Strength Based Mentoring

In the spirit of thankfulness, I wanted to share this great message from Kid President. Happy Thanksgiving!

A simple video that helps us consider the question, "What is RIGHT with you?" and why that question matters. “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment  wisely and earnestly."     - Buddha

Yesterday was one of my best work days ever.  It was full of moments of smiles, hand-over-heart sighs, hugs, joy.  I was helping a new chapter learn strengths language, asking them to view themselves and each other through a strengths lens and listen for ways to honor authenticity.  As we discussed ways to change conversations and encourage hope, I felt them doing just that for me. Watching students discover their strengths is one of the most powerful parts of my job.  Regardless of their age, they have ownership of their good.  Even for just a few minutes before the universe starts reminding them of the not-so-good, they are basking in the sunshine of awesome.  I see it radiate in their faces and when I ask them for their thoughts - they use their own language to remind me how simple it is.  They are engaged.  They are excited about their own talents and curious about others. An 8th grader yesterday so eloquently told me about his DISCOVER...

In Missouri Valley, students are creating a " Chain of Hope ".  Students write down one good thing that is happening in their life or something they are looking forward to.  This is a great visual to connect your "nexting" questions mentioned in the previous post.  Or add your own questions/answers during your time with your mentee. What is one way you are going to use one of your strengths this week?  What was the best part of your day? How did you make a difference this week? What's one thing you are grateful for? Send us your ideas and photos so that we can feature them here.

Nexting While Walking Shane J. Lopez, Ph.D.   in   Making Hope Happen On our morning walks to his elementary school, my son Parrish and I do lots of  nexting . We talk about his next basketball game, the next movie we’ll watch, our next family trip. Nexting comes naturally to kids. It seems to pique their curiosity and give them little boosts of joy. Nexting is my way of practicing hope with Parrish, an eight-year old. By encouraging him to talk about the future, I find out what he is excited about. I learn about his plots and plans, and I help him come up with lots of ideas for how to make things happen. If I identify some gaps in his thinking, I can explore his “wonderfully horrible ideas” jokingly. That gives us a chance to discuss why some of his strategies may not be appropriate and to pivot to one of his other ideas. Talking about the next important event in Parrish’s life also lets me gauge whether he is confident, nervous, joyful,  fearful , ...

Guest Post by Tom Rath , author, researcher, and speaker. #1  New York Times  bestselling author of  Wellbeing, Strengths Based Leadership, StrengthsFinder 2.0,  and  How Full Is Your Bucket?  and the forthcoming  Eat Move Sleep: How Small Choices Lead to Big Changes. Be more of who you already are by  Tom Rath  • July 31, 2013  Be more of who you  already are. That is the primary lesson I learned from my mentor and grandfather, Donald O. Clifton , who spent a lifetime studying “ what is right with people. ” Don helped me to see that if I spent my life trying to be good at everything, I would never be great at anything. In the late 1990s, after helping thousands uncover their strengths through in-depth interviews over three decades, Don and his team created a web-based assessment called StrengthsFinder. Don’s dream was to help far more people uncover their strengths. In the early days of working on this proj...