Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

Teams 365 #141: How Meaningful Is Your Work?

5/21/2014

Meaning in work is an important motivator for many of us. How meaningful is your work? How meaningful do your team members find their work.

The parable in today's Teams365 tip shows three different perspectives on what some might consider menial labor.

How would you characterize your work?

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
Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Authorized Partner
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)

Teams 365 #140: Four Tips for Virtual Team management

5/21/2014

For most of the last twenty plus years of my career I have worked in virtual environments, leading teams and working on projects with people who sometimes I have never met face to face. This is increasingly becoming the norm for most people.

Today's post is about four tips for virtual teaming:

1. Know your people - it is really important to get to know your people in the virtual environment, just as it is in the face to face environment. One on ones - as showcased in the Teams365 comic yesterday illustrates how a quick five minute touch base with each team member is key in building connection. What projects do people have on the go? What support do they need? What space do they need to brainstorm/strategize/talk things through? This last question is often very relevant in the virtual environment especially if team members are working in geographic isolation.

2. Stay Connected in Ways that Work - With today's multi-generational workforce, different workers will have different preferences for connection - a quick phone call, a skype chat, Face time, regular emails or even texts. What are ways that you can stay connected.
What's preferred by each of your team members?

3. Know what your team members appreciate - it is really important to actively solicit feedback from your team member to find out what is working, and what is not with your support. What do your team members appreciate? A quick, unexpected call? Regularly scheduled meetings on skype? What type of feedback do they want? What type of support do they expect?

4. Rotate - Rotating is so important, particularly if you have a geographically dispersed team over distance or timezones. Is one person always having to compromise in terms of meeting early/late, or having to travel the longest distance. What could rotation look like for your team?

What other tips would you provide other virtual team leaders or members?

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
Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Authorized Partner
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)

Teams 365 #139 - The Importance of one on ones (Teams365 Cartoon #3)

5/20/2014

We are in week three of our Teams365 comics and this week's focus is on the importance of team leaders checking in with team members on a regular basis. The five minute one-on-ones i held with team members were usually cited as one of the best things for keeping communication going.

AS you see here, the purpose of these one-on-ones is a quick check base to find out:
How is it going?
Is there anything you need?
Is there anything I can help you with?

The more team leaders are aware of how their team members are doing, and how they are focusing, the easier it is to make quick adjustments, troubleshoot to keep things moving forward. With these regular touch points, small issues rarely become larger issues which come out of the blue.

For those that aren't in face-to-face environments, I'll take a look at tips for virtual team leaders.

What do your one-on-one conversations look like? Sound like?

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
Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Authorized Partner
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)

Teams 365 #138: Why Not?

5/19/2014

Today's Question from the Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) is WHY NOT?

As you consider your most pressing business decision this week, you may find that asking yourself WHY NOT prompts some new perspectives on the topic.

What new insights do you get by asking yourself WHY NOT?

Where else might it be useful to ask yourself this question?

I've been having a lot of fun introducing different groups and teams to the Conversation Sparker Cards(TM) over the last month. They are a set of 70 photos and question cards geared to get you into conversation. You can learn more about them here. Teams and groups as far away as Iceland are now using them!

Enjoy!

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
Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Authorized Partner
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)

Teams 365 #137 - Why Collaboration

5/17/2014

Today's quote comes from Author Don Tapscott in the theme of this week's focus on collaboration. As Tapscott notes skills in collaboration ins important in terms of our effectiveness, problem solving, innovation and life-long learning.

I've been leading leadership discussions and training on collaboration for six or seven years now and earlier this week I reflected on how much different these dialogues are today with leaders and emerging leaders, compared to where many of the discussions were five or six years ago.

Where would you rate your skills in collaboration?

One book I highly recommend to leaders is Morten Henson's Collaboration. A great read and very practical in terms of exploring what works and what doesn't with collaboration, teams and leadership.

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized - Leadership and Team Development, Coaching, Retreats
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Contact us to find out how we can support you and your team in getting your best results through coaching, training or a retreat program
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

Teams 365 #136: Ingredients for Collaboration

5/16/2014

Successful collaboration depends on a number of ingredients:
- having a shared, clear vision of what you want to create or end result
- focus which is shared across those working on the task
- complimentary skills
- on-going communication (face to face, email etc)
- clear roles to avoid duplication

Consider a project you are collaborating on:
What's working well? What's not?
What areas could use shoring up - vision, focus, skills, communication, roles?
What are you learning about collaboration?

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
Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Authorized Partner
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)

Teams #365 #135: Teams and Collaboration

5/15/2014

Today's quote takes us into the realm of collaboration and teams.

How is collaboration important in your world?
What synergies, untapped, exist within your team?
What synergies are present in your organization?

An area I specialize in is the area of group and team coaching which identifies and taps into the collective synergies which exist within groups and teams. I've written a couple of books on the topic of group and team coaching in order to support the spread of these ideas for other coaches and leaders around the world. Last week I spoke in Washington DC to several hundred learning professionals and coaches who were eager to support the teams and groups they work with. Please let me know how I can help support you and your team - drop me an email or give me a call.

What is possible for your team with collaboration?

I look forward to connecting with you!

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
Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team Authorized Partner
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)

Teams 365 #134: Clear Expectations

5/14/2014

As a leader it is critical to communicate expectations clearly. Whether it is about time and attendance, or performance management it is critical to be clear with expectations with team members, so the know whether they are meeting them or not.

For example, if you have a new team members joining you to undertake reporting work, be clear in terms of level of detail, deadlines and other salient points. It can be useful to provide them with past samples to know what good reporting looks like.

Start and end times of work are another area which can be unclear. If there is a fixed start and end time, what does that mean. Computers on? Ready to work? In the door? If start and end times are a key issue for team members, it is also important to make sure that you to are following the standards.

Newly forming teams can benefit from co-creating expectations together around key activities such as feedback, performance, quality etc.

Questions to consider:

Where would you benefit from clearer expectations?

What needs clarity?

Who needs more clarity around what?

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized - Leadership and Team Development, Coaching, Retreats
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-8326

Facilitation Skills Intensive/Train the Trainer - Toronto: June 2-3

5/13/2014

One of the themes and skills we have explored for team leadership is the ability to facilitate groups, teams and meetings.

I wanted to let you know of a two-day in person train-the-trainer I will be holding in Downtown Toronto in a couple of weeks on Monday June 2 and Tuesday June 3rd - the Facilitation Skills Intensive.

This is a two day program where we explore and practice group facilitation skills, including how adults learn, how to open and close training/presentations/meetings, how groups develop and working with a wide variety of participants, including those that are difficult. We will also be exploring some of the logistics of creating powerful learning experiences (media use, room set up) as well as tips for virtual facilitation.

You will also have several opportunities to practice over the course of the two days, and receive feedback on your skills. This program is suited for those that need to facilitate meetings, trainings, presentations and other events such as strategic planning.

We are still accepting registrations for this program which will be of interest to learning professionals, team leaders and those that work with teams and groups. Registration includes the two days of

You can learn more about the program, and register at FacilitationSkillsIntensive.com. I hope that you will join me!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized - Leadership and Team Development, Coaching, Retreats
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Contact us to find out how we can support you and your team in getting your best results through coaching, training or a retreat program
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

Teams365 #133 - Five Keys for Successful Conference Calls

5/13/2014

Yesterday’s cartoon was about the Death by Conference Call syndrome. As tongue in cheek as it is, many teams and professionals suffer from moving from meeting to meeting to meeting. How can we make our virtual meetings more effective?

Here are five tips:

1. Have an agenda - Create an agenda with clear start and end times, as well as time frames for each item. Make sure you all the right people at the table. If things are not working with agendas, switch them up.

2. Create interactivity every 5-7min: Part of the death by conference call mindset is shaped due to the monotony and length we need to stay focused. The human brain can only focus for about 8 minutes before it needs a change of pace. Creating a shift or change - hearing from another speaker, asking a question or switching a slide, can create greater levels of engagement.

3. Keep to time - Many meeting facilitators fail to keep an eye on the time. If facilitating the meeting and keeping an eye on the time is too much, assign the timekeeper role to someone else. You might also benefit by having an alarm at hand to prompt you for the next item.

4. Create a visual map - If you are only on a conference call bridgeline, it can be useful to provide a visual map of the callers.

5. Highlight agreements and next steps - Before the end of the call, or better yet as you go through, summarize and capture agreements and next steps. Don’t create duplication by having to revisit action steps, agreements and responsibilities. Soon after the meeting send out what was agreed to. Regularly revisit how effective your reporting structures are. Many times meeting management systems are duplicated or overly detailed. What is sufficient, yet detailed enough, for your purposes. Before the next meeting send out agreements and a summary so that you don’t need to spend half of the meeting recapping. Get people into the practice of checking in succinctly.

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized - Leadership and Team Development, Coaching, Retreats
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Contact us to find out how we can support you and your team in getting your best results through coaching, training or a retreat program
(416)996-TEAM (8326)