Quotes Game
Also known as: Favorite Quotes Icebreaker, Quote Sharing Circle, Wisdom Exchange Game
Quotes Game invites participants to share meaningful quotes that reveal personal values, sparking deeper conversations and authentic connections through the wisdom they carry.
Quick Overview
Introduction
Quotes Game asks participants to select and share a meaningful quote that resonates with their values, experiences, or current mindset. Each person explains why their chosen quote matters, opening windows into personal philosophies and creating natural conversation starters. The format works because quotes act as emotional anchors, helping people articulate complex feelings through borrowed wisdom. Facilitators can use Quotes Game to surface team values, inspire reflection during transitions, or build rapport before diving into strategic work.
Key Features
- Low-barrier entry through shared wisdom rather than personal vulnerability.
- Reveals core values and priorities through quote selection and explanation.
- Generates memorable discussion anchors that teams reference long after the session.
Ideal For
Quotes Game excels during leadership retreats, cross-functional team kickoffs, or onboarding sessions where establishing shared values matters more than rushing through logistics. It also supports reflection moments at the end of training programs, helping participants anchor learning to personal philosophies.
What Makes It Unique
Unlike direct sharing exercises, Quotes Game provides protective scaffolding through others' words, allowing participants to reveal depth gradually while maintaining comfortable distance from pure self-disclosure.
How to Play
Preparation
10 minutes- 1Decide whether participants will bring their own quotes or select from a curated collection you provide. For curated options, compile 20-40 diverse quotes spanning various themes, authors, and eras to ensure everyone finds resonance.
- 2Set clear boundaries for the sharing round: establish time limits per person (2-3 minutes works well), clarify whether discussion follows each share or happens after everyone presents, and decide if you'll connect quotes to specific prompts like 'leadership philosophy' or keep it open.
- 3Prepare your own quote as facilitator to model the depth and vulnerability you hope to see, demonstrating how to connect the quote to personal experience without over-sharing.
Game Flow
20-40 minutes- 1Introduce the Quotes Game format: each person will share one meaningful quote and explain why it resonates with them right now. Emphasize that there are no wrong answers and borrowed wisdom can be just as revealing as original thoughts.
- 2If providing a curated collection, give participants 5-7 minutes to browse and select their quote silently. Encourage them to notice their first emotional reaction rather than overthinking the 'perfect' choice.
- 3Start with your own quote to set the tone, modeling both the intellectual and emotional dimensions: 'I chose Maya Angelou's quote about rising because it reminds me how this team has navigated challenges together.'
- 4Invite participants to share in whatever order feels natural, either going around the circle, having people volunteer, or using a random selection method. After each share, allow 30-60 seconds for clarifying questions before moving to the next person.
- 5As facilitator, listen for connecting threads between quotes and gently highlight them: 'I'm noticing several of us chose quotes about resilience. Let's hold onto that theme for later.' Capture key quotes on a visible board so the group can reference them.
Wrap Up
5 minutes- 1Ask the group to identify patterns: 'What themes emerged across our quotes? What surprised you about the wisdom this group values?' Give people time to respond and build on each other's observations.
- 2Invite participants to name one quote from a colleague that particularly struck them and why. This reinforces listening and creates interpersonal connections beyond the initial share.
- 3Close by suggesting how the group might reference these quotes moving forward, whether in a shared document, team space, or upcoming conversations. Connect the quotes to your session's broader purpose: 'As we move into strategic planning, these values will be our North Star.'
Host Script
Questions & Examples
Leadership and Growth
- •"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." - Nelson Mandela
- •"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles... The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena." - Theodore Roosevelt
- •"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - African Proverb
- •"The only way to do great work is to love what you do." - Steve Jobs
Change and Resilience
- •"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." - Oscar Wilde
- •"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." - Albert Einstein
- •"The measure of intelligence is the ability to change." - Albert Einstein
- •"What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do." - Tim Ferriss
Collaboration and Community
- •"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller
- •"We rise by lifting others." - Robert Ingersoll
- •"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." - Phil Jackson
- •"It takes a village to raise a child." - African Proverb
Courage and Authenticity
- •"Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up when you can't control the outcome." - Brené Brown
- •"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
- •"Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
- •"Everything you've ever wanted is on the other side of fear." - George Addair
Virtual Version (for Zoom/Teams)
Quotes Game translates seamlessly to virtual settings through screen shares, collaborative documents, and breakout rooms that preserve intimacy.
- •Create a shared Google Doc or Miro board where participants can paste their chosen quotes before presenting, giving visual reinforcement and creating a permanent artifact.
- •Use breakout rooms for initial sharing in groups of 4-5, then bring everyone together for a few highlights, ensuring quieter voices get heard in smaller settings first.
- •Enable gallery view and ask participants to use reaction emojis when a quote resonates with them, providing real-time affirmation without interrupting speakers.
- •Record the session (with permission) so participants can revisit quotes later, but emphasize that personal explanations remain confidential unless explicitly sharable.
Tips & Variations
Pro Tips
- ✓Curate your quote collection strategically to include diverse voices across gender, culture, profession, and era, signaling that all perspectives are valued.
- ✓If you notice someone struggling to connect their quote to personal experience, ask a gentle follow-up question like 'What drew you to that particular line?' to create an easy entry point.
- ✓Create a follow-up artifact by compiling all quotes into a team document or poster that lives in your workspace, transforming the activity from a moment into a lasting cultural touchstone.
- ✓For deeper connection, have participants swap quotes with a partner and spend three minutes explaining why they think that particular quote resonated with their colleague.
Variations
Quote Speed Dating
Participants pair up for three minutes to share their quotes, then rotate to a new partner every few minutes. After five rotations, the full group identifies which quotes appeared most frequently in conversation and why they're culturally resonant.
Quote Remix Challenge
After initial sharing, ask participants to collaboratively write a new quote that synthesizes themes from what they heard. Small groups of 3-4 create their remix, then present it to the full team as a values statement.
Historical Context Edition
When someone shares a quote, spend an extra minute exploring the historical context in which it was written. This variation deepens critical thinking and connects personal values to broader social movements.
Common Pitfalls
- ✗Rushing through shares without allowing space for reflection or follow-up questions, which makes the activity feel transactional rather than meaningful.
- ✗Providing only quotes from business leaders or famous figures, which can alienate participants who connect more with literature, philosophy, or cultural traditions.
- ✗Skipping your own share as facilitator, which creates distance rather than modeling the vulnerability and authenticity you want to see.
- ✗Failing to connect the quotes back to your session goals, leaving participants wondering why they did the activity in the first place.
Safety & Inclusivity Notes
- •Emphasize that participants can choose quotes on any topic that matters to them, not just work-related wisdom, and they control how much personal context they share.
- •Be mindful that some quotes, especially historical ones, may carry cultural baggage or controversial interpretations. Create space for participants to acknowledge complexity without shutting down dialogue.
- •If providing a curated collection, review quotes for potentially triggering content around trauma, loss, or political topics unless your context specifically calls for that depth.
- •Remind the group that sharing stops at the room's boundaries unless someone explicitly gives permission to reference their quote externally, protecting personal reflections.
Why This Game Works
Quotes Game taps into our natural attraction to narratives and borrowed authority, making it psychologically safer to share values through admired voices. This indirect revelation activates empathy circuits while reducing the vulnerability stress that often blocks genuine connection. The reflective pause before sharing also engages metacognitive processes, helping participants articulate beliefs they may not have consciously examined.
Psychological Principles
Narrative Identity Theory
Dan P. McAdams
Narrative Identity Theory suggests people construct their sense of self through the stories they tell and adopt, integrating personal experiences into coherent life narratives.
Application in Game
When participants choose quotes, they're selecting narrative fragments that reflect how they see themselves or aspire to be. Sharing these quotes in Quotes Game becomes an identity performance that invites others to understand their internal story without forced vulnerability.
Values Affirmation Theory
Claude M. Steele
Values Affirmation Theory demonstrates that reflecting on core values reduces defensiveness and enhances openness to new perspectives and challenging information.
Application in Game
Quotes Game creates a values affirmation moment where participants consciously engage with principles that matter to them. This psychological anchoring increases team receptivity during subsequent strategic discussions and reduces resistance to feedback.
Social Comparison Theory
Leon Festinger
Social Comparison Theory explains how people evaluate their own opinions and abilities by comparing themselves to others, especially in ambiguous situations.
Application in Game
The Quotes Game facilitates upward comparison through aspirational quotes, inspiring participants while creating common reference points. Hearing how colleagues interpret similar quotes reveals diversity within shared values, building cognitive flexibility.
Measurable Outcomes
Post-session survey measuring perceived shared values among team members
Timeframe: Immediately after activity
Facilitator ratings on engagement depth scale (1-5) comparing to standard introductions
Timeframe: During activity observation
Tracked messages and meeting requests between participants in subsequent week
Timeframe: Seven days post-activity
Success Stories
Global Consulting Firm Values Workshop
Background
A management consulting firm with 120 partners across four continents needed to align on refreshed company values during their annual leadership summit. The chief people officer designed a three-hour workshop opening with Quotes Game, asking each table of eight to share quotes representing their interpretation of proposed values like 'intellectual courage' and 'client-centricity.'
Challenge
Previous values exercises felt corporate and abstract, with partners nodding politely but rarely applying principles to real decisions. Survey data showed only 42% could name three company values without looking them up, and junior consultants reported feeling disconnected from leadership philosophies. The firm needed an approach that would make values tangible and memorable.
Solution
Each partner received a curated packet of 30 diverse quotes spanning business, philosophy, literature, and science. Tables spent ten minutes individually selecting one quote per value, then went around sharing their choices and explaining personal stories connecting the quote to their work. Facilitators captured themes on digital whiteboards, and the room voted on which quotes best captured each value. Winning quotes were incorporated into internal communications and office displays.
Results
Three months later, values recall jumped to 87%, and partners began referencing specific quotes during case reviews and performance conversations. Internal surveys showed 68% of consultants felt the values now reflected actual decision-making priorities rather than marketing language. The firm published a values booklet featuring the chosen quotes alongside partner commentary, which became their most-requested recruiting material.
University Student Leader Orientation
Background
A university welcomed 45 new student organization leaders representing clubs from debate teams to environmental groups. The student life coordinator used Quotes Game on day one to help leaders discover cross-group connections and establish a supportive community despite competing for budget and venues.
Challenge
Leaders historically viewed each other as rivals rather than collaborators, leading to turf battles and minimal knowledge sharing. Prior orientations featured generic trust falls and name games that felt juvenile to upperclassmen. Retention data showed 30% of leaders quit within one semester, citing isolation and lack of peer support.
Solution
The coordinator asked each leader to find a quote that explained why they volunteered for their role. Participants shared in randomized small groups of five, ensuring cross-pollination between academic, cultural, and recreational clubs. After each round, groups identified one surprising commonality to share with the full cohort. The coordinator then paired leaders with shared quote themes as peer mentors for the semester.
Results
Leader retention rose to 91% that year, with exit interviews citing peer relationships as a key factor. Spontaneous cross-club collaborations increased 40%, including a joint environmental debate fundraiser and combined cultural festival. Leaders reported feeling the orientation treated them as thoughtful adults rather than children, with quotes serving as ongoing reference points in their group chats.
What Users Say
"Quotes Game gave our leadership team a shorthand for complex values conversations. Instead of lengthy debates, we now reference quotes from the session to align on decisions. It's become part of our culture."
James Rodriguez
VP of Strategy
Use Case: Leadership retreat values alignment
"I've facilitated hundreds of icebreakers, but Quotes Game consistently generates the most meaningful dialogue. Participants reveal depth without feeling exposed, and the conversations continue long after the activity ends."
Priya Sharma
Learning & Development Consultant
Use Case: Corporate training workshops
"Our remote team was struggling with shallow connections. Quotes Game changed that by giving us a window into what actually matters to each person. Now we reference each other's quotes in Slack and remember the humans behind the screens."
Michael Chen
Engineering Manager
Use Case: Remote team onboarding
Frequently Asked Questions
Encourage them to paraphrase a lesson from a mentor, family member, or life experience. The goal is meaningful reflection, not perfect attribution. You can also offer 2-3 extra minutes of browsing time or invite them to share last after hearing others' examples.
Balance your curated collection with quotes that range from profound to playful. Include humorous quotes from comedians or light observations alongside philosophical depth. Your facilitation tone also matters; warm curiosity beats solemn reverence.
Absolutely. Frame the quote selection around a specific challenge: 'Find a quote that speaks to how we should approach this product launch' or 'Choose wisdom that guides you through conflict.' The quotes then become decision-making frameworks.
Groups of 6-10 allow everyone to share without time pressure. For larger groups, break into smaller circles for initial sharing, then reconvene to highlight 3-5 quotes that emerged as particularly resonant across multiple groups.
Give advance notice that you'll be doing Quotes Game so introverts can prepare. Offer the option to submit quotes in writing first, and use smaller breakout groups where speaking feels less performative. Emphasize that reading the quote and offering just one sentence of context is perfectly acceptable.