High Five! That’s right, you just received a high five. Did it make you smile? Did you laugh? Maybe you felt motivation or a connection to someone new? There is also the chance it was a really good one and left a sting. A high five is something that brings people together in connection, accomplishment, collaboration, and joy. But could a high five mean more? What if you used your high five when you’re fumbling during an interview or setting team expectations? Or maybe making a semester bucket list or goal setting? Yes! A high five can mean more.

In Interviews

I have found that sometimes things can be explained easiest in five points or less, quite similar to the five points of a high five. Each finger has its purpose and can help reframe a variety of our conversations with students. Have you ever been the person to spin your thumbs or play with your fingers under the table? I have. Now, I try to channel those anxious nerves to help direct my answers and refocus my attention through a different approach.

1) If you’re grabbing your thumb during an interview, share an example about giving encouragement or motivating someone.

2) Index fingers can help us give examples about goals, vision, or having your eye on the target.

3) The middle finger (one which can be interpreted in many different ways) can help with examples about working through negative experiences or working with difficult individuals.

4) The ring finger can help you share a time you followed a passion, found commitment, or brought joy to an experience.

5) Lastly, and certainly not the least important, is the pinky finger, which can remind you to share an experience of helping someone younger/newer, protected a teammate, or took care of the underdog.

In Goal Setting

There can be more uses to a high five than just interviewing. Goal setting can also benefit from a high five. This is one approach I have used with students and they often go back to this approach when planning programs, meetings with other students, or general goals for their other commitments.

1) Start with your index finger to determine what the first priority is on the list of things to accomplish.

2) Then, take it a step further to the middle finger and consider what the biggest or highest impact can be from achieving that first goal.

3) Use your ring finger to set a goal related to something you love doing and want to improve.

4) The pinky finger reminds us to take short strides at big goals, so plan out how you can evaluate short term accomplishments.

5) Once you achieve the goal, give yourself a high five…also known as clapping your hands.

In Bucket Lists

My last approach to using a high five is creating a semester bucket list. I utilize this approach to remind students that senior year is memorable for a lot of reasons, one reason is to experience the things not yet experienced. Sometimes it is best to do one thing each month on the bucket list, which is often between four to five months.

1) Begin from the outside and with the pinky and do something small that will make a difference in your college experience or someone else’s life.

2) For the ring finger, do something you are passionate about with someone you love.

3) The middle finger reminds you to have something on your bucket list that you can do just for the fun of it.

4) Your index finger helps you add something to the list that you have always had your eye on but have not had the time to do it.

5) Lastly, the thumbs up can be something that will give you motivation to push through to the end, send encouragement to others, or it can be a thumbs up that you have completed your list.

These are just a few of the ways I have found uses for a high five, but there are many more! I have found that the little things such as a high five, bucket list, or goal setting can all be simplified to a few simple points. So now that you’ve heard a few of these ideas, how can you use the power of a high five for your own creative approach?

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Podcast With Dean Kenneth Elmore on Student Engagement Efforts

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