Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

#Teams365 #1227: Getting To Know our Team#5 - Team Building Tip #135

5/11/2017

It is Thursday and time for another Team Building Tip. We are in #5 of the Getting to Know Our Teammembers series. Teams which excel are not only great at getting results, they also have very strong relationships. The last month of Thursday Team Building posts have spotlilghted one question you might surface for discussion for team members to share around. They are all geared to focus more on the relationship element of getting work done.

Today's question is "How can I support you?". In recent Thursday posts, I've encouraged you to build in time for team members to share what they are working on. Providing the team with the opportunity to figure out their synergies, collaborative touchpoints. can transform a group of people working together into more of a team.

Take some time this week surfacing the question "How can I support you?".

Enjoy your Thursday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

Connect with us to be the first to know more about launch events around my newest book - Effective Virtual Conversations - coming out later this spring/early summer!

#Teams365 #1226: Using Questions to Keep the Virtual Conversation Going

5/10/2017

Questions form the backbone to any great conversation, especially virtual ones. Today’s post is geared to get you thinking about what type of questions you are including in your own virtual programs. It also focuses on listening. Our questions are influenced by how we are listening, a topic I covered in yesterday’s blog post on Adjusting our listening in the virtual realm.
In the business context we are usually encouraged to ask questions to solve problems, get to root cause or create a solution. In the virtual realm it can be very useful to use questions as an opportunity to stimulate thinking, expand awareness and create options. This is unique given that most virtual callers may be working more autonomously than those who work side by side. It is also likely that in a virtual setting that each team member’s situation is unique, influenced by the local level context they operate within.
In shifting from a more advisory questioning stance to one that stimulates more self-reflection, and thinking we want to adopt more of a coaching style. In this way we want to ask questions that help to expand options, create new insights, connect the dots, deepen awareness, or create clarity.
Note that the types of questions which are asked for each one of these may look and sound different.
In general, powerful questions to use in the virtual space:

Are short, and to the point. Question may only be 5-6 words in length
Are open ended. Questions that start with WHAT usually expand the conversation the most. What questions can invite exploration, or connectivity amongst points.

How questions may put the person more in the stance of what is next. How questions can help the person gain clarity on what they are going to do, which is best suited after they have gained clarity on the issue and options.

Ask only one question at a time! We have all been in conversations where a volley of questions have been asked. Just ask one question at a time and leave space for the person to respond.

Leave some gaps for silence. In today’s busy world we do not have a lot of time for silence. While we need it, it can feel uncomfortable for both virtual attendees and leaders alike. Let people know how long they are going to have to pause, think and write things out. Be intentional with the use of silence.

Early next week I’ll be posting some of my favorite questions for virtual and remote meetings. Stay tuned and even consider signing up for our blog feed (to your left).

Have a great Wednesday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

Connect with us to be the first to know more about launch events around my newest book - Effective Virtual Conversations - coming out later this spring/early summer!

#Teams365 #1225: Adjusting our Listening in the Virtual REalm

5/9/2017

One of the pitfalls in virtual calls may be that you are thinking more about the next question you are going to ask, rather than what is really happening in the conversation. Developing the habit of listening deeply in the conversation is key to effective and engaging virtual calls. As a listener, we want to:
Listen for what is being said and what is not being said
What is the meaning behind the words you hear? What is the sub-context of the conversation?
What do you notice about the tone of voice, pace and pitch of the conversation? How is that aligned with what you are hearing?
Suspend your listening to your own thoughts – focus on theirs.
Trust that the next question to be asked, will be the right one. This helps us to not focus on what we think we should be asking.

Activity:
This week be more intentional in listening. Think about what people are really saying. What is it that they are saying?
After you listen consider these questions:
When were you listening deeply?
What did you notice about the sub-context of the conversation?
What questions had the greatest impact?

Tomorrow I'll be looking at another core component for virtual conversations - Questioning. Stay tuned!

Have a great Tuesday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

Connect with us to be the first to know more about launch events around my newest book - Effective Virtual Conversations - coming out later this spring/early summer!

#Teams365 # 1224: Visuals In Remote Meetings

5/8/2017

How many remote meetings or conference calls have you attended already this year? Last month? Last week? My guess is probably many, many hours that may not have been all that stimulating or effective.

In my upcoming book, Effective Virtual Conversations, I explore the burgeoning field of virtual conversations - from conference calls, to webinars, from team development sessions, to virtual team meetings. Increasingly many of us are meeting virtually. How do we make these conversations more impactful and engaging?

One such way is to incorporate more around visuals. Optimally, if we can move from a voice only platform to video streaming such as Skype, Zoom or Slack, the immediate visual of others helps us to connect.

Here's an interesting infograph from Hubspot's Amanda Sibley on 19 Reasons You Should Include Visuals in your Marketing. Some of these factoids are just as important for creating engagement in meetings! Take a look at the post here.

If phone only is the only way to go, what are the visuals you can send out prior to the call to support focus and also connection. Whether it's a one pager with the agenda and a place to keep notes, or a PDF you send as a worksheet, visuals provide anchor points.

Some considerations in building a visual repertoire include:
Build your own copyright accessible set of images. Consider how you can use your own phone and photos to create interesting photos for slides etc.
Encourage other team members to get involved in this. Do you have any designers on the team?
Invest in some paid stock photos from IStockPhoto, AdobeStock or other sites.
Take a course on graphic facilitation - an approach which literally brings to life the conversation real-time

What could you do to make your meetings more visually stimulating?

Have a great Monday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

Connect with us to be the first to know more about launch events around my newest book - Effective Virtual Conversations - coming out later this spring/early summer!

#TEams365 #1223: Sunday Teamwork Quote

5/7/2017

Today's teamwork quote comes from John Rampton. He writes:
Empowerment isn't a buzzword among leadership gurus. It's a proven technique where leaders give their teams the appropriate training, tools, resources, and guidance to succeed.

Questions to consider:

What does empowerment mean in your team?
What tools do team members need in order to flourish?
What resources do they need?
What guidance and support?

Have a great Sunday,
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
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)996-8326

#TEams365 #1222: Teamwork Quote

5/6/2017

It is the weekend and time for another teamwork quote. Today's quote is attributed to Chuck Page - "A single leaf working alone provides no shade". How important is teamwork and collaboration for your team right now? What does teamwork enable in your work?

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized - Coaching, Training and Consulting Services for Teams and Team Leaders - specializing in virtual and global team issues
Recipient of the 2016 Prism Award for Excellence in Coaching (ICF Toronto)
Contact us to discuss how we can support your team
(416)996-8326
Email: info(at)potentialsrealized(dot)com

#Teams365 #1221: #FlashbackFriday: 5 Ways to Make Remote Work, Work for You

5/5/2017

"This week's theme is all about working more effectively when you are working remote. In today's #FlashbackFriday post I am taking us back to #Teams365 #792 on Five Ways to Make Remote Work, Work for You. Here's what I wrote:

This week we're looking at remote work arrangements. As someone who has always had to work remote and/or mobile for most of my career since the early 1990s I thought it would be useful to share a few tips for how to make it work for you. Today's post covers five things you can do as a remote worker to make it work for you, and your employer:

1. Create a dedicated workspace. Just as in a typical office space, create a dedicated office space. Depending on the type of work you do it may be a standalone desk or table, with access to internet and/or phone. Consider if you need doors, a filing cabinet that locks, and/or other things to do your work. It can be tempting to spread everything out, but boundaries in remote work arrangements helps you to create balance. Consider what space will be dedicated to working, and what you want to put away at the end of the day.

2. Set regular office hours, and break times too. Just as in any office, it's important to set regular office hours, and break times. We can only be productive for so long, so build in breaks as well as a start and an end. You may find that without the commute, you can start even earlier, and end earlier in the day, or perhaps you want to fit in a swim (as I do) or workout at lunchtime, to clear the cobwebs and create space for thinking.

3. Consider what pieces of work are done best remote, and what you will need to be able to access. It's important to have everything at hand in order to do your work. What needs to be accessible remotely on Dropbox, via a VPN or other? How will you keep documents secure?

4. If you are working remote for long periods of time, consider how you will stay connected with the office. It's important to stay connected with the office when you work remote. Consider how you can integrate face to face time and/or video skype calls with your team members and boss. Just because you are not physically there doesn't mean you aren't part of the team.

5. Be proactive in communication with your team and your boss. As in this last point, consider how you can best stay connected with your boss and the team. What updates are important to provide, what meetings do you want to schedule You may find that you are more intentional and deliberative in your communication. this might actually set a nice precedent for others in the office as well!

What other tips do you have for working remote?

Have a great Friday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

Connect with us to be the first to know more about launch events around my newest book - Effective Virtual Conversations - coming out later this spring/early summer!

#teams365 #1220: Team Building Tip

5/4/2017

We are at our 134th weekly team building question, and once again continuing our series of helping team members get to know each other a little better. We know that teams which know each other are usually more productive and get better results.

Getting to know one another doesn't need to be postponed to an annual team building event. In fact, each team meeting you may want to pose a different question - select from any of our Thursday questions - to spark some new conversation.

Today's Get to Know Your Question gets your team in dialogue around the question "What's one thing I should know about you?".

What do you notice about the conversation that ensues?

Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

Connect with us to be the first to know more about launch events around my newest book - Effective Virtual Conversations - coming out later this spring/early summer!

#TEams365 #1219: Essential Remote Work Kit

5/3/2017

Today's post includes a short checklist on essential remote working items you will want to put into place before you start working remote for extended periods of time. These include:

A dedicated workspace
Access to power station/charging areas
Printer
Filing cabinet (which can be locked)
Baseline office supplies - envelopes, pens, file folders, tape, stapler, scissors, labels, etc
Computer supplies - cords and chargers, surge protected power bars, extra ink
A place where things can be put away when not working
An ergonomically comfortable chair\
A headset and/or microphone for virtual calls
A good built in webcam or external webcam
Excellent (not just good) Internet connection
Lots of storage!

What else do you think might be useful to have on hand?

Check out this other post from last year on other resources you may want to check out to support you in your virtual work.

With best wishes,
Jennifer

#Teams365 #1218: 3 Focus areas when working remote

5/2/2017

This month we are going to continue to focus on best practices for virtual and remote work, along with more tips for team development in the virtual space.

The shift to working remote can be a big one and today's post covers three focus areas to keep an eye on if you are moving from an in-person workplace to one that is remote. Consider these items:

1. Find a dedicated place to work: Having a comfortable, and efficient work place is critical for remote work. What is the dedicated space you have? Consider lighting, layout, comfort. What needs adjustment?

2. Set up a routine that works for you, and those around you. Focus, structure and routines are just as important in the remote workplace. Consider what is going to be the best routine for you in tems of start and stop times, breaks etc. Be firm with your time and boundaries as you are working!

3. Make a concerted effort to build relationships - Relationships are critical to success in the remote workplace. Schedule focused time on socializing and building relationships with your colleagues. Whether it's going into the office a couple of days a month, or dedicated virtual social time, take time to foster the relationships with your colleagues. Streaming technologies make it much easier to have a lunch time or coffee get together, like you might in the workplace.

What is going to help you be most productive and efficient when working remote?

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized - Coaching, Training and Consulting Services for Teams and Team Leaders - specializing in virtual and global team issues
Recipient of the 2016 Prism Award for Excellence in Coaching (ICF Toronto)
Contact us to discuss how we can support your team
(416)996-8326
Email: info(at)potentialsrealized(dot)com