A Practical Approach to Discovering Strengths: Coloring Exercises, Assessments, and Daily Stand-Ups

Article generated by copilot based on explorative research by Mary Loubele

Introduction

At MyYL Tech, we firmly believe that understanding and leveraging individual strengths is crucial for building effective teams. In this blog post, we’ll delve into a hands-on approach to discovering your unique abilities through coloring exercises, assessments, and the power of daily stand-up meetings. Whether you’re aspiring to be the future CTO, CDO, CPO, or CEO or whatever other role you have in mind as your north star, this creative journey will empower you to recognize and leverage your strengths while fostering team collaboration.

1. Coloring as a Path to Self-Discovery

Why Coloring?

• Engaging Both Sides of the Brain: Coloring activates both the analytical and creative sides of your brain, promoting relaxation and enhancing creativity.

• Fear-Free Exploration: When you pick up those colored pencils or markers, you step into a world where there’s no fear of failure. It’s a safe space to explore.

• Revealing Hidden Aspects: Through colors and patterns, we often reveal aspects of ourselves that remain hidden in our daily routines.

2. Getting Started

Materials:

• Coloring Books: Choose themes that resonate with you. Whether it’s intricate mandalas or whimsical landscapes, find what sparks your interest.

• Colored Pencils, Crayons, Markers: Start with the basics. You don’t need a fancy art supply store—just grab what you have at home.

• Canvas or Paper: Don’t worry about perfection. Use whatever canvas you have available. It could be a sketchbook, printer paper, or even the back of an old envelope.

3. Exploring Strengths

It might feel weird to do a coloring exercise but in a later blog post we will show you how this actually can help you out to fill out all those long surveys or just not needing to fill these out any more. This is still something that is cooking at the moment, but that also allows for the people who are interested to participate in this discovery to have some time to feel comfortable again about their coloring skills. 

4. Team Building and Collaboration

Collaborative Canvas:

• Invite Your Team: Gather your team members and invite them to contribute to a large canvas. It could be an actual canvas, a shared digital space, or even a mural on a wall.

• Each Stroke Represents a Strength: As each team member adds their strokes, observe how the collective art reflects your team’s unique abilities. The strokes symbolize not just colors but also the diverse strengths within your team.

• Celebrate the Mosaic: Embrace the mosaic of colors and patterns. Just as each stroke contributes to the whole, each team member’s strengths contribute to the success of your projects.

5. Daily Stand-Up Meetings: Strengthening Alignment

What is a Daily Stand-Up Meeting?

A daily stand-up meeting, also known as a daily Scrum, is a short team gathering held every day. Its purpose is to keep team members on the same page. During the stand-up:

• Each team member briefly shares what they accomplished the day before.

• They discuss what they plan to tackle today.

• Any roadblocks or challenges they are facing are highlighted.

Benefits of Daily Stand-Up Meetings

Running daily stand-up meetings offers several benefits:

• Improving Team Alignment: Keep everyone informed about project goals, progress, and roadblocks.

• Promoting Transparency: Share work updates and challenges openly, building trust.

• Increasing Productivity: Set clear objectives for the day, reducing time spent on non-essential tasks.

• Faster Problem-Solving: Collaborate on challenges, leading to innovative solutions.

• Enhancing Team Collaboration: Regular interactions foster a sense of community

Adding a Splash of Color to Your Stand-Up

Now, let’s infuse a bit of creativity into your daily stand-up:

1. Colorful Progress Bars:

   • Create a simple progress bar for each team member using colored markers or digital tools.

   • As team members share their accomplishments, they can fill in their progress bars with the corresponding color.

   • It visually represents how close they are to completing their tasks for the day.

2. Emoji and GIF Expressions:

   • Encourage team members to use emojis and GIFs during their updates.

   • When someone shares progress or faces a challenge, they can express excitement or emphasize an idea by adding relevant emojis or GIFs to the board.

   • It lightens the mood and adds a touch of playfulness