Unconsultants Team With SuitUp Local High School Students
Emotional intelligence and empathy are two of the most important skills leaders must possess. The best way to learn about empathy is by experiencing what it’s like to give to others firsthand. For the annual Inspirant Group Cares day of service, we partnered with Suit Up, an organization that does great work by bringing schools and companies together to make sure that all high school students have opportunities to pursue higher education and a career of their choosing.
Getting Creative
The students were given an assignment of creating a new strategy to encourage our clients to share testimonials that highlight their journey from inspiration to transformation.
In the beginning, they were, understandably, a little shy and reluctant to share their ideas. But over the course of the day and as we got to know each other the students warmed up and became more comfortable expressing and developing their ideas. In the end, the students gave their first corporate presentations, which were innovative and thoughtful.
-Keira, Student
“My favorite part was collaborating with the students and seeing their minds work. They went from being quiet and not sharing to being open to sharing their ideas and pitching them!”
–Unconsultant & Team Coach
Growth Mindset
As this was the student’s first exposure to us and the management consulting business, we were able to quickly earn their trust. Their openness and willingness to learn something entirely new was impressive. Their growth mindset allowed the students to ideate freely and be unafraid to share ideas while having fun.
For our team, there were so many personal rewards. Serving as coaches, we got to tap into our own leadership skills and creativity. Focusing on the student’s ideas, we collaborated with them to draw out the most feasible concepts and tied them to making improvements in our business.
“Today was a great experience. It was the first time I did something like this. Being a CEO was challenging but I had a great time sharing my ideas with a team.”
– Hector, Student
For our team, there were so many personal rewards. Serving as coaches, we got to tap into our own leadership skills and creativity. Focusing on the student’s ideas, we collaborated with them to draw out the most feasible concepts and tied them to making improvements in our business.
Rewards of Giving
Everyone who participated spoke about the profound impact the experience of helping others had on them. This was particularly meaningful for our Unconsultants because one of our core company values is “Care About The Greater Good,” which includes empathy. We forged a palpable connection with the students, who in turn helped us to better understand their experience of trying to identify a potential career path.
“This was such a great experience! The team I worked with was so engaged and participated based on their strengths. Everyone was so accepting of all the ideas and they worked together like a team at our company would work together!”
-Mary Beth, Unconsultant & Team Coach