meeting. My tidbit was met with raised eyebrows, smiles, and a few comments along the lines of, “That’s awesome.” I expected the eyebrows, but I appreciated the smiles and comments. What was most unexpected was that a coworker a few seats away took courage in my reply and used her turn to announce that she was a huge fan of the original Legend of Zelda, replaying it with her husband every year.
During a break, I found myself explaining to coworkers what type of articles I write for the website and how the publishing schedule works. I also chatted with my fellow Zelda-loving colleague about our shared passion for the series and how she still had hand-drawn maps of Hyrule with all the secrets marked. Unfortunately, we discovered our common ground as I was preparing to depart the organization for another job. I did, however, receive a nice send-off email noting that it was always nice to meet another Zelda fan.
The next opportunity to share my Zelda writing hobby with coworkers came about eight months into my new job, in the fall of 2020. During our regular monthly all-staff meetings, we spotlight a different person and have them answer 73 questions in rapid-fire fashion. The first question of the 73 is (you guessed it), “What is something that no one knows about you?” I led with my Zelda Universe answer and soaked in the raised eyebrows and open mouths. It didn’t stop there.
As the questions rolled on, my colleagues learned just how big a role video games, especially Zelda games, play in my life (at least 30% of my answers involved video games). Because of the quick succession and limited time, there wasn’t really a chance for my coworkers to respond, other than a few fun comments in the chat. The real fallout wouldn’t come until a few days later.
At a subsequent company Zoom happy hour (because that’s a thing these days), our executive director greeted me as I logged in: “Here he is, Lord Zelda!” Of course, it took every fiber of my being not to say that Zelda is actually the princess. Tempted as I was to correct her, I took the title with glee as my coworkers chimed in about how much they enjoyed learning about my love of games. We joked that no one actually knew what I did for the organization other than talk about Zelda all day (they’re on to me!). Our executive director even informed me she let people in other organizations know about my Zelda answers to exemplify how our monthly staff spotlight brings out fun and fascinating facts about colleagues. It seems my reputation has been set.
Sharing something about yourself can be scary, but I take pride in my work at Zelda Universe and all my Zelda nerdiness. My forthrightness has always resulted in positivity, encouraging me to continue to share my love of Zelda with the world. I’ve also come to realize that writing for Zelda Universe is not just a fun fact to share during icebreakers; it has become part of who I am.
Zelda Universe is now celebrating its 20th birthday! Be sure to check out more of our memories from the site’s two-decade history.
