To enhance calm, connection and courage on your teams

Simple Tools

Courageous Connection Tools for Individuals & Teams

5 minute mindful meditation, entering and soothing between tasks, or to start meetings. Access Meditation

 

Courageous Connection Tools for Teams

At the start of any team meeting, use any or all of the steps below. These are adapted from our Stress Profile ™ exercise.

  1. Ask people to rate themselves, 0-10 on stress/distress scale. Many people may be reticent to say they’re feeling really anxious but have an easier time providing an accurate number.

  2. If anyone says a number higher than 5 or 6, go around again, and ask if anyone else has had higher numbers recently. Group sharing normalizes the feeling of distress.

  3. If numbers are high, go around and ask people to name their fears. Naming fears in a group helps people feel less alone and can help highlight any exaggerated aspects. It can also help us discern which fears we can do something about, and which fears we can’t.​

  4. Ask people to share what they’ve been doing that’s helped them have peace and hope in these times. Ask folks to share tools they’ve found useful. Sharing allows team members to give and receive social support, key to belonging.

  5. Invite team members to make specific requests for support from the group when needed. Specific requests can be a gift to all of us, as generosity and altruism often settles us down and provides greater well being than focusing on ourselves. By learning what each team member finds helpful, reveals that it’s different for all of us. 

  6. Ask, “What’s your intention for the week? What core values would you like to guide your actions in the week ahead?” Name one specific example. Values, like positive emotions, are another wonderful way to bolster motivation and courage and focus our minds and hearts.

  7. At the end of the exercise, ask each person to say one thing they’re grateful for. Gratitude has myriad benefits, including calming the body and helping us experience positive emotions, such as, optimism, love, joy and enthusiasm, while protecting us from destructive emotions.

  8. When you do the exercise for the first time, ask everyone what they found helpful, and what else they might find helpful. All of the exercises we offer have proven effective in specific contexts. It’s most helpful to empower people to share what works well for them to tailor all exercises to their needs. Co-creating rituals with your team creates a greater sense of belonging, support and motivation.