Strength Based Mentoring

With Holiday celebrations on the horizon, today's featured strengths activity centers on gifts. The most memorable gifts one gives and receives can often be an indicator of our natural talents. In the 2017 holiday edition of Genn and Mille, Ally and Tess discussed this question together, sharing about their favorite gifts. You can watch/listen to the episode by   clicking HERE.   Ally's favorite gift of a filing cabinet was a strong indicator of her #1 Input talent. Tess' favorite gift of a desk was an indicator of her #4 theme of Learner. Next time you meet with your mentee, ask them about the best gift they have ever received. Spot their top 3 or 5 in their response. Then, ask them about the best gift (or an act of kindness) they have ever given to another and strengths spot their response. Then, be willing to do the same: offer your favorite gift received and given then strengths spot the results. My Favorite Gifts:  What is the best gift you have ever...

Gallup's meta analysis of CliftonStrengths has proven that our strengths really do not change over time. Our innate talent themes have been a part of how we have been wired from a young age. The featured strengths activity today allows us to first look back to our younger selves to recognize our strengths in the past, and secondly, to look forward to the ways we will use our strengths in the future.  This activity, Past and Future, is from the Clifton StrengthExplorer resource booklet, but can be used with all ages of students and adults alike! The worksheet asks you and your mentee to reflect on the following questions:  Thinking back to your younger self, were there times in your life when you used your talents?  Picturing your future self, do you think there will be times or places in which you might use these talents?  Reflect on these questions with your mentee, and use the worksheet provided to jot down these examples. The power of strengths happens w...

The featured activity this week has become a recent favorite of the TeamMates Strengths Team. I learned of it by attending the Green Hills AEA Conference this past summer. The breakout presenter, Louise El Yafoori, taught on mitigating culturally sensitive trauma. This activity comes from the practice of Dialectical Behavior Therapy. While it can be used in very targeted ways for working with certain groups of kids, we found it a powerful reflective exercise that we all could benefit from. We facilitated this activity at our annual strengths day at the Gallup campus this year and the results of this learning and self reflection were highly impactful. Consider doing this activity with your mentee as a way to deepen the conversation around strengths and talent by incorporating discussions of values, role models, support systems, and more. Activity Instructions:  On a blank piece of paper, sketch out a house. Your house should include: a foundation, walls, windows, a door, roof...

The start of the school year and mentoring is upon us and with it comes the opportunity to invest further in your strengths! Get caught up on all things TeamMates strengths by checking out the Genn and Millie Podcast episodes from this summer. You can listen by access our Genn and Millie Podbean site below, or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. 

This week I am bringing you an activity that both you and your mentee can use in every match meeting to come. This is an adaptation from the 60-in-60 Document on the Strengths Drop Box which you can find by clicking here . Start by gather a set of index cards and some markers or pencils. Then, take time creating one card for each of your strengths (Top 3 or Top 5). Depict these strengths however you want to by writing and coloring on one side of the index card.  Once you are finished creating your cards, go on to another activity (play a game, do a craft, etc). As you go about another activity during your mentoring time or the next time you meet, be aware of how your strengths are being used. When you notice a strength in yourself or your mentee, hold your card up, explain how the strength is in use, and then make a note on the back of the card.   Keep the cards and use them often when you meet in order to strengths spot each other. This very simpl...

In Week 29, Genn and Millie talk about living a life of gratitude. They discuss ho to put this into a regular practice, during both times of consolation and desolation in our lives. They share that recognizing those around us can be a powerful way of expressing gratitude.  Take a listen to this week's episode! You can listen here or find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean, or Stitcher.  After you have had the chance to listen, here are a few items to take your learning to the next level:  1. Tell us who you are! Find us at the places below and let us know you are listening.  2. Offer  meaningful  recognition to someone in your life in the next week.    For information regarding the topic discussed or for resources mentioned in the podcast, follow us on Instagram @GennandMillie or reach out to Tess at  tstarman@teammates.org

Yesterday, Ally and I were in Plattsmouth, NE for their Strengths Day. I kicked off the morning with a training at 7am with 10 mentors. As I walk talking about strengths, I was explaining the Student Success Model from Gallup. Since it was Boss's Day, an example came to me regarding the parallel to the workplace. I talked about the difference between two bosses I have had. One boss, from a previous job I had in college who was very laid back and aloof. He was concerned with his own work and outcomes. My work contributed to that, so every once in a while, I would have interactions that were not that  negative, but also not encouraging. He would say things such as "where are you at with this project, would you be able to get it to me quicker?" Beyond checking in and asking about my work, our interactions did not go very far. I wanted to have further conversations, but it did not seem like he had the time nor the desire to do so. He was not a bad   boss at all, but rather ...

Today, we are rewinding to our sixth installment of Genn and Millie .  These recorded conversations are intended to help spark strengths spotting and communication within the mentoring relationship and beyond.  Video #6 came together after we had attended an academy session at Grief’s Journey and learned more about the instrumental and intuitive style of processing grief and transition.  Although our session started out with some ridiculous Allyson Clumsy humor, it became a more serious conversation about self care and taking time to pause in our busy lives.  This is one of our favorites so far, and we hope it leads to meaningful conversations on your end as well.  Questions for Reflection:  What are your moments of joy?  What are your moments of pause? 

Today we are rewinding our  fifth installment of Genn and Millie .  These recorded conversations are intended to help spark strengths spotting and communication within the mentoring relationship and beyond.  The fifth video is designed to start conversations about the balcony and basement moments we experience in using our strengths.  We first practiced sharing our strengths name cards and then had deeper conversation utilizing another fun Gallup resource.  The handout we are using is attached, and can also be found here on the Development Resources section of the Strengths Dropbox. Thanks so much for your feedback on previous videos.  Feel free to share this learning and let us know if you have ideas for upcoming conversations. I would also encourage you to check out the Strengths Mentoring Blog , an d   Gallup Theme Thursday learning videos available.

Today we are rewinding our fourth installment of Genn and Millie .   These recorded conversations are intended to help spark strengths spotting and communication within the mentoring relationship and beyond.  The fourth video is designed to help mentors utilize the strengths theme cards and practice some strengths spotting.  We had another session of strengths conversations utilizing another fun Gallup resource.  Many of you have a set of the Theme Cards, but if you are interested, they can be found at the Gallup store . A few corrections/things we need need to note: I referred to Ed McMahon as Ed Sullivan. I will never forgive myself for this error. I also stand corrected, the song IS actually 867-5309/Jenny, a one-hit wonder by the band Tommy Tutone. Attached is the Orange Slice logo!

We are so thankful for everyone who contributed as a guest blogger this year. We hope that by taking a look at each of these strengths through an individual’s lens, your eyes were opened to the diverse ways each of these talent themes manifest. I think we can often put strengths in a “box”, saying, Communication looks this way or Strategic looks that way, etc. We get stuck in this rut of talking about the strengths, rather than letting the strengths talk for themselves. This year, by allowing unique perspectives on each of the strengths, we aimed to let the strengths speak- to see how they each show up in unique ways, based on a person’s other themes, life experiences, generation, and more. Despite being at the end of this year’s “A Look at” series, I want to encourage you to continue to allow space in your life for your strengths, and the strengths of those around you, to break out of the box you’ve put them in.   As we head into this new season, here are a few questions to ...