Who Am I?

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Demonstrate how everyday work habits and mannerisms are perceived by peers through respectful role-play and guessing.

Use it when: Use with established teams whose members know each other well enough to recognize typical catchphrases, routines, and collaborative habits.

Skip it when: Skip with brand new groups, groups experiencing interpersonal friction, or settings where impersonation could feel unsafe or exclusionary.

Group arrangement: Two teams of roughly equal size (teams differ by at most one person if total count is odd)

Timing: Source recommends 45 to 60 minutes. Set here to 50 minutes to allow ample rounds across up to 24 participants.

Materials and tools

• 2 small boxes or containers for drawing names
• Index cards or slips of paper (1 per participant)
• Pens or markers (1 per participant)
• 1 digital countdown timer visible to the room
• 1 whiteboard or flip chart and marker for scorekeeping
• Optional simple props (hats, generic glasses, clipboards)

Before participants arrive

1. Arrange room seating so Team A and Team B face each other across a clear central space.
2. Place paper slips, pens, and one container at each team's table area.
3. Set up a flip chart with Team A and Team B columns for score tracking.

Say this to open

Welcome. We are playing Who Am I? Each person writes their name on a slip and places it in their team's container. If you prefer not to be portrayed today, write 'Pass' on your slip without giving a reason. Teams will draw names from the other team's bowl, perform lighthearted work habits or catchphrases, and guess who it is. Our focus is good-natured recognition, never mockery.

How to run it

1. Set ground rules and collect names 5 minutes

   Divide the room into two teams of roughly equal size. If the group has an odd number, one team has one extra member. Distribute paper slips. Instruct each person to write their own name, fold the slip once, and place it in their team's container. Remind everyone that writing 'Pass' instead of their name is completely fine. Swap the containers so Team A holds Team B's names and Team B holds Team A's names.

2. Demonstrate the mechanic 5 minutes

   Explain the turn sequence. On a turn, an acting player from the active team secretly draws two slips from the opposing container, chooses one name to enact, and returns the other slip back to the container. They get 30 seconds to plan. They act out familiar work mannerisms or phrases for up to 60 seconds while their team guesses. A correct guess scores 1 point. Provide a neutral example, such as adjusting glasses and repeating 'Let's take that offline.'

3. Run alternating imitation rounds 32 minutes

   Alternate turns between teams, ensuring equal chances to act. Representatives draw two slips, choose one, return the other, and perform. Start the 60-second timer. If teammates guess correctly in time, award 1 point on the flip chart. If a 'Pass' slip is drawn, return it quietly and draw another. Continue until time expires or all willing members have been portrayed once. Not every participant must be portrayed if time runs out.

4. Debrief peer observation 8 minutes

   Bring both teams together. Invite two or three participants to answer the debrief questions. Focus on how communication styles, positive habits, and common meeting routines create a shared group identity.

Debrief questions

• Which work habits or phrases were recognized most quickly, and why?
• If your style or routine was portrayed today, what was it like to see it mirrored back?
• What does this game reveal about the daily traits we notice most in our collaborators?

Finished output: A completed scoreboard and a shared whole-group reflection on workplace communication habits.

Remote

Before the session, participants direct message their name or 'Pass' to the facilitator. The facilitator manages the two private pools. On each turn, the facilitator sends two names via private chat to the acting participant, who replies indicating their choice, and the facilitator returns the unchosen name to the pool. The actor turns on their camera and acts out the person for 60 seconds. Teammates submit guesses in public chat. Facilitator tracks points on a shared digital document.

Hybrid

In-person and remote participants are distributed across Team A and Team B. To ensure equal access to the secret draw, all participants submit their name or 'Pass' via a private digital form or direct message to the facilitator. When a turn begins, the facilitator privately messages two candidate names to the actor (on their phone or chat), the actor picks one, and the facilitator returns the other to the digital pool. Actors perform on camera for both audiences, and teammates guess aloud or in chat.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may write 'Pass' on their slip to opt out of being portrayed without explanation or public notice.
• Actors may choose verbal catchphrases, non-verbal physical mannerisms, or written clues on a whiteboard to accommodate different speech, mobility, or comfort levels.

If the session gets stuck

An actor uses sarcasm or targets physical appearance or personal traits.

Pause the round immediately. Remind the group that imitations must focus solely on professional habits, meeting phrases, and work routines.

The team fails to guess the person within the 60-second limit.

Call time when the countdown buzzer sounds. Reveal the name kindly, award no points for that turn, and pass play to the opposing team.

Terms used here

• Mannerism: A habitual gesture, speech phrase, or working style characteristic of a person.