The Nobel Explorers Ask Clarifying Questions

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How often have you been talking to someone who just nods back, saying “Uh-huh, ok,” whereas to you it appears as if they may not have really understood your point?

When we work in a team it is crucial that everybody in the team operates with the same information and understands each other. Communicating clearly is something that sounds easy, but it can actually be tricky to put into practice. How can we make sure we communicate clearly? This gets even more important as the problems we solve grow in their complexity.

The solution is easy. Whenever someone is explaining a complex topic, we should stop them every time we don’t understand in order to double-check if our understanding is correct. This can be done simply by asking for further clarification or trying to summarize what was just said but in your own words. If you can’t do that, you can always ask for clarification.

Our Explorers are supported to practice the skill of asking clarifying questions on a daily basis during our Mini Project.

This can look as simple as “Can you please clarify your last point?”, or “I’m not sure I’m following now. Can you please explain that last point one more time?”. You can take it to the next level by summarizing main points in your own words, practicing real comprehension rather than recognition.

Asking questions like that will earn you your #AskClarifyingQuestions badge and will help your team progress faster.
We encourage you to practice this skill in your daily lives. Reach out if you have any questions and we will make sure to clarify them for you! If you need any clarification about your Explorer’s journey and growth, book a free session with me, Daria.

The Nobel Explorers Constructive Colonel Badge

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Think back to a time when your colleague or classmate has done something you didn’t like. Did you struggle with how to handle it? Is there a way to tell them you disagree without hurting their feelings? The alternative is to say nothing, but potentially risking the future of the whole project.

Providing your teammates with actionable and constructive feedback is a skill we hold very high in our soft skills training for all Explorers. This means you learn how to provide feedback that is results-oriented and offers concrete suggestions on what can be done to improve the project.

Let’s illustrate this. Instead of saying “I don’t like the colors on our website,” – which can be perceived as judgmental and less useful for the feedback recipient – you could try saying “I think we have done a great job organizing parts of our website so far. One thing I would change is the color of the background. That yellow color makes it hard for me to look at the website for a long time. How about we change it to a darker shade of blue? It would be more comfortable to look at, and it matches our topic of ocean life better.”

Our Nobel Explorers have a chance to start practicing this skill as early as the mini project or intro class, and as they go on we dedicate more and more attention to this complex but important skill.

We believe that we all grow through real, constructive feedback, that comes from a good place. Our program is organized in a way that supports and promotes collaboration, so providing feedback is inevitable and valuable!

Asking and providing feedback is something you can practice as well! Leave a review on Facebook, Google and let us know what you enjoyed and what you like to see more of! Book a session with me, Daria, for personalized feedback on your Explorer’s improvement and growth journey!

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The Nobel Explorers Brainstormer Badge

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Sparking our inherent creative potential is essential for solving complex work and life-related problems that we encounter on an everyday basis. Unfortunately, the older we get, the less inclined we are to employ our creativity.

The issue gets even more complicated when we want to engage a whole team in this creative process. How do we make sure we have everybody’s ideas down? How do we make sure that there is one result out of this process that everybody feels passionate about? But most importantly, how do we make it a team process? How can we use everybody’s creativity to solve a complex issue and build strong relationships within a team instead of having everybody push for their version of the solution? (Does this sound familiar?)

We address this and more with our Nobel Explorers as part of our soft skills training in order to make sure they’re equipped to put their creativity into good practice and use it to answer complex questions.

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Creativity a skill utilized in one of the Explorers’ very first tasks – deciding the topic of their website – which requires brainstorming as a team. To earn this badge, Explorers must engage in a brainstorming activity, make sure to add as many ideas as they can, build off of each other’s ideas whilst being respectful of the ideas of others.

Solving any complex question becomes easier and more fun when we become more comfortable utilizing creativity and learning how to leverage it within a team. That’s why our Explorers learn about and earn this badge in the early part of the program.

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Nobel Explorer Badges for Intro Projects

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Hello, Nobel Explorers! We’re so excited to have you with us starting your journey as a Nobel Explorer!

Aside from tackling some of the most interesting STEM challenges, our intro class will encourage you to learn fundamental teamwork and leadership skills. We defined 7 of these essential skills into specific badges you can earn in the beginning stages of your Explorer journey!

Nobel Explorer Badges are inspired by the World Economic Forum’s top 10 list of skills to have in 2020. These skills set you up for success in the classroom, in work, and in life, and we can’t wait for you to start earning them!

 

Heads-up Honcho

Student uses verbal and nonverbal cues to express active listening.

Showing that you’re not only paying attention to what’s being said but that you’re an active part of the conversation is a skill that is a vital aspect of teamwork. It conveys interest in what’s being said and helps you stay involved throughout the discussion.

Classy Clarifier

Student lets teammates know if he/she understands them or not.

When someone is addressing you directly, it’s important to convey whether or not you’re able to follow their train of thought. If you are, then you’ll be encouraging them, but if you’re not, then they’ll need to know in order to adapt their presentation accordingly. In good teamwork, misunderstandings are dealt with immediately so that everyone can keep up.

Super Summarizer

Student writes down all of the important agreements, ideas, and conclusions in the public chat.

Group meetings are very dynamic and the topics can sometimes change seamlessly as well as at a very rapid pace. By providing everyone with a written record of all the most important moments of the meeting, you’ll allow your fellow explorers to keep track of what’s been said and move the conversation along accordingly. These notes should be taken live and written inside the public chat for everyone to see.

Constructive Colonel

Student helps others learn and grow by providing them with constructive feedback.

This just means that giving and receiving feedback require a certain level of skill! Sharing direct information in a kind, yet encouraging manner is something that needs to be mastered but it’s also the most valuable asset in a teamworker’s toolkit.

Buddy Brainiac

Student applies brainstorming to generate ideas.

Brainstorming is a useful tool to have at your disposal when a challenge requires a particularly creative resolution. The greater the number of different ideas, the wider the choice for reaching a better solution..

“To Do” Trooper

Student identifies tasks and structures them into a to-do list.

Breaking down complex assignments into simple tasks and organizing them on a to-do list allows the team to take on even the most difficult challenges efficiently. It’s the first step to moving mountains, together!

Captain Convergent

Student organizes and structures brainstorming ideas by highlighting the most important ones and grouping together those that are similar.

The true power of brainstorming lies in diversity. But in order to make the most out of these ideas, you need to turn that bundle into a register. Sorting the fruits of your collective expression by importance and clustering together those that are similar provides everyone with a clear overview and makes each session all the more valuable.

Hey there!

You made it all the way to through! We don’t have a badge for this though, but a heartful “Great Job” should work just fine! Now that you’re all caught up with how the badge system works, it’s time to go out there and get as many as you can!

Book a call with Daria, Lead Facilitator, for a deeper understanding of the soft skills badges.

Book your FREE 30-min call

Learn more about Daria.