This week’s weekly journal gets you to think about what your biggest learning has been. Whether you consider the time over the last month, the last quarter, or since the start of the year, take a few minutes this weekend to reflect on the question “What’s been your biggest learning?”

As the mid-year point it’s an opportunity to take a look back at the planning and writing you did at the start of the year or back in December, and note how far you’ve gone.

What do you notice? What have you learned?

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching(Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009)
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326​

This month we have been exploring Feedback here at the Teams365 blog. It’s not our first exploration of this topic, and a few years ago I did a series on the Foundations of Feedback, which has led to a variety of further articles, training sessions and even on-demand programming for partner clients.
 
As we shift to providing feedback regularly, we move to creating a culture of feedback. In this week’s Teams365 FlashbackFriday I thought it would be interesting to revisit what I had written in Teams365 #869 – Creating a Culture of Feedback. If you are on this journey, think of how you are creating a culture of feedback in your organization. How are you at a different place today, than you were at the start of the year? Here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #869:
 
“Over the past few weeks we’ve been exploring the Foundations of Feedback. Feedback as I’ve mentioned in past posts is an area that both new and experienced team leaders can struggle in. While past posts have looked at the WHY and HOW of Feedback, today’s post explores things you can do to create a culture of feedback, where it is regularly and freely given and received, without fear. As in any culture change initiative the shift to this kind of culture is often gradual.

Three key things to consider in creating a culture of feedback is:

1. Creating an Enabling Environment for Feedback
In creating an enabling environment leaders and team members will want to keep in mind a number of factors including style, relevance, timing, and follow up. 
Just as in other communication and development activities, keeping in mind the style preferences of each team member can help in making feedback more meaningful, while pointing to areas for growth. As a big picture thinker myself, having my superior start by providing feedback around the broad strokes areas can open up the feedback conversation, and they can also help me by providing feedback on the “detail” areas that don’t work as well.
 
As mentioned in other posts, feedback should be relevant to current priorities, and work. If feedback is left too long it can become irrelevant. In this respect timing is critical. Past posts in this series have also explored how preparation on the part of those giving and receiving feedback is important. Finally, follow up is key. This was focused on in Teams365 #869 post. When there is no follow-through to how action steps are being undertaken to implement the changes asked for by feedback, it simply becomes a “rote” activity. Closing the feedback loop is essential in creating a culture which values feedback and learning.

2. Modeling feedback across the organization.
When feedback is modeled at all levels by asking for, and providing positive and constructive feedback, both formally and informally it creates a safety across an organization. Having senior leaders model healthy feedback conversations and their follow up, signals to other parts of the organization that feedback is important.
 
3. Making it a regular part of conversation
Rather than  just having feedback be “something you do once a year at performance review time” or “provide during employee engagement surveys”, building a feedback culture means that it becomes part of how everyone communicates. Talking about what’s working, and what’s not is common-place and the norm. 
Part of making it a part of every day conversation is also noticing what the reaction is to things not going right and failures. Shifting from a mindset of crisis to experimentation can support a culture where learning from mistakes is healthy, not something to be frowned upon.

​In addition to these three factors, other things that will support a feedback-rich culture include providing all staff (not just leaders) with training in providing feedback and also enhancing their awareness around their strengths, triggers and blindspots. A feedback culture is created when feedback is rewarded and part of the expectations of how teams and professionals operate.

​While there are still a few more posts dedicated to the Foundations of Feedback I hope that you have enjoyed this series and found it useful! Please email me your comments or reach out and let me know how we can support you and your organization with training on feedback, enhanced coaching skills or strengths.”
 
Enjoy the conversation!
 
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching(Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009)
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326​

This week’s Team Building Question #188 asks you consider the question “What are we as a team not addressing?” Or in other words, “What are the elephants on this team?

It’s often these issues which are masked, or below the water line, which are the ones that really need addressing. They sometimes are the ones team members are most fearful of addressing.  If you have been making a regular practice of discussing any of these 175 plus Thursday questions with your team, they make take this question in stride, and be ready to step into what can sometimes be provocative grounds.

​Enjoy the conversation!
 
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders 
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

As we shift into summer, my focus for the next month is turning towards teamwork, and team development. Over the next month in our mid-week posts (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) I’ll be covering different activities, questions and approaches to support you and your team in their development, whether it’s remote or in-person.
 
As I have written in multiple Teams365 posts over the years, teams which excel have both strong relationships and are clear on what their results are. In many team interventions there may be a bias towards one or the other – more focus on the relationship angle or the results angle. Think of your traditional team building session where the focus is primarily on having fun, blowing off steam, and also getting to know each other. In contrast, think of a strategic planning session which is all about the results, but not focused at all on the relationship angle of things.
 
Teams which excel need both a focus on relationships and results on a regular basis.
 
In addition to a focus on relationships and results, teams can benefit from focusing on additional factors. Recent research has focused on the importance of things such as psychological safety and other ideas.
 
Another part of the equation is the variety of teamwork skills which help teams excel. Stay tuned for next month’s focus on Teamwork and Team Development, along with a little bit around renewal!
 
Looking forward to the conversation,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders 
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

As we go to wrap up the month with our focus on feedback and performance conversations, I thought it would be useful to explore several additional resources.

This is an interesting article - Five Steps for Giving Productive Feedback by Scott Halford at Entrepreneur.com - click here. Note Scott’s point of the need for safety in any feedback or performance conversation

MindTools article on Giving Feedback : Boosting Your People’s Confidence and Ability. Click here. 

Aaron Levy’s Forbes article on Three Conversations Every Manager Should be Having – Read the article here. 

How to Get Started with Continuous Performance Management. Read it here from TLNT. 

Mary Cruze’s HDI article “Difficult Performance Convertions: The 5 Ws for Success – Read it here​.

What resources would you recommend to others on this topic?

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders 
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

​Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #50 gets to you think about how  you can get people to bring something “from beyond the screen”. In today’s virtual world, we often only get to know people “in the screen”. I recently was out on the West Coast doing some work in person where people had only met me on the screen. We joked about how I was much shorter and smaller than the screen makes me appear.

Given that our window is fixed, unless we are shifting around and calling in via a mobile, it can be interesting for people to be able to share something from “beyond their screen”. You can get creative with this. Consider:

How people can use the app to log in and move around using a mobile instead of a desk-top.

How members can move around and call in from a different space each time.
 
In coaching work, integrating kinesthetic approaches or using body-centered coaching creates new energy through movement.

​What can you do to move more in your programming?
 
 
Enjoy your reflections!
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders 
​Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2016)
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

This week’s Teams365 Video brings to live a recent post I did on teamwork in complexity. Teams today are buffeted constantly by the winds of change. This can provoke a range of emotions – from exhilaration to fear and paralysis. Key to thriving in this context is focus and renewal. Today’s post brings to life Teams365 #1161 – Teamwork in Complexity – Focus and Renewal.
 
Consider which of these items will support your team. Click here to view it on YouTube.

​Enjoy the rest of your weekend,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders 
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

It’s time for my weekly journaling prompt and the question:
“Habits that are helping me”
 
As I write in my coming workbook and planner – the Coaching Business Builder: Putting the Pieces Together,
“Habits are things that we do consistently and often subconsciously. Habits become automatic ways of doing things, often without much thought. Habits can be in service to our work, and also can get in the way of our success.

​Think about these habits:

• Getting into the office early to get high focus work complete before your calls start
• “Switching off” and not undertaking any social media over the weekend
• Ensuring financial payments are addressed as soon as they are received
• Attending a conference or event every year
• Replying to emails right away
• Filing emails right away to always keep your inbox at zero”  - Coaching Business Builder, Britton, 2018 

This weekend, take some time to think about, and write about, the habits which are helping you right now in your work.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

 
As we step into summer 2018 I’d like to provide you with the opportunity to think about what you want to plan for, and do this summer. I’m returning back to some of the quarterly planning questions I used earlier this year.
 
As some of you may know I have a new planner and workbook coming out in a few weeks. This one is geared for coaches who are looking to build their businesses, AND I will be modifying it for leaders this year as well. Pre-orders are now available on Amazon, for anyone interested. Given that it’s a new quarter, I wanted to share with you one of the planning tools I created for the planner – the Quarterly Planner. you can download it at the Coaching Business Builder.
 
Here are some questions you can use to reflect on the last quarter:
 
As we step into summer it’s an opportunity to shore up and revisit some of the key activities that keep teams – virtual and remote  - moving collectively. 

​Have you had a chance to:

· Review quarterly goals with everyone
· Hold one-on-ones with each team member – check out tomorrow’s post on this
· Close off on projects from Q 2
· Hold a project debrief from major quarter 2 projects or projects which have taken place this entire year.
· Explore resourcing – what’s needed, what is in excess and can be shifted around, what level
· Set dates in your schedule for team meetings (weekly/bi-weekly) as well as key 
· Clear out any materials not being used – what can be
· Review your list for delegation, deferrals and items which can be deleted
 
As you look ahead to summer:
What are key priorities?
What are the things you want to accomplish, no matter what?
What can help you?
What things might get in the way of your success? Are these “must dos” or can you delegate, defer or delete them?
What projects are coming on stream? Which are wrapping up? What do you need in order to be successful with these?
What else is important for you to note this quarter?

It’s a great time to explore what’s giving you leverage? What’s not and what changes are needed. I hope you will take 10 minutes today to quickly run through the list.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders 
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

​Today’s Team building tip #187 gets you to ask yourselves the question “What’s so hard about ongoing change, as a team?”

Everyone reacts to change in different ways, with some team members embracing it, and other fighting against it. Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset work can provide a useful framework for us to consider what is easy for us to be open to change, and what is challenging.

If you have hear Dweck talk about her work on mindset, here is a video.
 
Enjoy your conversation!
Jennifer