In this issue of HUE News:

• Message from HueLife's Founders
• Pro Tip: Living in the Present
• People Making a Difference: Dr. Scott Kuffel
• Featured Program: Mastering Technology of Participation (MToP)
• Upcoming Courses
• Partner in Action: Envisio
• Mission Update: Generosity & Partnership at ICMA 2023

Message From Our Founders

2023 has been a year of learning and transformation for our team. We experimented with leadership structure, trust and accountability concepts, and the development of a human system based on the premise that everyone is a leader with equal value.

Some HueLife members stepped up to embrace their full potential and reach new heights in their development and performance; others left to start independent ventures and pursue their own dreams.

As a result, our focus on developing facilitation, human understanding, and engagement capabilities as the critical leadership skills of tomorrow is sharper than ever. The need to connect across and through organizations, communities, and globally grows exponentially. As we continue to enhance our training and fieldwork, we reflect on how fortunate we are to have been supported by thoughtful, generous friends and colleagues.

Our gratitude and appreciation go to all of you, our community!

Pro Tip

Living in the Present

"Over the past few months, we have felt fortunate to be in the presence of people whose focus on gratitude, generosity, and living in the present impacted us deeply."

- Irina & Richard Fursman, HueLife Founders

The youth that were hosted from Ukraine, many of whom have lost everything to war, have chosen to live in the moment and refuse to have their dignity ripped from them. We want to focus on some of their words to guide our central reflection this month and thank everyone who gave so much to make this happen. Thirty quotes from thirty courageous humans inspire us to live in the present. 

These were captured by John Noltner, the author of “A Peace of My Mind.” He has combined photography and quotes to create an art form that profoundly captures moments of passage. Our Pro Tip comes to you from John and his ability to capture and share stories. He spoke to Elizaveta Pylipchuk, a 17-year-old from Boryspil, Ukraine, whose message below comes from the inquiry posed by John this way: “Tell me what the future looks like.” Boryspil is home to over 3,000 internally displaced people whose homes were bombed heavily at the beginning of the war. Some families have moved several times over the past 20 months.  

Click on the image below to access the entire library of quotes from Ukrainian youth. Use the password Hue (the password if case sensitive) to enter the site.

Featured HueLife Program

Mastering Technology of Participation (MToP)

Are you ready to start your personal and professional development journey with us?

Join the Mastering ToP® program designed to deepen your knowledge of ToP Methods, grow your awareness, develop a facilitative mindset, and have fun while learning new tools, processes, and applications for engagement and facilitation methods.

Your cohort of peers will become a network of support for years to come! The program, popularly known as MToP, includes experiential learning to expand your leadership capabilities and transform your facilitation practice.

Participants will Engage in:

1. Four Learning Intensives: MToP cohort meets in person each quarter for three days of experiential learning and practical facilitation skill development.
2. Hands-On Field Experience: Practice implementing methods between intensives to develop a personal style and achieve core competencies.
3. Mentoring: Participate in small group progress updates with peers and a mentor from the HueLife training team between sessions.

Note: ToP Facilitation Methods is a prerequisite.

Session Dates

(all sessions will be held in the Twin Cities, MN)



Intensive I • January 24-26, 2024

Intensive II • April 24th -26th, 2024

Intensive III • July 24th-26th, 2024

Intensive IV • October 23rd -25th, 2024

Click on the video or download the program flier to learn more!

People Making A Difference

Dr. Scott Kuffel

Meet Dr. Scott Kuffel of Kewanee, IL. After retiring in 2018 after 17 years as a public school superintendent, he began a journey of coaching, facilitating different engagements and conversations, and leading development opportunities for school and district leaders. After researching coaching, leadership, and change for a dissertation project, this was an organic progression, with the natural application and continued growth with ToP and HueLife tools.

By nature, school and district leadership thrive on understanding and connecting a clear outcome to an effective process within the framework of people embracing positive relationships. Scott's experience with HueLife provided tremendous learning avenues within an environment that lived its "Human Understanding and Engagement" mission. The skills and attitude he has been able to grow over 15 years of connection with HueLife have augmented his professional experiences in public schools as a district leader. They are now continuing to serve and evolve in his role as a coach and facilitator.

Using the HUE Conversation method and applying the flip-chart consensus tool has considerably deepened his ability to help others ask better questions, but more importantly, listen in a richer way to the contributions made by others. When he is working with someone who replies, "That's a great question...", it's validation that the inquiry is provocative and that the coaching client will now work through their own focused conversation internally, which supports the co-active approach to some consensus. 

"Coaching is about building trust in an environment of inquiry and authentic service to another... and I've found that same culture in all my experiences working with HueLife. The wonder and discovery that occurs during trainings and observing the HueLife team facilitate action planning, strategic planning, and the most efficient conversations--is inspiring and dynamic."

Scott has grown anxious over the years that we make something like leadership, which is already complex, into an even more complicated structure. Because he strives to live a motto of "leading simply," it's important that the coaching tools and facilitating tools he uses are simple yet highly functional. Effective and unobtrusive. Inclusive, inviting, and inspirational.

Dr. Scott D. Kuffel of Leading Simply welcomes a conversation with anyone who would like to learn more about applying tools he has learned through HueLife via email at scottkuffel@leadingsimplyconsulting.com or by phone at (309) 714-3467.

Improve Your Facilitation Skills at our Upcoming Courses

Partners in Action Toward the Greater Good

Envisio

Envisio is a mission-driven company, with mission-driven people—from their customers to their internal team. Envisio’s mission is to Build Trusted Public Agencies. They do this by supporting public sector leaders in driving better community outcomes through the delivery of their most important plans. Trust comes from the delivery of the promises made in those plans and through providing full transparency to community members along the way.

For the Envisio team, a huge piece of thinking about gratitude comes from working with those public servants who share a conviction that they can improve the lives of their community members. They are grateful for their passion, dedication, and the sacrifices they make in service to their communities. 

"We often describe ourselves as “public servants in the private sector.” Fostering a culture of gratitude starts with finding people who are aligned with our mission. We are intentional in our hiring practices of finding those who are passionate about the work of the public sector. And we are intentional about expressing gratitude to our customers and each other."

As a strategy and performance management technology company, Envisio gets to support forward-thinking, innovative public sector organizations that are committed to real change and improvement. From tangible action on climate change to equity and inclusion programs, economic revitalization roadmaps, and so much more, bringing the plans of their customers to life is a source of inspiration and gratitude for the whole team.

Gratitude comes in many ways at Envisio: their customers, the vision of the company, workplace culture, and the chance to work with so many mission-driven people, collectively pushing for better, brighter futures. 

Mission Update

Generosity & Partnership at ICMA 2023

We kicked off this month by participating in the 2023 International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX. ICMA brought local government professionals from around the world together for unparalleled leadership and professional development, networking, and best-in-class programming.

The conference also provided opportunities for corporate partners to choose a charitable cause to contribute financially. We are immensely grateful that the six organizations chose YouLEAD as the organization that they believe has values aligned with theirs and that is deserving of their financial support because of the mission and work of YouLEAD.

This year, the purpose of YouLEAD was to provide 30 Ukrainian teens with the opportunity to participate in development activities and continue the tradition of sharing views, culture, and learning from one another as we all continue to grow as individuals and leaders.

Our work and commitment to youth leadership development will continue next year thanks in part to the following AMAZING partner companies (click on their logos to learn more about each partner):

Coming in November

We are updating our website so that it is easier to navigate and learn about all the services and trainings HueLife offers.

We will also publish our 2024 course catalog, which contains over 90 scheduled trainings. There are both in-person and online options available.

If you would like to schedule in-house courses, contact info@hue.life.

In Case You Missed It

Have you seen what's new with HueLife? In case you missed it, check out our September Newsletter and be updated with what's happening!

• How to "harvest" the wisdom within a group
• HUE Conversations
• People Making a Difference: Amanda Crosbie & Emily Larson - City of Bloomington
• Partner in Action: Northspan

ToP Facilitation Methods and ToP Strategic Planning are eligible for 14 CEHs from the following boards:

BOSA, PMI, APA, AICP, CHES-MCHES, NAICS

CEUs are also offered from Normandale Community College for any ToP course offered at their university.

HueLife | www.hue.life | 651.204.0441 | info@hue.life