Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

#Teams365 #994: Working Remote: Some Stats

9/20/2016

Recently I’ve done a series of posts on virtual and remote team leadership. Learning how to be an effective virtual leader is one part of the equation of moving to a more mobile, and engaged workforce. Another key part is creating an enabling environment for virtual and remote work, which may include ensuring there are adequate resources, policies and expectations around virtual work.
Here’s some research around the drivers for developing a more remote workforce. Softchoice’s study the “Death of the Desk job” found through their survey that :
62% of employees believe they are more productive working outside the office;
61% of employees prefer working the equivalent of an eight hour workday broken up over a longer day , rather than in a single 9-5 block
57% of employees work on personal and or sick days, and 44% of employees worked on their last vacation
24% or organizations have set clear policies and expectations around appropriate work activities after business hours
74% of North American employees would quit their job for one that allow them to work remotely more often
70% would quite in favour of a position that offers increased flexibility

Reference: http://www.softchoice.com/about/press/2015/177 as quoted in HRD Issue 4.3, pp 48 in the article "Is your organization ready to be flexible?"

What you do know and notice about the appetite for remote work at your organization?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Last call! Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

#Teams365 #993: Tips for Mentoring Virtually

9/19/2016

Mentoring benefits professionals at all stages of their working life – at the start, mid-point and even end of their working or business career. While the focus areas may be a little different at each stage, it’s probably likely that at some stage you’ll be needing to mentor virtually, by phone, or skype. Here’s some tips for making virtual mentoring work well:
1.       Be proactive in making it regular. Unlike a mentor who might be based “next door” virtual mentors may seem more remote or invisible. These relationships are just as important and be proactive in making it regular For more than a decade I’ve been working wit organizations to help them formalize their mentoring training and support, and one of the most common issues that gets mentoring derailed is when mentors and their protégés don’t meet regularly enough. This is particularly true in the virtual realm. Make a point to make it regular, and keep to schedule.

2.       Employ face-to-face mechanisms – While many of us are becoming more comfortable in building virtual relationships these can be eased in by regular face to face streaming meetings. Whether you choose skype or another technology like zoom, eyeball to eyeball time can be important. Note that anyone can currently set up a free zoom account and host calls for up to 45 minutes. Check them out at http://zoom.us.

3.       Create a shared agenda and focus – You may find like many activities in the virtual realm that process plays a key role in success. It may be useful at the end of each meeting to set the focus for the next one, or create the focus by email prior to getting on the line. While I encourage all mentoring partnerships – in person and virtual – to be proactive in co-creating the agenda for your conversations together, it can be particularly important when you mentor virtually.

4.       Ask for feedback – regularly! One of the number one sins for virtual communication is not asking for feedback. Silence does not always mean agreement. It can mean a lot of things. Wrapping up each call with -What worked well today? Or What was important for us to discuss? And/or What are your next steps? And/or What changes should we make next time? Can be very powerful questions allowing the conversation to continue to be on track.
Prior to your next virtual conversation, consider how you can incorporate these into your mentoring conversations.

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

#Teams365 #992: SundAy Quote - our Leadership Grooves

9/18/2016

Each leadership experience - good and bad - gives us our grooves - Jennifer Britton

Today's Sunday quote was inspired by some recent conversations I have been having with new team leaders. We've been talking about the importance of learning from things that work and don't work. Whether we label it resilience or agility, our ability to learn and reposition is critical in today's world of ongoing change, globalization and growth.

I remember vividly an undergrad science project at McGill where we had to painstakingly count the rings on a tree. This was almost 30 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. The tree sample I got was more than 150 years old! Just like a tree grows rings for each year of life, as leaders we grow grooves from each experience. If you were to map out your own rings, what stories would they tell? How can you share these learnings with other leaders in your organization?

Have a great Sunday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

#Teams365 #991: Weekly Linked In post - FouR Ways to Develop Talent Through Mentoring

9/17/2016

My LinkedIn Pulse post this week explores the topic of mentoring and is entitled "Four Ways to Develop Talent Through Mentoring". You can read it here.

We'll be wrapping up our recent focus on virtual facilitation to shift attention over to mentoring for the next few weeks so please stay tuned this week as we delve into some posts around mentoring.

What's your biggest question about mentoring? How to support the mentoring pairs? How to set up a program? Why mentoring? Please feel free to comment below.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
For more information our mentoring support, please visit www.MentorRoadmap.com

#Teams365 #990: Difficult Participants in the Virtual Realm

9/16/2016

Difficult Participants in the Virtual Realm
Copyright 2016 - Jennifer Britton

Within every group there is a tremendous variety of personalities which exist. As facilitators we may find that some of them are easier to support than others. Today’s post highlights five different types of personalities which can be part of a virtual call. These may become difficult issues for facilitators to manage. Let's look at each style and some potential ways to mitigate, and support, while maintaining respect, and a positive learning environment for everyone involved.
1.       Challenger - The challenger challenges everything, and it may include why your meeting, who is at the table, and outcomes. In the virtual realm the challenger can quickly turn everyone off. Being clear prior to the start of the meeting with process - how outcomes and agenda items - is one of the ways to mitigate against this. In the virtual realm clarity of communication and process is key.
The challenger's vantage point is usually one of great value. Typically there is always value, and something to be learned, from the perspective of the Devil's Advocate. What is the request behind the challenger's complaint?

2.       Avoider - The avoider may be a more passive group member who id disengaged and does not take responsibility for outcomes, participation or next steps. While we can only influence, as a facilitator our role is to make sure there is agreement around what next steps are, who is responsible and what is expected. It may be important to talk about "what happens if these are not followed through?". Let the group and/or systems in place also address the impact of the avoider.
Creating opportunities for work and dialogue in smaller groups, such as virtual breakouts, often encourages and necessitates that the avoider becomes a more actively engaged participant around the virtual table. What is behind this avoidance? Lack of knowledge? Skill? Understanding? Lack of confidence? If you are working with this person fora longer time, helping the person become aware of the impact they are having in the virtual space can be an important series of conversations to have.

3.       Dominator
The dominator wants to take charge and probably wants to be leading the meeting. They usually hog air time and dominate the call virtually through speaking, sounds (grunts), or even over-annotating with tools they have.
Consider providing this person a structured role so they can positively channel their focus. perhaps they become a time keeper, or minute taker for the process.
4.       The multitasker - The multitasker is a very common, and difficult participant, who can be present in most virtual calls. Their multi-tasking may be very visible through typing, background noise etc. Creating shared expectations as a group with respect to what fous and engagement is expected can provide encouragement. When you do have rapport with group members letting them know that you can see their multi-tasking online may prompt them.
What will help this person focus? What do they need in order to stop multi-tasking? What are they aware of in terms of their impact?

While there are many more difficult issues, these are four common ones that show up in different virtual calls. As the facilitator you play a key role in ensuring that it is a safe and positive learning environment for everyone, grounded in respect.

What strategies do you want to employ? How are you also someone else's difficult participant?

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot

#Teams365 #989: Team Building Tip #101

9/15/2016

Some leaders and organizations mistakenly feel that coaching may not be a good fit because it takes too much time. In fact, I like to assert in my work with leaders around coaching skills is that we need to find those micro-moments where we can stop and have a meaningful dialogue.

Micro-moments aren't 30 or 60 minute blocks, they are those 5 to 10 minute windows we all can find in our day if we CHOOSE to. AND, those micro-moments usually create the space for many more possibilities.

Positive psychology has now found how micro-moments of connection can have significant impact in relationships. Anecdotally I've seen how this translates into the leadership and team realm. Consider with your team - what are the micro-moments this week when you can:
PAUSE
Renew
COACH
Provide positive and constructive feedback
OTHER?

What do you notice when you take those micro-moments? What impact do they have?

Thanks for joining us for another weekly team building tip and question for you and your team to be in dialogue around.

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

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#Teams365 #988; Different Tools For Your Virtual Facilitation Toolkit

9/14/2016

Just as in any facilitation role, it can be useful to build your virtual facilitation toolkit. If you are leading a number of webinars, or virtual team meetings it can be useful to have a variety of tools you can use whether you meet on a bridgeline, WebEx, AdobeConnet or Zoom.

Consider doing some research and/or acquiring learning tools in these areas
Openers
Closers
Decision Making
Consensus Generation – making sure everyone is on the same page or being aware of how you can come to a decision based on majority, quorum or other
Goal Setting
Planning
Strategic Planning
Moving through change
Working around conflict
Prioritization
Work-Life issues
Team/Group Development (helping them at the different stages of forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning)

As part of the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive (stating next week Friday at 3 pm ET running for 10 weeks we cover more than 2 dozen tools to incorporate into your virtual facilitation work).

Have a great Wednesday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

Teams365 #987: When Different Team Members Join Virtually with Different PLatforms

9/13/2016

In keeping aligned with our recent focus of virtual facilitation, today’s post focuses in on tips for when you might have different team members joining virtual meetings from different platforms. For example, it’s quite common to have some calling in especially if you have staff who travel, versus those who may be connected online and connecting that way. At the same time, you might have a group of people dialing in from one local with or without access.
Here are a couple of topics to consider pre and post meeting to make the multi-platform work less disruptive.
#1 - Be aware of the different platforms your group members are located on. What accessibility and interactivity options do those platforms provide? What changes are needed?
#2 – Consider what can be sent out prior to the session. If you are referring to slides or a presentation, provide the handout of the session. Do you want toe email it or upload it to a part of the Intranet (internal internet or network)? If you cannot send it prior to the session, how can people access it. Recognize that they may need
#3 – Be as descriptive as possible, especially if some people cannot refer to a screen or notes. Note the pace and time this takes. Adapting in the moment and considering what core essentials should be covered real time, supplemented by follow-up can be key. Too slow a pace may mean losing the entire group.
#4 – Be aware of how what the different platforms look like and what accessibility people will have. Be comfortable in troubleshooting or have someone in the team who can help with the more technical aspects as everyone gets familiar and can coach each other.
#5 – Consider any follow up needed as a result of the call.

If you are being tasked with leading an upcoming virtual meeting, what are the key steps you want to take note of? When will you complete this?

Have a great Tuesday,
Jennifer

Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

#Teams365 #986: Derailers in Virtual Facilitation

9/12/2016

Last week we explored several enablers of great virtual meetings and virtual facilitation events. Today we are going to explore some of the derailers that can surface within any virtual event - team meeting, webinar, virtual meeting space.

A lack of focus - A strong hand on process plays a key role in great facilitation work, especially true in the realm of virtual facilitation.

Different people on different platforms - today's meeting realities has blended platforms as a reality for many virtual events. Perhaps there are six people calling in from a conference room in downtown Toronto, some in Montreal and the virtual callers from other locations (even down the block!). When facilitating be aware of what can and cannot be seen by each party. If you are facilitating from a live environment be sure that you don't only pay attention to those in the room with you.

people feeling disconnected - in instances where you have one or more people calling in from their own location, notice how connected they feel to the larger group. Engage them regularly verbally, and invite comments through chat, annotation and other virtual features. Proviiding regular opportunities for smaller group work helps to boost intereactivity.

Not having the right format for the right type of purpose. A lot of professionals think that webinars are the only format for virtual meetings today. Webinars, especially engaging ones, can be great for a training experience, but it may lack the interactivity needed in learning complex skills, building teams or running a focus group. Leveraging platforms such as zoom can allow for all participants to see each other and interact. Breakouts also can mimic the traditional small group dialogue which is so important for the learning and exploration of complex topics. Just because you had a bad experience once with breakouts, don't assume that will always occur.

Another derailer is when it becomes all about the facilitator. Connecting people early on with their WIIFM - What's in it for me (i.e. What's important about me learning? What do I want to get out of the call etc), - is critical. There is need to give up control along the way to open up the realm of engagement. That can mean giving group members the ability to, and encouragement, to use markers, chat, questions and answers etc.

Finally , the facilitator's "PRESENCE" also has a significant impact on the tone an energy of the room. Consider the tone you want to create, the pace and pitch you want to set the meeting at. Your voice tone is critical. Notice the energy that exists around the "virtual room". These skills of presence, and listening, become paramount in exceptional virtual facilitation.

What derailers do you encounter in your virtual meetings? What's going to elp mitigate against these or avoid them altogether?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot.

#Teams365 #985: Teamwork Quote

9/11/2016

For our Sunday quote I write "Your focus is like a frame. How wide or narrow do you want your focus to be?".

This week's focus here at the blog has been about getting back to work. Whether we are looking at stepping into a new role at work, or establishing routines, our focus creates a frame of our world. Sometimes we need to laser in and create boundaries, and sometimes it can be beneficial to widen our focus and the lens.

What focus do you have right now? Will it support you to widen it, or focus it even tighter?

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Check out our newest on-demand course: Teams365 Teamwork Foundations
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Join us this fall for a 15 hour Virtual Train-the-trainer in the Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive program. We'll be covering the best practices of designing and leading virtual calls. The program will be held on Fridays from 3 - 4:30 pm ET starting September 23. Click here to learn more and reserve your spot