How I Work Best
- Difficult Conversations
- Feedback
- Influencing
- Insights
- Listening
The Nudge: How I Work Best
As the year heads into its busiest stretch, it’s easy to forget that boundaries aren’t barriers — they’re what help us stay at our best. This short team exercise is a simple way to spark a conversation about what everyone needs to do their best work. It builds understanding, respect and connection, helping teams protect their energy and performance as the festive season approaches.
Exercise: What I Need to Do My Best Work
- Purpose: To remind the team of each other’s different colour energies and open a conversation about personal boundaries and preferences.
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: Have a copy of their Insights Report to hand. Sticky notes or index cards, pens, and a flipchart (optional but useful).
Step by Step Guide
1. Quick Colour Refresh (2 minutes)
- Fiery Red: direct, action-focused, likes clarity and results
- Sunshine Yellow: sociable, enthusiastic, enjoys collaboration
- Earth Green: supportive, calm, values harmony and trust
- Cool Blue: thoughtful, organised, likes structure and clear information
“We all bring different energy to the team. That’s what makes us strong. It also means we need different things to do our best work.”
2. Individual Reflection (3 minutes)
Ask everyone to jot down one thing that helps them do their best work and one boundary that helps them stay at their best.
Examples:
- “I do my best work when I have clear priorities.”
- “I need quiet time in the morning before meetings.”
- “I like feedback in the moment, not weeks later.”
Review pages 11 & 12 of their report to remind them of communication do’s and don’ts.
3. Share and Spot Patterns (4 minutes)
- Each person shares briefly. Capture key points on a flipchart.
- As a group, notice what’s similar, where preferences might clash, and which boundaries matter most.
4. Close the Loop (1 minute)
“Let’s each commit to noticing one of these boundaries this week and supporting each other to stay at our best.”
You can take a quick photo of the flip-chart or post highlights on Teams or Slack as a visual reminder.
Facilitator Tips:
Keep it light and curious. This isn’t about setting rules but building understanding.
If your group is large, start in pairs or trios before sharing highlights.
You can link it back: boundary-setting is about managing energy — just like adapting our colour energy helps us collaborate better.
Insights Me Manual
If you’d like to explore this exercise in more depth, you can also use our summary handouts which provide additional guidance and reflection prompts.
You can access the Insights Me Manual here