Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

#Teams365 #699: #leadership Myth - That's Too Simplistic!

11/30/2015

Today we are at the leadership myth of S for which I've chosen "That's too simplistic!". We operate in a context today where bigger is often seen as better, when in fact, simpler and more simplistic may be better. We operate in a context of complexity, and most of us are on overwhelm. Consider this, how many messages have you been bombarded with since you turned on your device today? How many different messages have you received from your boss? Your colleagues?

Simplifying does not mean making things too simple. In fact, weeding out the non-essentials can help us with focus and productivity. Neuroresearch continues to show that the brain is unable to process multiple tasks at once in an efficient manner. Just because we can do it, or think we can do it, doesn't mean it works.

Consider these ideas in terms of simplification:

1. This week, focus messaging with the team on the top 2-3 items which really need attention, and need to get wrapped up. Strategically, when should other messaging happen?

2. Think about upcoming presentations you have scheduled. Review one of them with an eye to asking yourself, what's essential? What's over-doing it? What could be put aside without losing impact overall.

3. Simplifying your workspace - As we move into the holiday time and year end it can be a really good time to clear your workspace. Take a a look around. What has gone beyond it's shelf-life? What needs to be moved, thrown out, passed on to create more space for focus and/or newness.

4. If you have any reports due, take an eye to simplifying the core message, and recommendations. Does your report have an Executive Summary section? A recommendations section? Inclusion of these can help others quickly cut to the core of the report.

5. Simplifying meetings - Meetings continue to be a huge "timesucker" for many organizations. This week consider what "Simplifying meetings" might look like for you? Consider implementing this in the next month and notice what happens to your time.

Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)
The Teams365 Team Leader Cards are now available - put some jazz in your 201 meetings with better questions

#Teams365 #698: What Do you want to wrap up Before YEar End?

11/29/2015

#Teams365 #697: Leadership toolbox - Team Development Using Visuals

11/28/2015

AS a former team leader myself I know how time crunched it can be to find quick things to do with our team. That has spurred me on since 2004 to develop a number of resources for team leaders to bring into their own work with teams. Today so many of our team members are visually inclined and new conversations can get sparked using visuals.

Earlier this week the Teams365 Team Sparker deck was launched, consisting of 52 questions, the deck can be a great "Sparker" at team meetings or in individual coaching conversations.

For years I have been bringing photos into the facilitation and coaching work I do with teams and groups. Yesterday I launched a new e-manual "40 Ways to Use Visual Cards in your work with groups and teams" which includes detailed instructions and more sparking questions to facilitate insights etc. Whether you are looking for something different to do at your next strategic planning session, looking for a new way to kick off your retreat, or close a team meeting, these forty activities are a little different. Click here to learn more or view my weekly Group Coaching Design Studio blab where I shared six ways to work with visual cards in the weekly 30 minute live stream show. I use the Conversation Sparker cards as illustration in the conversation.

For others interested in using photos for team development you may want to check out The Coaching Game - Points of View which offer another interesting series of photos.

A fourth resource I wanted to share which leverages photos is the original deck i am aware of - Visual Explorer from the Center for Creative Leadership. I've had the privilege to use the cards I purchased from them with thousands of professionals globally over the last seven or more years.

A fifth and final resource for you to explore is the JICT Images deck,
another excellent resource.

I hope that next time you have a meeting, retreat or team event, you will consider how images can spark some new insights, action and awareness.

Here are the links for more info or or pick up a copy of the Conversation Sparker Cards(TM), the Teams365 Team Sparker Deck of the 40 Ways to Use Visuals with Groups and Teams. If you have any questions, please let me know. Enjoy!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#Teams365 #696: 6 Leadership Questions a Day - Team Development

11/27/2015

As we approach the end of the year many of us start to think about what our teams need to excel in the year ahead. Today's post, provides you with six questions you may be wanting to reflect on, or engage your team in dialogue around.

1. What does the team need to excel in the year ahead?
2. What will help the team be at their best in 2016?
3. What is going to be the major challenge for the year ahead? The major opportunity?
4. What development opportunities do we want to build in (retreats, team coaching, mentoring etc?)
5. What requests do I need to make of the team right now? My boss?
6. How will we measure our success?
And as a bonus
What will help to expedite or magnify what's working?
Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized | Teams365
Growing Team Leaders One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Check out our new Teams365 Team Sparker Deck, 56 questions to spark conversation with your team
(416)996-8326

#TEams365 #695: Team Building Tip: Pulse Check on Relationships

11/26/2015

Today's Team building tip #63 gets you to stop and pause and do a bit of a pulse check. For those in the US that are celebrating Thanksgiving it is more of a day of rest.

How are you doing with your relationships right now. Consider internal relationships which are important. What is the status of these? What about external relationships? Which ones are working well? which ones need attention?

As we move into year end activities, it is a great time of year to reach out to key relationships and spend time - whether they are strong or not.

In closing, what is the one relationship you want to make sure you keep an eye on in the new year?

Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized | Teams365
Growing Team Leaders One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Check out our new Teams365 Team Sparker Deck
(416)996-8326
A reminder that 52 of the team building tips are now available as the Teams365 Team Sparker Deck. Designed for team leaders to bring into their team meetings, coaching conversations or other dialogues, you can use the cards as preparation or by selecting one in the moment to spark dialogue. The Teams365 Team Sparker Deck make a great stocking stuffer for new and experienced leaders and teams at $29 plus shipping. Click here to learn more and order a set or two!

#Teams365 #694: Leadership Myth R - Results Don't Require Collaboration

11/25/2015

Today's Leadership myth debunks the idea that we can always go it alone, and that results in today's business context don't require collaboration. As I stated a few weeks ago during a presentation I gave on coaching and collaboration to a Community of Practice group within the International Coach Federation, Collaboration is more important today than ever before. Business challenges require that we get better at working across differences, communication needs means that we work across boundaries.

A couple of tips are you think about harnessing collaboration to help you in breaking down some of the silos you are facing:

1. It takes time. Collaboration requires that we get to know our partners at more than a surface level, and learn to work across, and leverage, our differences. This takes time.

2. Collaboration is not natural for everyone - we need to encourage it and also check that the organizational systems we have in place support collaboration. If people are being rewarded financially for being an individual contributor or as the highest results team, we may be creating barriers to collaboration.

3. In which areas can you create some quick wins and maybe develop some best practices for your organization. People are more apt to put their weight behind things they believe and can see as working. Where can you create some initial momentum around collaboration.

4. Consider when and where collaboration is appropriate. We can fall into the trap of trying to over collaborate. Not every situation requires collaboration. Consider when you can yield more than 1+1 = 2 in your efforts.

Have a great Wednesday and wonderful Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating it tomorrow,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

Looking for some inspiration and a "spark" for your next team meeting? Our team building tips are now in a convenient 52 card Teams365 Team Sparker deck. It's a great year end treat for you and your peers. Pick a card to discuss each and every week of the year. Click here for more information. Take advantage of launch pricing - get a sixth deck free when you purchase five, or save $5 when you purchase both the Teams365 Team Sparker Deck and the Conversation Sparker Cards(TM)

#Teams365 #693: Leadership Myth Q - Questions

11/24/2015

theToday's Leadership Myth brings us to Q - and the myth many team leaders hold which is that they have to have all the answers themselves. Socratic, coaching questions are one of the most powerful tools in team leader's toolkit. Many of us are socialized to ask questions which are either leading to a specific result or are solely geared to problem solve. What we know from research is that many times we need to explore issues more widely before we come to the best solution. Likewise, many times our staff members themselves have the best answer so it is about helping them come up with their own solution.

In developing a mini-toolbox of powerful questions we will want to look at asking questions which are:

Short and concise - if our questions are too long, the receiver may be lost
Open-ended and either invite exploration, new perspectives, or action
Starting with What? We often say that What questions help to open the space for exploration and action.

Some powerful questions you may want to start using in your conversations include:
What's important about x?
What possible solutions are there?
What else?
What's another perspective around x?
What support do you need to be successful?
What's the flip side?
What might get in the way?
Where can you synergize (or collaborate)
Who else can help?
If you knew you would not fail, what would you try?

What other questions do you like to ask?

Over the last fourteen months each Thursday I have been providing you with a team building tip or question. These are now available as a set of 52 pocket-sized cards called the Teams365 Team Sparker Deck. Designed for team leaders to bring into their team meetings, coaching conversations or other dialogues, you can use the cards as preparation or by selecting one in the moment to spark dialogue. The Teams365 Sparker Deck make a great stocking stuffer for new and experienced leaders and teams at $29 plus shipping. Click here to learn more and order a set or two!

Have a great Tuesday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized | Teams365
Growing Team Leaders One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Check out our new Teams365 Team Sparker Deck
(416)996-8326

#TEaMs365 #692: Leadership Myth: P - priorities Change all the time

11/23/2015

Today's Leadership Myth "P" is that priorities change all the time. This statement may be a flag that a team or organization has not spent enough time with strategic planning and/or are being buffered by too many external factors without enough stable anchor points or products for the business .

If priorities are being seen as changing too quickly it may be due to:
"the shiny object syndrome" - when the "coolest" greatest thing is what everyone turns to. We often see this in newer industries or in things like marketing when people are quick to jump on the latest bandwagon like Periscope or Blab, two social video streaming services. As a business who has started to leverage BLAB as a technology to foster conversation with business owners and leaders, we are keeping a close eye on how much time we spend in both experimentation and also engagement. Where might the "Shiny object syndrome" be happening in your organization or industry.

"The latest flavor of the month club" - in fiercely competitive market places, when funding or revenue is tied to certain areas, you may start to see huge shifts as funding priorities change. This can lead to a diffusion of service provision and/or exhaustion on the part of staff.

Working with your team to set and communicate regular priorities is key. If you have too many priorities or they are changing too regularly you may be facing a fatigue and/or burnout period.

Ask yourself:
What have you noticed about how your priorities have shifted throughout this year?
What are your key priorities for the rest of the year? The next quarter?
What needs to be communicated or discussed about priorities with your team? Your boss?

Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized | Teams365
Growing Team Leaders One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
(416)996-8326

#Teams365 #691: Great TEams and Conflict

11/22/2015

Today's Sunday quote is an acknowledgement that great teams are able to navigate conflict successfully. In fact, conflict is part of what helps them excel. This is a great quote by Peter Senge.

Check out past posts I have written about conflict here at the TEams365 blog including:
Teamse65 #515: 6 Leadership Questions a Day - Conflict
TEams365 #511: Four Keys to Navigating Conflict
Teams365 #524 - Working Across Differences in Your Virtual Team

Conflict is a healhty part of team development. Where it is not healhty is when teams get stuck in it, and/or they do not know how to have the difficult conversations which need to be surfaced.

How are you creating an environment of healthy conflict management and working across differences?

Best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Coaching Skills Training | Teamwork | Leadership
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#Teams365 #690: 6 #Leadership Questions a Day - Year End Retreats

11/21/2015

Today's Six Leadership Questions a day includes six questions you may want to incorporate into your team retreat. Whether you are taking it offsite or carving some time as a team to plan and be in dialogue, here are six (plus) questions you may want to incorporate into your retreat discussions

1. As we look back at this year, what supported us in our successes? What can we do to carry this into next year?
2. What do we as a team has as a vision for 2016?
3. What will be our top 3 goals for the new year?
4. What do we need to be successful?
5. What are we each committed to (as it relates to the team/results/regular dialogue and/or focus on ourselves etc)?
6. Who can support us in achieving our results?
7. What do we want to let go of? What do we want to do more of?

Enjoy !

Best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized - Leadership | Teamwork | Coaching Skills Training for Leaders
Supporting Team Leaders One Conversation at a Time(TM)
(416)996-8326