You Can Quote Me On This

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Distinguish leadership and organizational communication styles by matching authentic quotes to their speakers.

Use it when: Use at the start or midpoint of a leadership, management, or communication workshop to examine voice, clarity, and tone.

Skip it when: Skip when participants have zero context for the referenced leaders, or when deep textual analysis of a single document is required instead of rapid matching.

Group arrangement: Teams of 3 to 4 participants

Timing: UWT suggested 15-minute pacing based on the framegame structure in source evidence

Materials and tools

• One copy of the complete matching worksheet per team of 3 to 4 participants
• One pen or pencil per team
• One copy of the facilitator answer key for the facilitator

Before participants arrive

1. Print one matching worksheet per team using the ready-to-run leadership set or custom workplace quotes
2. Ensure the facilitator answer key matches the printed worksheets exactly

Say this to open

On your tables is a matching challenge with ten quotes and ten speakers. Five are widely recognized leadership statements, and five are famous humorous remarks. Work as a team to match each numbered quote to the correct lettered speaker. Write the speaker letter next to each quote number. You have six minutes.

How to run it

1. Form teams and introduce challenge 2 minutes

   Organize participants into teams of 3 or 4. Hand out one matching worksheet per team. Read the opening script aloud. State clearly that every numbered quote matches exactly one lettered speaker. Clarify that teams must agree on their answers and write the letter in the blank next to each number.

2. Match quotes to speakers 6 minutes

   Teams discuss and record their matches on their worksheet. For example, if quote 3 matches speaker A, write A next to number 3. Move between tables to ensure groups are collaborating. Clarify instructions if asked, but do not confirm any matches during this phase. Give a 1-minute warning before time expires.

3. Reveal matches and calculate scores 3 minutes

   Call time. Ask teams to swap sheets with another team or self-score using a pen of a different color. Read the correct pairings from the facilitator answer key one by one. Have teams award one point for each correct match, for a maximum of 10 points. Ask for a quick show of hands for teams scoring 8 or more.

4. Debrief leadership voice 4 minutes

   Lead a brief discussion using the debrief questions. Ask two or three volunteers to share what clues helped them separate serious leadership philosophy from humorous or offhand remarks. Summarize how word choice and clarity impact authority and credibility before transitioning to the next agenda item.

Debrief questions

• Which quotes were easiest to identify, and what specific language clues gave them away?
• What differentiates the tone of the formal leadership quotes from the humorous remarks?
• How does clarity in everyday communication influence how others perceive a leader's credibility?

Finished output: Completed and scored matching worksheets for each team.

Remote

Share the complete matching worksheet via a shared digital document, slide, or form. Send teams of 3 to 4 into breakout rooms for 6 minutes to deliberate and record their letter choices. Reconvene in the main room, display the answer key on screen, and conduct the debrief via video audio and chat.

Hybrid

Form distinct remote and in-person teams. Provide digital documents to online groups and printed sheets to in-room groups. Run the answer reveal and debrief across the shared video link, inviting alternate responses from in-room and remote teams.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may choose to read aloud, act as the team scribe, or participate verbally in deliberation
• Any participant may pass on reading or speaking during the room-wide debrief without explanation

If the session gets stuck

A team finishes matching in less than 3 minutes

Instruct them to select one quote and draft a 1-sentence explanation of what specific value or management philosophy it reflects.

Teams dispute an answer or question the phrasing of an unusual quote

Affirm that genuine speech is often surprising or contradictory, confirm the official attribution on the key, and use the surprise as a talking point in debrief.

Terms used here

• Framegame: A reusable game structure or instructional format that can be loaded with different topic content.