Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

#TEams365 #638: Month End Reflection Questions

9/30/2015

Today marks the end of another month and I wanted to give you an opportunity to stop and pause to reflect and plan. Here are some questions to help you do so

What were my major achievements this month?
What do I want to celebrate?
As I consider my goals (and resolutions) I made at the start of the year, how am I doing with these on a scale of 1-10? Which ones are becoming new habits or something I can check off?
Which ones need to be let go of?
As a leader, what have I noticed about my team this month?
As a leader, what notes should I make about performance issues (if I haven't done it already!)
The thing that has helped me be most productive this month has been ______
The thing that has helped me be most successful this month has been ______
The thing that has helped me be happiest this month has been ________
The thing that has helped me be most healthy has been _______

Looking ahead to October....
My priorities are:
My goals are
I want to......
I'll be really happy at the end of October/on Halloween when I.....

I hope that you will grab 10 minutes today to stop and think (and write!) about these questions.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
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(416)996-8326

#Teams365 #637: Coaching Question - What's Possible?

9/29/2015

Over the past few days we have been looking at coaching questions for leaders. Over the weekend I proposed some books I think you might be interested in looking at around coaching. As I write in From One to Many; Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching, "Questions form the backbone of any coaching conversation". Today let's look at another coaching question - What's Possible?

The coaching process is helping people go beyond what they may do themselves. It is also about helping people move outside of their comfort zones and out of the box. The question What's Possible creates an opportunity for peple to see their work/issue/opportunity/challenge in a bigger lens.

Consider incorporating the question "What's Possible?" to take people into a clearer place of vision. This question, tied with some of the options questions I covered a few days ago, can often lead to a new response and sometimes better decision, along with new insights.

Let us know what your experience is with using this question in coaching conversations with your team.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

#Teams365 #636: WhEN Are You at Your Best?

9/28/2015

Here at the Teams 365 blog we've shone the light on the importance of strengths and also coaching skills for leaders. Today's post marries bot of these ideas

We continue to see research which demonstrates that those employees who are able to use their strengths on a regular basis are not only more satisfied, but they are also more productive and engaged. Here's an article on the link between strengths and engagement - click here to read.

We also know the importance of self-awareness with our strengths and blindspots.

I was reminded of this activity by Richard Boyatsis, who is leading a MOOC I am enrolled in on Emotional Intelligence and Leadership. He has asked us to survey at least ten people we have worked with in the past to talk about "when we are at our best". Rather than a self-assessment, this activity should mine some themes around he behaviors we demonstrate which others see on a regular basis.

As a coach I often ask my clients "When are you at your best?". As leaders it is also a great question to ask our team, as well as ourselves.

Perhaps this week is a week to focus on the question - when are you at your best?

Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

#TEams365 #635: Sunday Motivation for Teams

9/27/2015

One of the the themes here at the blog recently has been an encouragement to connect your teams and provide them with opportunities to get to know each other. Sometimes this involves play, which can look different for different teams.

For some teams, it may mean getting out fo the office and playing ultimate Frisbee once in a while, for others it may mean going on a road trip and doing some volunteer work, for others it could mean attending a community event together.

What does play look like as a team for you? What impact has it had on team connection and relationships? What can you do to build in more, or do more of it?

Strong relationships, along with a clear focus of where you are going and what your goals are, are key ingredients for success as a team. What's important this week as you move forward?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

#TEams365 #634: Leadership Toolbox - Coaching as a Leader

9/26/2015

This week our Leadership Toolbox looks at Coaching as a Leader, a topic we will be returning to shortly here at the blog.

With the start of fall, it's an opportune time to make sure you are reaching out to all team members to have more regular conversations and interactions. Wanting to brush up on your skills or add to your toolbox?

Here are six resources you may want to tap into as a team leader:

Coaching For Performance - John Whitmore

What Got You Here, Woln't Get You There - Marshall Goldsmith

Appreciative Coaching - A postivie Process for Change - Orem, Binkart, Clancy

Coaching Questions - A Coach's Guide to Powerful Questions - Tony Stoltzfus
and for those who might be bringing the conversation into your team or a group in your organization, I hope that you will check out one of my books

Effective Group Coaching - Jennifer Britton OR
From One to Many; Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching - Jennifer Britton

What coaching resources do you like to tap into?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

#Teams365 #633: 6 #Leadership Questions a day - options

9/25/2015

Yesterday's Team Building Tip (#55) focused on the question - What do you need to pay more attention to? In our business context today we are often generating multiple options in response to the business challenges we face. in fact, it's is often noted that the best solution is not always the first option. Today's 6 Leadership Questions gets to thinking about, and generating more options around some of your most pressing business issues

1. What i the most pressing business facing us right now?
2. What possible options exist for solution or resolution?
3. What would be the most "fast fix"?
4. What are the pros and cons of each option we have listed?
5 What other factors do we need to consider when selecting options?
6. What will be the best solution - short term? Medium term? Long term? All round?

What other questions do you want to use to spark dialogue around options?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

#Teams365 #632: Team Building Tip 55 - What Needs More Attention?

9/24/2015

This week's team building question is simply What needs more attention? I hope that this week you will raise this question and spark dialogue within the team regarding what needs some care, attention or focus. What actions do you need to undertake in order to pay more attention?

Enjoy the conversation!

Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

#Teams365 #631: Fall Focus Areas For YouR Team

9/23/2015

In spirit of the advent of fall here are some key team focus areas for the fall. Listen in as well to this week's Sunday Audio which covers three of these areas in greater depth:

1. Goals
What are your top 3 goals this fall - as a team? As an organization? What are each members key goals? How do others connect into these?

2. Connection - How do you as a team have each others' backs? What pause points have you built in this fall to connect, plan and share information which is needed by all team members?

3. Commitment
What are you committed to accomplishing this fall, no matter what?

In addition to a focus on these areas some other considerations may be:

What pause points do you have as a team to plan for 2016?
What are you doing as a team to renew and keep at the top of your game?
Who will help you be successful?
What else will help you be successful this fall?

I'd love to hear what other areas you are considering as you are moving into the fall.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

#Teams365 #630: Team Motivation

9/22/2015

I recently was going through old professional journals and came across an excellent article from Richard Clark entitled "Research-Tested Team Motivation Strategies" - Performance Improvement, Volume 44, Number p 13 - 16, January 2005).

He defines teams as "collections of individuals with different skill sets working together to achieve goals that require members to collaboratively apply their different skills: (pp. 16).

In his article he outlines the following five team motivation strategies :

1. Foster mutual respect for the expertise of team members
2. Help weaker team members believe that their effort is vital to team success
3. Support a shared belief thin the cooperative capabilities in the team
4. Hold individual team members accountable for their contributions to the team effort
5. Direct the team's cooperative spirit outside the team and the organization" (Clark, 2005, pp 14)

Consider each of these five in turn. What approaches do you use to foster each one?

In his article Claark also writes "the confidence team members have in each other's expertise is the only facotr that accounts for their success in high pressure situations" (pp. 15

Recently I have been writing about the importance of trust and connection. These create the foundation for confidence among team members. What do you notice about the confidence of your team members with each other's expertise? What can you do to support them knowing this even better?

As you move forward, what's important to consider around team motivation?

Best
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

#TEams365 #629: Managing Interruptions

9/21/2015

The average American worker has fifty interruptions a day and seventy percent of them have nothing to do with work.
- W. Edwards Deming

Managing interrruptions is a challenge for most of us in business today. Whther our focus is shattered by the ping of an email coming in, or a colleague dropping by, managing interruptions is an area most of us can use some support in. Today's blog post looks at four strategies for getting on top of interruptions

1. Turn off technology at certain times of the day. When it's really important to focus - for example, when budgets need to be reviewed, or a report needs to be presented - it can be useful to turn off technology, even if it is simply for half an hour. The pings, buzzes and beeps become a distractor when we are in tasks that require deep focus.

2. Chunk tasks or common activities - When we are having to swtich tasks frequently, fo example, moving from big picture work, to detailed work, it can be disruptive to our focus, flow and brain. Many professionals find it useful to chunk common tasks and activities. So for example, chunking all finaincal related tasks at one time (budgets, reports etc) rather than moving between financials and something that requires more creativity - for example, a presentation.

3. Let others know those periods when you are not available - Depending on your work flow and office, there may be periods of the day which are earmarked for more quiet time. In one of my roles it was first hing in the morning. Our office was open for staff, and offially we were not open to the public for half an hour. This half an hour of early morning focus became an essential part of high performance for us, and it is still a habit I practice today, more than a decade later.

What are some other strategies you might want to employ in managing interruptions?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326