2020 has been a year of growth, change and ongoing pivots. It’s fitting that this week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt is “I’ve stretched by…”.

With today’s journaling prompt consider how you have stretched and grown this year, as well as how you have stretched when things haven’t worked either. 

Enjoy the reflection!
Jennifer

It’s Friday which means it’s time to take a look back at an older blog post. Today’s post brings us back to a post from 2018 - #1533: Empathy and Building Connection in Virtual Teams. I think it’s just as relevant today as it was when it was first published. What do you think?
 
One of the skills which is important to develop in the virtual world today is empathy. One of the challenges is that we don't get to see beyond the screen.  What are some ways we can be building more empathy and understanding with other virtual team members?

​What comes to mind in terms of ways you can boost more connection and understanding amongst team members?

​Empathy is a skill set critical for teamwork and leadership. In fact, I probably could do a series of post on this topic.  In today's post I want to zoom into the question of "what are some practical ways to build more empathy across virtual teams, while also boosting connection?". 

​There have been some great writings by others on the topic of empathy. Consider these articles -Empathy in Leadership - 10 Reasons Why It Matters by Tanveer Naseer. Read it here.
​Matthew Taylor's Empathy in Leadership: Coaching Leaders to Manage Their Stories. Read it here.
Center for Creative Leadership: Empathy in the Workplace. Find this here.

​As virtual teams, what are some ways we can build our skills in empathy while building connection:

​1. Provide opportunities for team members to get to know each other - online and offline. While some virtual teams will never meet, building in time for "getting to know" each other is critical. This could entail dedicating some time to sharing "What's outside your window?" or "…on your desk" as I describe in Chapter 7 of my new book Effective Virtual Conversations.

​2. Create formal learning partnerships with others on the team. Many virtual teams benefit from having peer partners to meet with on a regular basis. This helps us to learn more about each other, what projects we are working on. As we listen and learn more trust, connection and understanding is created.

​3. Be present and listen. We continue to see how important the ability to focus on virtual conversations is. Nothing will destroy trust and connection faster than hearing other person on the end of the phone or streaming typing away, writing an email while you are speaking together. What will it take to be present, focus, and deeply listen in your virtual conversations?

​4. Listen for the deeper layers - Typically in listening we may be staying at the surface. Hearing with one ear and thinking about what we are going to say back to the other person. In the deeper listening needed by virtual teams today, listen to what the person is saying. Notice the pace, pitch of the conversation. Notice what is the emotion behind the words? What is being said? 
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​5. Take time to share more about your world, your work, your priorities. An important part of empathy is understanding. It's a two-way street - being open to share, and being receptive to listening. how much are you sharing about your world, your work and your priorities?

​There are multiple ways be can be focusing on the skills of empathy as we build connection on teams. What are some approaches you as a team want to focus on?

​With best wishes,
Jennifer

This week’s Team Building Tip gets you to consider the question “How do you want feedback?”.

Having worked with thousands of leaders and teams in the last few decades around feedback, I’ve enjoyed exploring the question – How do you want feedback?

Some people love feedback

• In writing, with time to process it before a conversation
• Off the cuff, and regularly
• Formally – face to face

What are your preferences? What about those you work with? What are their preferences?

Today’s Team Building Tip gets you to spend some time as a team exploring the topic of feedback.
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Enjoy!
Jennifer

Last time this year I shared the following post on skills needed for remote work. As you read through this given your experience in 2020, what are your thoughts and experiences:
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This month we’ve continued to focus on helping you build your remote team skills. Many professionals new to remote work are curious about what they want to add to their toolbox. This may include things such as:

#1 Systems to Keep You Focused – Systems may range from financial systems (budget, expenses), communication systems – voice, text, email, instant messaging, knowledgement management systems. (Where do you get information?, How do you share information?, How do you file and access information for others across the team?)

#2 Team Development Tools – Having a variety of team development tools to help the team connect, get to know each other and focus in on the work and results you want. More on this topic in tomorrow’s Teams365 blog post.

#3 Relationship Management Tools – What is going to help you build relationships with both internal and external stakeholders? If you are part of a remote team, it’s likely that you are also navigating matrix relationships, and are part of a team.

#4 Planning Tools – As a team, what are your key goals? What are you needing to focus on?

#5 Planning Tools as an Individual – As professionals, it’s likely that we will all have different preferences for planning. Some remote workers want to keep in all in the Cloud, others want an analog paper-based planning tool. In addition to the daily plans, are you taking time to focus on the quarterly and annual plans in your business? This is what I designed the PlanDoTrack Planner for. It’s an analog (i.e. paper-based) workbook and planner to help you (and other team members) get clear on what’s important to you along planning, personal productivity and skills levels.

#6 Getting Organized – Having a well set up office which functions is a big part of the equation. Check out this past post about what elements you will want to have in place.

#7 Performance Tools – Business is about getting results, and it’s important that the team is clear on what needs to get done and what success will look like. What is the current state of performance on a team and individual level? What conversations need to take place?

#8 Coaching Tools – Going hand in hand with performance tools are coaching tools to have great conversations. There are a range of different conversations which need to take place on the team level. From performance conversations (What’s working well and what’s not?)

#9 Project Management Tools – It’s likely that in your work as a remote professional you are regularly navigating projects. What is important to note about your project management skills and tools? Considering the projects you are navigating, how are they going along SCOPE, TIME and BUDGET? What needs attention? Who can help you with this?

#10 A Focus on Team Culture and Identity – While it might seem out of the norm to include this, team culture and identity is critical in today’s workspace. Our culture is WHO WE ARE, HOW WE DO THINGS and WHAT WE VALUE. When was the last time you spent time having a discussion around your team identity and how you do things? If you have team agreements around how you do things, when did you last explore these? If you don’t have them, is it time to create them?

Let us know where you have focused some of your effort this year.
 
Enjoy your mid-week!
Jennifer

As an organization who has supported remote teams and leaders for more than fifteen years, we’ve had a lot of conversations around what makes remote work, work. This year has seen an increase in volume in the number of conversations we are having with teams around what they need, given that many are not “remote by choice” but “remote by chance”.

As you step into the last couple of months of the year, it’s likely that remote work, or hybrid work (part remote, part in-person) may be the norm. Be sure to:

Build in time for connecting in with others on the team and other key stakeholders - Connections are critical for remote professionals. We don’t operate in isolation. We need others to grow, get results and income.  What is important for you? What amount of time are you spending in CONVERSATION with others?

Build in time to acknowledge the efforts of others - What amount of time have you spent acknowledging the efforts of those on the team? Are you dedicating time in your meetings to focus on acknowledgements within your team? Have you “been catching people doing things right”?

Build in time for feedback - How much time has been spent this year on feedback across the team? One of the downsides to remote work, is that we don’t have the same opportunities to get feedback – both constructive and positive feedback.  Stay tuned for more on feedback during Thursday’s post.

Build in time for team development - Teams are the engines of many businesses and while teams have not been able to get together regularly, it’s key to provide teams with time to focus on what’s important for them.

Build in time for renewal – It’s been a long year, and many are feeling the impact of too much time on the screen. What are you doing to inject some fun and renewal?

What else is needed?
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Enjoy your conversations!
Jennifer

One of my favorite activities at the end of a meeting or training session is the Gallery Walk. In in-person realms, we can look around the room at what has been created, on flipcharts or a whiteboard.

What can we do to translate this to the virtual environment?

We can do a Virtual Gallery Walk!

As you go through your meeting or training virtually, consider what are the elements you want to highlight and showcase at the end.

You might take screenshots as you go through a meeting OR you might bring forward whiteboards again.

Think about what moments will highlight the different moments in time.
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Enjoy the “walk down memory lane”!
Jennifer

This week we covered a range of topics including:

• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt: Relationships Which Are Important
• Friday’s Flashback Friday 4 Ways to Minimize Distractions with Remote Work
• Thursday’s Team Building Pitfall Alert
• Wednesdays Virtual Events – 4 Things to Keep in Mind
• Tuesday’s 3 Ways to Stand Out Virtually
• Monday’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip:  Screenshots

It’s not too late to join us for the Fall 2020 Stand Out Virtually Incubator. Geared for those that want to take their virtual learning and conversations up a notch this program not only focuses on the art and science of great virtual design, but also marketing. Be sure to catch up on this week’s calls and join us live for the remaining six weeks of sessions. Reserve your spot here (1 and 3 installment payments).

Enjoy,
Jennifer

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

It’s the weekend which means that it’s time for another Weekly journaling prompt at the Teams365 blog. This week our prompt is “Relationships which are important to me are….”.

One of the more challenging parts of 2020 has been the physical and social isolation felt during times of lockdown, quarantine and social distancing.

What are the relationships which are important to you?

What are you doing to celebrate them?

What’s important for you to dedicate some time to right now?

Enjoy the reflection!
​Jennifer

This week we return to a topic which is still a big one for more workers – productivity in the remote space. Whether we are working “Remote by chance or remote by choice” (as I like to say), minimizing distractions is key to remote work.

Today I’m reaching back to a post I wrote back in 2016, just as relevant today as it was four years ago. Here are four quick tips I suggested for minimizing distractions with remote work:

1. Clear space for where you are going to work - Whether our workspace is a small table which folds back into the wall when we are done, or we have dedicated office space, clearing the clutter can be an important step in creating space to focus and be productive.

Consider where you work - what needs to be cleared? Spend 15 min this week clearing yourself more space.

2. Make sure you have what you need in order to do your work. Small issues can become big issues when working remote. An old laptop which crashes regularly, taking with it your hard work, becomes a liability. Slow internet speeds can also take a toll. While these issues might be minor pain when working remote once a month, if you need to work remote several days a week, the cost adds up. Consider what you might be tolerating in terms of equipment/resources that just aren't cutting it. What's the cost of replacing them? What's the cost if you don't?

3. Consider when you are at your peak for different types of work. Some of us like the early morning to get out thoughts down on paper, while others like to tackle calls first thing in the morning. Consider your style and preferences in terms of when you would like to get different tasks accomplished, and SCHEDULE IT IN.

4. Sometimes we get distracted because we don't allow ourselves time for a break, or we don't allow ourselves to get into the flow of one activity at a time. While there are many tips to time management that we've covered (check  out all our time management tips here), months ago I wrote about the Pomodoro approach where you set a timer for a set amount of time (i.e. 25 minutes) and work until the alarm goes off). Other time management gurus recommend a 10-minute break every 50 minutes. What is going to keep you focused and at your prime in terms of productivity?

Let us know which tips you try out and what you find useful!

Enjoy your weekend,
Jennifer

A reminder that early next week the Fall 2020 Stand Out Virtually Incubator program will be kicking off, running to December 4th. Looking to amplify your virtual events, and build a stronger business case around them, in organizations or externally? Join us for live group calls, micro-learning modules and some weekly 1-1 coaching! Grab your spot here.

We’re returning back to pitfalls this week, building onto what I discussed last week, given that many are concerned with what pitfalls can look like.

This week, sound the alarm! It’s all about taking a moment as a team to STOP. PAUSE. And consider what pitfalls you are experiencing. What are the pitfalls which are present in your work right now?

Consider pitfalls for the team like:

• Lack of communication
• Meetings for the sake of meetings
• Not involving the right people in decision making
• Assumptions which go unsurfaced

What are the pitfalls the team is facing right now?

Likewise, what are the pitfalls present for the organization?
Consider pitfalls like:

• No planning process in place
• Reactivity
• A strategic plan that hasn’t been updated since the pandemic

What are the pitfalls for the organization?

Finally, what about pitfalls due to technology?

Consider:

• People not feeling connected to others and the work they do, or the organization
• People not feeling like they have a voice or an input channel
• People not feeling heard

​Each of these pitfalls has a significant business cost which can get magnified quickly in the remote space. What’s important to note about these pitfalls and what do you want to do about it?

Enjoy the conversations!
Jennifer