Activity: Mentoring and Coaching

Leave a Comment / Activities, Skills / Sheri Smith

Feedback is more than just a formality; it's a vital part of personal and professional growth. Learning how to give and receive feedback effectively can transform our interactions, enhance our skills, and ultimately help us reach our collective goals. In this two-part activity, we will explore effective strategies for both giving and receiving constructive feedback, crucial skills for mentoring and coaching relationships.

Part 1 will guide you through the art of providing feedback in a way that is both supportive and actionable. Part 2 will focus on the importance of receiving feedback with an open mind, introducing the “Yes, And” approach to ensure you can integrate insights into your development.

By mastering these skills, you can foster an environment of continuous improvement and collaboration in any mentoring or coaching setting.

The Goal

Giving and receiving feedback is an integral part of growing as an individual, developing your skills, and working with others to achieve a common goal. This two-part activity will go over how to give and receive feedback using two different methods.

Part 1: Giving Feedback

Step 1:

In your Indigo Report, read the “Potential Weaknesses with Your Style,” “Do’s: How Other People Should Communicate With You,” and “Don’ts: … And How Other People Should Not Communicate With You” sections before jumping into this lesson. After reading these pages, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of how your communication style influences your interactions with others, along with key tips to enhance how you connect based on your preferences. If you have a greater understanding of your own style, it will be much easier for you to effectively communicate with others.

Step 2:

Follow a “Sandwich Method” for providing constructive criticism: 1) start with a positive comment; 2) state the problem or constructive criticism; 3) give a helpful and positive suggestion for improvement.

Find another student who has taken Indigo. Look at the bottom of your own Skills list found in the middle of your Indigo Report. Since these skills are less developed, think of a time when you struggled in those areas.
Swap stories about when you struggled with a Bottom Skill. Remember to take note of the whole story, not just the negative aspects.
Give the other person a positive comment about their experience.
Next, articulate the main problem that held you back and caused you to struggle in that situation.
End with a helpful suggestion about how they could have positively solved the problem.

Note: Although subtle, this exercise teaches you to give constructive feedback in a positive light. By ending on a positive note, you equip the person receiving feedback with a tangible solution. This exercise also teaches problem solving through conversation.

Part 2: Receiving Feedback

Step 1:

In your Indigo Report, read the “Potential Weaknesses with Your Style,” and “Do’s and Don’ts of Communication” pages if you haven’t already. Then watch “Yes, And” on YouTube.

Step 2:

Read below to understand the “Yes, And” technique for receiving constructive feedback. This technique boils down to two core concepts: 1) finding something you like in the other person’s feedback and then, 2) finding something to add on to the feedback.

Find Something You Like: Start off by looking at the positive side of any suggestion or feedback. For example, suppose a friend challenges you to read ten books over the summer—but you hate reading. You could respond, “I agree that it’s important to keep learning, even outside of school.” This way, you are saying “yes” to the person’s idea, even if there are parts of the suggestion you don’t like.

Find something to add: Instead of arguing with the other person, go ahead and use their idea—with your own changes and style. For example, you might tell your friend, “I want to keep learning over the summer, and reading is boring to me. I want to be outside! What if we explore local parks and learn the names of all the trees and flowers?” You want to build on the original idea, not shoot it down. The key lies in taking the idea or suggestion and tailoring it to your own unique way of doing things.

Step 3:

Find another person to practice with. Begin with Part 1 of this lesson (The Sandwich Method). After the person provides positive feedback, respond to their idea with the “Yes, And” approach. Find something you like about the suggestion and then add to it with your own ideas and ways of doing things.

Activity: Mentoring and Coaching Read More »

Activity: Leadership

Leave a Comment / Activities, Skills / Sheri Smith

In the busyness of everyday life, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture: the purpose and potential that lie within you. Leadership isn’t just about guiding others—it's about knowing who you are, understanding your unique strengths, and shaping a vision for your life. This activity is designed to help you elevate your thinking, explore the essence of great leadership, and begin reflecting on the kind of leader you aspire to be.

Through this exercise, you’ll delve into inspiring leadership examples, examine their lessons, and begin shaping your own leadership message. By doing so, you'll start developing the mindset and style that aligns with your values and strengths, setting the stage for your unique contribution to the world. Ready to uncover your leadership potential? Let’s begin!

The Goal

In the midst of routine activities, it’s good to remember that there is a big picture for your life you need to discover. The goal of this exercise is to expose you to high-level leadership thinking and start investigating your own leadership style.

Step 1:

Watch a few videos of leaders in areas you care about. There are examples below, but feel free to supplement with your favorite TED talk / industry speaker / author / master at the mic. You could also find written pieces from leaders.

Step 2:

Answer one of the following two prompts in a 3-5 paragraph short essay: “What is the biggest take away from the video? Why is it important?” OR “How could you apply the speaker’s lessons to your life?”

Step 3:

Write a 3-5 paragraph short essay to answer: “What is YOUR lesson you want to teach the world as a leader?” Use the top 2 motivators or top 5 skills from your Indigo Summary Page to enhance your message.

Optional Add-On:

If you want to work on developing the skill of empathy, you could also write a third essay answering the question “How can you take what you learned to help make the world a better place?”

Activity: Leadership Read More »

Activity: Interpersonal Skills

Leave a Comment / Activities, Skills / Sheri Smith

Interpersonal skills are the foundation of successful relationships, both personal and professional. The ability to connect with others impacts everything from your day-to-day interactions at home and in the classroom, to the long-term success of your career.

If you can’t connect with the people around you, your personal, academic, and future professional life will suffer. How you are perceived by those around you plays a large role in things as minor as your day-to-day happiness at home and in class, and as major as the future of your career.

Developing strong interpersonal skills allows you to communicate more effectively, resolve conflicts, and gain the trust and support of those around you.

The Goal

Explore how you can build essential interpersonal skills by carefully observing those around you whose skills you particularly admire. Learn from their techniques and setting personal goals to enhance your own interpersonal abilities.

Step 1:

Make a point of observing people in your in your class who are particularly good at gaining support and agreement from others. Chose two classmates or people you know well whose interpersonal skills you admire. Notice what strategies and techniques they use and record these in response to the questions using the format of the chart below.

Step 2:

Based on your observations of your classmates, above, what is one goal you would like to set for further development of your own interpersonal skills?

*Adapted with permission from TTI International, Ltd. 2010.

Activity: Interpersonal Skills Read More »

Activity: Goal Orientation

Leave a Comment / Activities, Skills / Sheri Smith

Goal setting is one of the most powerful yet overlooked tools in personal and professional development. Studies show that people who write down their goals are 50% more likely to achieve them, yet only a small fraction of adults harness this simple strategy.

If you're ready to unlock your potential, this post will guide you through setting meaningful, actionable goals that you can stick to and achieve. By learning proven techniques like SMART and HARD goal-setting models, you'll create a clear path to success, one goal at a time.

The Goal

Goal setting is one of the most powerful but underutilized tools at our disposal. This lesson is all about teaching you to spend more time thinking and writing down your goals so that you can set goals throughout your life – and achieve them.

Step 1:

Begin by developing 2-3 big-picture goals for yourself as an individual, which you can work toward throughout one full semester or another extended period of time. These goals may involve personal development (e.g. “I want to be more confident” or “I want to speak up for myself”), career development (e.g. “I want to become a lawyer” or “I want to start a company”), or skill development (e.g. “I want to become a stronger reader” or “I want to improve my presentation skills”). The goals may relate to school, or they may not. Either way, establish something that you want to achieve. After brainstorming 2-3 big picture goals, write down 1-2 sentences outlining each goal.

Step 2:

Come up with 3-5 specific goals for the next 2-4 weeks and write them down. These short-term goals should promote, in some tangible way, your big-picture goals. Write down goals that are actually achievable within the given timeframe. It is better to achieve small wins over time than shoot for a big win and get discouraged.

Step 3:

Every week, go back over your short-term goals and check off the goals that you’ve accomplished.

Step 4:

Now that you’ve made progress on your short-term goals, it’s important to take a step back and assess whether these accomplishments are moving you closer to your long-term vision. Ask yourself: Are my short-term wins aligned with my long-term objectives?

If your progress is on track, great! But if you find that you’re not moving in the right direction, it may be time to adjust. Look for any gaps between where you are now and where you want to be. Identify new short-term goals that can bridge those gaps or help you overcome obstacles that have surfaced along the way.

Tip: This step is about staying flexible. Your long-term goals might remain steady, but your short-term goals should be adaptable based on your progress and new insights.

Goal Setting Models

SMART goals and HARD goals are guidelines to writing effective, accomplishable goals. To follow one of the goal-setting models, write down each category (ie Specific, Measurable, etc.) and then write down the part of your goal that fulfills it.

SMART Goals

SMART goals are goals that fulfill the following guidelines:

Specific: Clear, focused idea of what you want to change.
Measurable: Defined, quantifiable way to track the change or growth.
Actionable: Straightforward, simple things you can do to progress this goal starting today.
Realistic: Levelheaded, honest assessment of the goal’s feasibility.
Timely: Precise, easy to follow calendar for when you should hit certain milestones.

HARD Goals

HARD goals are goals that are Heartfelt, Animated, Required, and Difficult. When you are creating a goal, it’s best to work in the order A, H, D, R.

A is for Animated – as in animating goals in your mind by envisioning them happening. When you’ve got a good idea of what you want, write it down. This will make your vision more real and increase your odds of achieving it.
H stands for Heartfelt – Make sure you can answer the questions, Why does your goal matter? and, Why do you care about it? When you are clear about the value of your goal, it’s easier to stay committed.
D is for Difficult – Make goals that push your limits. What skills do you need work on to make your impossibles, possible? Great achievements don’t come easily- but that’s what makes them so rewarding.
R stands for Required. You’ve got to be convinced that your goals are necessary and not just a wish, if you want to make them happen. Do something every day that is on track with your vision. What can you focus on this week? What do you need to achieve in the next month? In the next year?

Activity: Goal Orientation Read More »

Activity: Futuristic Thinking

Leave a Comment / Activities, Skills / Sheri Smith

At Indigo Education Company, we believe that understanding yourself, your team, and your future is key to success. Futuristic thinking is a powerful skill that allows you to envision possibilities and champion ideas that can shape tomorrow.

Whether you're a student, career seeker, or professional, learning to think like a futurist can guide your path and open doors to new opportunities. Explore the principles of futures thinking and reflect on how you can apply these insights to your personal and professional journey.

The Goal

Futurists imagine, envision, or predict what has not yet been realized. They work to develop their brains to envision possibilities that others may not and to champion progressive ideas.

Step 1:

Read the article, “Five Principles for Thinking Like a Futurist.”

Step 2:

As you read, apply the 4 A’s protocol to reflect on the ideas:

Take a moment to reflect on how these principles and your insights can shape your approach to future challenges. How can you incorporate futuristic thinking into your personal or professional growth?

Activity: Futuristic Thinking Read More »

Activity: Flexibility

Leave a Comment / Activities, Skills / Sheri Smith

Change is inevitable, but how do you respond when it happens? Take a moment to reflect on recent shifts in your life—big or small. How did these changes make you feel, and what did they reveal about your flexibility in response to change? By exploring these questions, you might discover something unexpected about your ability to adapt.

Dig into this self-reflective exercise to uncover how you can turn change into a powerful catalyst for personal and professional development.

The Goal

It is important to monitor your own responses to change. As you gain understanding about how you react to change, you will develop flexibility skills.

Step 1:

List three changes that have occurred recently in your personal or professional life.

1.
2.
3.

Step 2:

For each of the three changes, answer the questions listed below.

Step 3:

What are the implications of your reactions to these changes in your life and/or your work?

*Adapted with permission from TTI International, Ltd. 2010.

Activity: Flexibility Read More »

Activity: Empathy

Leave a Comment / Activities, Skills / Sheri Smith

Empathy is not just about understanding others—it's also about being in tune with ourselves. Before we can fully connect with the feelings of those around us, we must first recognize and acknowledge our own emotions. This blog post introduces a simple yet powerful activity designed to help you do just that.

Through a self-empathy check-in, you will have the chance to pause throughout your day, take stock of your feelings, and gain deeper insights into your emotional landscape. By engaging in this practice, you will not only enhance your self-awareness but also strengthen your capacity for empathy toward others.

The Goal

The goal of this activity is to have an opportunity to notice your own emotions. Most people rarely stop to consider the emotions they are experiencing, except when those emotions become intense. This is a self-empathy check-in.

Step 1:

Choose a two-day period and stop briefly at identified times of day to notice and note the emotion(s) you are experiencing. Use the chart format below to record the emotion and what you were doing at the time (e.g., eating breakfast alone, reading a book, dealing with a difficult customer).

Step 2:

Reflect on what you notice about the emotions you wrote down.

What patterns do you see?
What did it feel like to stop on a schedule to notice what you were feeling?
What did you learn about yourself?
What did you learn about empathy?

Activity: Empathy Read More »

Activity: Diplomacy/Tact

Leave a Comment / Activities / Sheri Smith

Effective communication is key to fostering positive relationships and creating harmonious environments in our personal and professional lives. Diplomacy and tact are crucial components of this communication.

This exercise aims to enhance your understanding and application of these skills using the "Three Levels of Text" protocol. By reflecting deeply on the content of the article "Tact and Diplomacy," you will gain insights that can transform your approach to communication in various aspects of your life.

The Goal

Diplomacy and tact impact our relationships and environments, and this exercise uses the “Three Levels of Text” protocol to deepen understanding and skills in these areas by reflecting on an article’s content and implications.

Step 1:

“Tact and Diplomacy” is an article with definitions, prerequisites, and strategies. Our understanding of what we read can be enhanced by using a protocol that promotes reflection as we read. One such protocol is the Three Levels of Text Protocol, which can be used as you read and can also enhance discussion when two or more people have read the same article in a group setting. Read the article and, as you read, use the prompts below to reflect on essential elements of the article and identify implications for your own communication.

Step 2:

Reflect on your current communication skills and identify one specific goal you want to achieve in the area of diplomacy and tact. Write down this goal, ensuring it is clear and actionable. Consider how achieving this goal can positively impact your personal and professional relationships.

Activity: Diplomacy/Tact Read More »

Activity: Decision Making

Leave a Comment / Activities / Sheri Smith

Making decisions can be daunting, especially when faced with multiple options and the pressure to make the best choice. Whether you're deciding which bicycle to buy, which course to enroll in, or what career path to follow, a structured approach can simplify the process. This is where a Decision Matrix Tool comes in handy. In this blog post, you'll learn how to use a Decision Matrix to systematically evaluate your options and make well-informed decisions confidently. By the end of this guide, you'll be equipped with a powerful method to tackle any decision, big or small.

The Goal

Learn to use a Decision Matrix Tool to simplify the process of choosing between multiple options, ensuring the best decision is made by individuals or teams.

Step 1:

Think of a decision you need to make that involves two or more options. Are you trying to decide which of three new bicycles to purchase? Or which course to take? Or which major or career to pursue?

Write down what decision you need to make. Then write down the options you have.

Decision:

Options:

Step 2:

The article, “The Decision Matrix: The Decision Matrix Is The Perfect Tool For Decision Making,” defines the decision matrix and presents a case study that shows you how to design and use a decision matrix. Read the article, and as you do so, consider how to design and use a decision matrix of your own to make the decision you identified in Step 1, above.

Step 3:

Design and use the decision matrix that will lead you to the best decision among the options you identified in Step 1. You may use the template below or adapt it to best fit your specific decision and options.

Step 4:

What are the benefits of using a decision matrix for you? How could you use this tool in the future?

Activity: Decision Making Read More »

Activity: Creativity/Innovation

Leave a Comment / Activities / Sheri Smith

Unleashing Student Creativity and Innovation!

Imagine a world where students are given the same freedom to innovate as engineers at Google, who spend 20% of their time on passion projects. What could our students achieve with similar flexibility to pursue their own genius?

This blog post explores the concept of the "Genius Project," a commitment to creativity and personal growth. Students will brainstorm ideas, write proposals, dedicate time each week to their projects, and present their results—all while tying their efforts to their top motivators and skills. Join us in redefining student potential and fostering a new wave of creativity and innovation.

The Goal

Google, a company with a reputation for innovation, gives its engineers one day a week to work on a passion project. That’s right—20% of their billing time is spent pursuing ideas and interests that may only loosely tie back to their workflow. What would happen if we gave students the same flexibility? What if we gave them the time to pursue their own genius?

Note: This exercise is a commitment. It requires time and a willingness to engage in serious exploration and growth over the course of months.

Optional Add-On: To develop “Time and Priority Management” and “Planning and Organizing” skills, write a proposal that includes how you plan to manage your time over the course of this project and define the different tasks you must complete before the project is considered complete. Essentially, you will submit a detailed plan of how you will carry your project out and manage your own time over the planned timeframe of the project.

Step 1:

Brainstorm what your “Genius Project” could be. Your ideas should be specific to you as an individual. Your passion project must be tied to your top one or two Motivators so start brainstorming by looking at your Motivators on your Indigo Summary Page.

Examples of ideas: starting and growing a new club at school for people interested in coding or investing, building a business, planning a school-wide volunteering day, writing and producing a one-act show for students, leading a full-fledged fundraiser for an initiative that you care about, managing your school’s social media initiatives, learning to build a website from scratch, working on a massive art project or performance, etc.

Step 2:

Write a one-page proposal. The proposal should explain the overall project scope and also how it fits your top one or two Motivators. You should explain how you plan to utilize your top five Skills from your Indigo Summary Page to execute your project. Hold yourself accountable to picking a project that fits you and is sufficiently challenging.

Step 3:

Spend one or two hours a week pursuing your project. This project can be as long or as short as you would like it to be, but the sweet spot is at least 15-20 hours—enough time for you to develop serious projects with a large scope of work.

Step 4:

Create a presentation about the end results of your project. This can be in any form you choose—presentation, essay, collage, video, website, etc. – as long as it is clear that the results reflect your true genius and genuine effort. In your final presentation of the project, you should demonstrate how the project tied in to your top Motivators and how you used your top Skills to successfully complete the project.

Activity: Creativity/Innovation Read More »

Author name: Sheri Smith

Part 1 will guide you through the art of providing feedback in a way that is both supportive and actionable. Part 2 will focus on the importance of receiving feedback with an open mind, introducing the “Yes, And” approach to ensure you can integrate insights into your development.

By mastering these skills, you can foster an environment of continuous improvement and collaboration in any mentoring or coaching setting.

The Goal

Part 1: Giving Feedback

Step 1:

Step 2:

Part 2: Receiving Feedback

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Optional Add-On:

Interpersonal skills are the foundation of successful relationships, both personal and professional. The ability to connect with others impacts everything from your day-to-day interactions at home and in the classroom, to the long-term success of your career.

If you can’t connect with the people around you, your personal, academic, and future professional life will suffer. How you are perceived by those around you plays a large role in things as minor as your day-to-day happiness at home and in class, and as major as the future of your career.

Developing strong interpersonal skills allows you to communicate more effectively, resolve conflicts, and gain the trust and support of those around you.

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

Goal setting is one of the most powerful yet overlooked tools in personal and professional development. Studies show that people who write down their goals are 50% more likely to achieve them, yet only a small fraction of adults harness this simple strategy.

If you're ready to unlock your potential, this post will guide you through setting meaningful, actionable goals that you can stick to and achieve. By learning proven techniques like SMART and HARD goal-setting models, you'll create a clear path to success, one goal at a time.

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Goal Setting Models

SMART Goals

HARD Goals

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

Dig into this self-reflective exercise to uncover how you can turn change into a powerful catalyst for personal and professional development.

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

Effective communication is key to fostering positive relationships and creating harmonious environments in our personal and professional lives. Diplomacy and tact are crucial components of this communication.

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Unleashing Student Creativity and Innovation!

The Goal

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4: