Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

#Teams365 485 # Team Building Tip #34: How Does Your Team Rate?

4/30/2015

This week's team building tip gets you to reflect upon, and collectively rate yourselves as a team, on how you align with some of the factors of high performing teams, namely:
How clear is your vision? - On a scale of 1-10 (with one being low and 10 being high) how clear is your team's vision? What do you notice about your clarity? What's your next steps in this area as a team?

How clear are your shared agreements? Where do you have each others back? What can you depend on from each other? Again, give yourselves a rating of 1-10 with one being low and 10 being high. What do you notice? Where might you need to revisit the agreements you have created together?

How clear are your goals to everyone? As we move into the month of May, what are the top 3 goals for the team? Where are you as a team on a scale of 1-10 around your goal clarity? What can you do to sharpen this up?

Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time(TM)
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#Teams365 #484: Month End Reflection questions

4/29/2015

Although we are not completely at the end of the month, today's post poses several questions for you to consider as you take stock of the month of April. It is also a great time to check in with yourself around how one-on-ones are going, and what feedback (positive and constructive) the team can benefit from.

Today or tomorrow, build in fifteen minutes to reflect on your successes this month and plan for the new month of May. You may find these questions useful as you reflect

Questions to reflect on the month of April:
What were your major accomplishments this month?
What goals did you achieve? Which ones morphed/changed?
What key relationships did you foster?
What issue were you able to close off on

As you look to May:
What is your most important priority during May?
What resources do you need in order to be successful?
What do you need to delegate?
What key relationships need attention?
What will success look like for you, and the team, in May?

Enjoy the reflection and planning!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time(TM)
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#TEAMs365 #483: Several Resources for Emotional Intelligence

4/28/2015

This week our focus in on Emotional Intelligence. Yesterday my post focused on three reasons why Emotional Intelligence is important. Today I wanted to include a few resources to some great articles written by others.

Here are a few articles I think you might find interesting:
Harvard Business Review's seminal article on Building the Emotional Intelligence of Groups. Click here to read it

Exercises you can use with your team to build their Emotional Intelligence from the EQ Toolbox. Click here to read.

Daniel Goldman's article on Emotionally Intelligent Teams. Click here to read it.

A fantastic working paper on Emotional Intelligence in Team Performance from Ashutosh Jani and Pallavi Vyas which reviews the research around Team Effectiveness and Emotionally Intelligence, Click here to access it.

Are there any other resources you would recommend others to? Please feel free to comment.

Best
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time(TM)
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#Teams365 #482: THree Reasons Why Emotional Intelligence Is Important for Leaders

4/27/2015

How emotionally intelligent are you? Recently I have been working on the Emotional Intelligence materials for one of the Teams365 foundations module I offer publically (next group runs Thursdays 12 - 1 pm ET starting in late July) as well as internally to organizations.

EI consists of skills in four main areas:
Self-awareness: Our ability to know ourselves
Self-management - Our ability to manage ourselves
Social awareness - The awareness we have of the relationships, social and organizational context we operate within
Social management - Relationship management and our ability to influence, collaborate and work with others.

Today's post looks at 3 reasons why EI or emotional intelligence is important for team leaders especially.

# 1 - The move into team leadership can be one of the largest changes in leadership style. Many team leaders are technical experts, great at getting the job done, but not necessarily at focusing on these other areas of interpersonal skills, team development. Providing new, and experienced team leaders with some tools and skills in these areas are critical.

#2 - Self-awareness is key for leaders (and team members!). The more we know ourselves, the strengths we bring to the table and the strengths of others, the easier it is to adapt, innovate and move confidently through the ever changing, and unpredictable environment we operate within. Providing leaders and team members with the opportunity to learn more about themselves, their strengths and triggers, helps to create a solid foundation.

#3 - Relationship management is a critcal part of the Emotional Intelligence toolbox. As team leaders developing and being agile with different relationships above and below you is critical for success. Being able to build solid relationships with your peers, your boss, your team and stakholders, and use the skill of influence are critical skillsets which are often overlooked.

What do you see as the benefits of Emotional Intelligence? Where would you like to boost your skills? Perhaps you will join me for our upcoming Teams365 Emotional Intelligence Foundations module (which we can also deliver internally to your organization - virtually or in person).

Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time(TM)
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#TEams365 #481: Sunday Audio - Coaching Skills Part 2

4/26/2015

Welcome back to part 2 of the Teams365 Sunday Audio on Coaching Skills for Leaders. Last week I shared with you four core elements of any coaching conversation - Goal Setting, Action, Awareness and Accountability.

In today's eight minute post we look at three foundational coaching skills including Listening, Questions and Goal Setting. I include the idea of working with each team member to create a one-page plan, something that they can quickly refer to as part of their work.

I would like to invite you to download a sample one page plan which I use in the Inner Biz Leader (TM) program. Feel free to adapt the template for your team members. Enjoy!

Have a great Sunday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training for Leaders
(416)996-8326

#Teams365 #480:6 #Leadership Questions A day: Project planning: Part 1

4/25/2015

We just wrapped up the a-z of the 6 #Leadership Questions a day and I've already had a few emails from people asking me "What's next with this series? ". I'll be continuing it on a regular basis, focusing in on some of the key strategic areas of a team leaders' role whether it's thinking about the 6 #Leadership Questions a day with respect to difficult conversations, feedback or emotional intelligence.

Today we're going to look at a6 key questions for project planning, a topic close to my heart. In my former work in the global sector I managed multiple projects around education, disaster management, health and the environment. Whether big or small, project planning includes a series of key questions to be asking. Here are six of them (and yes, there are many more!):

What are the major outcomes of this project?

What are key milestones and measurements?

What will success look like?

Who needs to be involved to make this happen? (This question often takes us into the realm of stakeholder involvement - consider which internal and external stakeholders need to be involved)

What support do different stakeholders need?

What are the roles and responsibilities of the different project players?

I'll be back in a few days with six more questions leaders can be asking as they move into project planning. If you missed the #6 Leadership Questions a Day series a-z you can catch up here.

Have a great Saturday.
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Everything DiSC® Authorized Partner
Contact us and let us know how we can support you in helping your team reach its' full potential: (416)996-TEAM (8326)

#TEams365 #479: Check It Off Tip: Clear Away RoadBlocks

4/24/2015

A large part of the team leaders role is to remove roadblocks so that the team can get things done. This week, notice what roadblocks exist. Is it:

Lack of information
Too many meetings
Lack of access to key decision makers
Unclear priorities
Not enough time
Not enough people
Other?

Consider what roadblocks exist for the team, together. They may have different insights from what you are aware of.

What specific actions will you take this week to identify and clear roadblocks?

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#Teams365 #478: Team Building Tip #33: Body Language

4/23/2015

We are communicating all the time, whether we think so or not. In face to face communication, body language can make up to 55% of the message. Our words and the way we speak make up less than the majority.

As you move through your next team meeting, notice what the body language of the team says. Ask them to notice what their body language says. Is it aligned with the way they feel and the image they want to project?

This week be more aware of your body language and how it is opening up conversations, and also shutting them down. Are your arms folded? Where are you looking?

Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Coaching | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#Teams365 #477: Doing our Part on Earth Day and Beyond as Teams

4/22/2015

It's Earth Day today and an opportunity to think about the impact we have on the environment and our communities. Today Corporate Social Responsibility is a term embraced more fully by organizations of all sizes. What's more important is getting ourselves to think about the impact we can have on an individual and team level.

Twenty years ago this year I completed my Masters in Environmental Studies and the focus of my work on topics including climate change, biodiversity, sustainability and community involvement was quite significant throughout the first decade of my career. Although I don't spend a much time in this sector anymore, I do get to still work with organizations thinking about, and acting on, sustainability and impact.

As team leaders and team members there are a number of things we can do to minimize our impact:

* Go virtual with meetings wherever possible - Technology provides us with so many opportunities to connect without having to travel. As a former team leader myself with staff in more than half a dozen countries for 3 years, I've enjoyed my time in the last decade being able to connect with professionals in the same number of countries many days, without having to leave my office! And I do believe we get just as much done many times as we would in person, perhaps even more! The reduction of our carbon footprint can be significant with a shift to more virtual working, and the enhancement of professional virtual relationships.

* Encourage telecommuting where possible - As someone who operates out of Toronto as a "home base", the cost of commuting is visible on so many levels. Toronto has one of the highest commute times in North America, and it's common to see neighbors in my community leave before the sun comes up and return after the sun is down. The cost of commuting is not only on the individual, but also the family and community. While Toronto is starting to think about how to improve the commuter system, we've also got to think about redesigning work.
Questions you may start dialoguing around include: Is everyone really needed in the office every day? What approaches can you use to keep people feeling connected with others they may not see? What does productivity look like when people do work virtually - whether it's from a home office or a satellite community location?

* Consider minimizing other impact - Our small steps around recycling - paper and waster - and also power management (through power saving, LEDs) - does have an impact cumulatively. What systems do you have in your office to support these small changes.

As you move through Earth Day today, what's important for your team? What impact can you have?

Have a great day,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching(Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Contact us and let us know how we can support you in helping your team reach its' full potential - (416)996-8326

#Teams365 #476: 6 #Leadership Questions a Day - Y and Z are for

4/21/2015

We are at Y and Z in the 6 Leadership Questions a day, our last of this series that has covered the last month. As we look to the letter Y, Y stands for yes, yield, yearn.

Yearning helps us continue to stretch, reach and grow. What is your team yearning for? As a leader, what are you yearning for?

Saying a full-hearted yes to what is important is key. What do you need to say yes to?

As with driving, yielding can be a very safe thing. What do you need to yield to?

As we look to our last three questions of our series we move to Z – z which stands for zoom, zenith, and zone

The metaphor of a zoom can be useful in thinking about what we want to get closer into and what we can see from the different perspectives. Think aobut what the tight zoom angle looks like and what you can see, versus the far out view. What do you need to zoom into to get a different perspective.

Zenith – the Zenith is the peak. What is the zenith of the path you are on?

and finally, zone. Being in the zone, or getting in flow, takes us to a place of ease and effortlessness, as we are able to maximize our strengths in the place of just enough challenge. What does the "zone" look like for you? What can you do to maximize it.

Thanks for joining me for this journey on the 6 #Leadership Questions a day! If you missed some, you can catch them up here. I'll be sustaining the focus on a weekly basis now with some thematic Leadership Questions every week.

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Coaching | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)