I had lunch with an old friend who I had worked with almost 30 years ago. After a successful entrepreneurial career, he has since moved to the other side of the table and invests in start-ups. He is also someone with a strong "pay it forward" mentality. In his work advising hundreds of start-ups, he found he was often repeating himself so he created a set of videos that distill what he has learned over the years. Danielle highlighted three videos from this set that focus on building soft skills and more effective teams. These videos can apply to all students involved in group work and/or students interested in entrepreneurship.  

Real Self

It takes courage to admit you’re not good at something, and that’s exactly what Harrison wants you to do in this video. Discussing what you can improve on with your colleagues not only helps everyone develop a strong sense of empathy, but builds stronger relationships as well.

• What are some of your own attributes that you can improve upon? Do you have a plan on how to improve them. 
• How can sharing your struggles and experiences build professional relationships?
• Have you ever done this or had anyone confide in you about their weaknesses?
• Why is building empathy with your colleagues or coworkers a good thing?

Product Roadmap Process

A product roadmap is a timeline of events and goals that a group or company should follow when creating a new product. Similar to a group project, everyone has a contributing role, and everyone is equally as important when it comes to producing the end product.

• The video shows a poster with all the details of the product roadmap, which everyone is able to view. Why do you think transparency is a good thing?
• What are some benefits of having non-product focused people share their ideas on potential products?
• Are there ways that you can incorporate the product roadmap process into group projects you do for school? 

Reconciliations

In any company, organization, or group work, there is almost always a difference between what’s expected and what’s reality. Harrison Metal explains how reconciliations are beneficial for those who are looking to optimize the outcome, and addresses how teams can identify problems so they can work together to create a solution.

• “If you can measure it, you can reconcile it.” Do you think this is an accurate statement? Explain your answer.
• Have you ever created something similar to a reconciliation in a group setting? What was it? How did you solve it?
• Why do you think creating reconciliations are beneficial for your communication skills in a group setting?

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Want to develop soft skills with your students? Here's a set of role plays to get your students to exercise those "soft skill" muscles. 

About the Authors

Danielle Bautista

Danielle is a native of Southern California and a recent graduate from the University of Maine, where she braved the frigid winters—a feat in and of itself—and earned her Bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She has a passion for working with non-profit organizations and serving populations in underprivileged communities. When Danielle isn't writing NGPF blog posts, spearheading various outreach projects, or managing contests and flash surveys, you can find her doing some sort of outdoor activity, learning a new hobby, or cracking what she thinks are witty puns!

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Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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