Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

#TeaMs 365 #365: Celebrating The Year

12/31/2014

As I sit down today to write our final Teams365 post of the year it's a great opportunity to celebrate the year. Here at the Teams365 blog we've covered a range of core topics for leaders and team members. From coaching skills and mentoring, to difficult conversations and feedback, I hope that the 365 posts have provoked some new thoughts, ideas and actions for you and your team.

Some of our most popular posts this year have ranged from:
The fifteen Teams365 cartoons commissioned this year - with favorites as the 1-1 series, and our 2015 Vision.
The Thursday series on Team Building Tips
Our Friday Check it Off Tips geared to get you into action and checking things off your list
and finally our Saturday Essential Leadership Reads column

I look forward to continuing into a second year of blogging with you in 2015! The plan is to keep these as short, practical posts, and our popular features will continue. Please let me know what additional topic areas around teams and leadership you want to explore during 2015.

Finally, I'll be looking for some guest bloggers to join me for selected posts, so if you would like to join in as a guest contributor, please contact me.

Have a wonderful New Year's Eve!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Potentials Realized | Teams365 programming for Team Leaders
Growing Team Leaders One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Email us to discuss how we can support your leadership development efforts through training, mentoring or coaching
(416)996-8326

It's the last day to save $70 on the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat. hours of structured activities which you can access on a timeline that works for you, geared to support you in creating your vision and plan for the next year, while exploring your leadership foundations! Use this link to access the discounted rate to the end of December 31st.

#Teams365 #364: Team Building Tip #16

12/30/2014

Our final team building tip of the year gets you to think about the expectations which need to be clarified for the team. One of the biggest hindrances to exceptional team performance is lack of clarity around expectations.

Earmarking a focus around clarifying expectations in the new year can pay off in dividends.

Areas you may want to ensure you have clear, and shared, expectations around are:
- What does success look like? For us individually? Collectively as a team?
- What are our start and end times?
- What does quality mean?
- What does being an exceptional team mean?
- What are we committed to creating? What do we need to do in order to get there?
- What do you expect of me as leader this year? What do I expect from you this year?

What other expectations are important for your team to discuss as you get back to work in January?

Best
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized: Coaching | Teamwork | Leadership
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Authorized Partner of Everything DiSC and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
Creator of the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat - a self-paced retreat supporting you in creating your plan for the next year, while exploring your leadership foundations
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#teams365 #363: Leadership a - z: Z is For Zoom

12/29/2014

We've finally made it to z in the Leadership a - z. Z is for zoom. As a metaphor, what do you need to/want to zoom into? What do you want to get a close up around:
- Results
- Relationships
- Focus
- Stakeholders
- Communication patterns
- Styles
- Coaching and Mentoring Skills
- Feedback
- 1-1s

Throughout the year these areas have been key focus areas we have explored here at the blog. As you consider the next year, what do you want to zoom into?

Have a great start to this last week of the year,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized: Coaching | Teamwork | Leadership
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Authorized Partner of Everything DiSC and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
Creator of the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat - a self-paced retreat supporting you in creating your plan for the next year, while exploring your leadership foundations
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

#Teams365 #362: Leadership a -z : X is for X-CeL

12/28/2014

As we move into the X of the Leadership a - z I've taken the liberty of shortening most of the "ex" words to x. Throughout the year we have looked at what helps teams excel through the Six Factors of High Performing, or Exceptional, Teams.

We've looked at what it takes to accelerate results, through exact, and shared, expectations.

We've looked at the key skills team leaders lead from, along with teamwork competencies.

As an analogy, we've seen how team leaders use x-ray and diagnostic capabilities to observe what is going on, and to address issues which need attention.

What can you do to xerox, or copy, what worked this year, next year?

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Authorized Everything DiSC partner and Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
Email: info(at) potentialsrealized (dot) com
(416)996-8326

#TEams365 #361: Leadership a - z What's Your Vision for 2015?

12/27/2014

Having a clear vision for where you want to go, and developing a shared vision with your team is key for business and leadership success. To wrap up our final 2014 Teams365 Cartoon, I had a special cartoon made up around what's your 2015 vision?

About 10 days ago I launched an on-demand virtual retreat program geared to support leaders and business owners to develop their business and personal vision for the next year, while exploring their leadership foundations such as their strengths, values and opportunities. It is a seven hour retreat which you can take according to the time you have.

I've made available a ten minute audio with questions for you to consider about what you would like to create in the next year. You can listen to it using this link (see lecture 7 preview).

You will want to carve out 20 minutes for the activity. Grab a pen, a notebook (which you may want to carry into 2015!) , and a glass of whatever kind of refreshment you like!

One year from today, what do you look forward to being able to say?

Best
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized: Coaching | Teamwork | Leadership
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Authorized Partner of Everything DiSC and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
(416)996-TEAM (8326)
Creator of the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat - a self-paced retreat supporting you in creating your plan for the next year, while exploring your leadership foundations.
Take advantage of a discounted rate of $127 (save $70 from the regular rate of $197) until January 1st. Please use this link to access the special pricing.

#Teams365 #360: Team Building Tip: What assumptions is the Team Making?

12/26/2014

What are the assumptions the team is making at the moment? Are these all well founded? Which assumptions are assisting you as a team? Hindering you? As business goes more global it is important to check that your assumptions are held by all.

As you get back to work in the new year, assumptions is an interesting area to look at with the team.

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized: Coaching | Teamwork | Leadership
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Authorized Partner of Everything DiSC and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
Creator of the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat - a self-paced retreat supporting you in creating your plan for the next year, while exploring your leadership foundations
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

Teams365 #359:Season's Greetings

12/25/2014

Wishing You and Your Loved Ones a Phenomenal Christmas Day. Enjoy the Best of the Season!

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Teams365

#Teams365 #358: Leadership A - z: What Do You need to Say Yes To?

12/24/2014

Today's Leadership a - z brings us to Y and the Question " What Do You Need to Say YES To?". Throughout this year we have explored a wide variety of topics related to teams and leadership, all geared to support you in doing your best work.

A you move into the new year what is the one thing that you want to say YES to consistently? What is the one thing that will underpin all the decisions you make as a leader or team?

Being clear on our YES, allows us to be even clearer in terms of what we are going to say no to.

As you take a pause for these next few days, often the only days of the year where everything does slow down, what do you want to say YES to.

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized: Coaching | Teamwork | Leadership
Supporting Team Leaders to do their best work, one conversation at a time
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Authorized Partner of Everything DiSC and the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team
Creator of the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat - a self-paced retreat supporting you in creating your plan for the next year, while exploring your leadership foundations
(416)996-TEAM (8326)

Teams365 #356: Leadership a - z: W is for Wow, WHAT, Wonder, Wisdom

12/23/2014

We are jumping over the V in Leadership a - z and will come back to it next week as we start looking towards 2015. This week as we move towards Christmas is a time of WOW and Wonder for many. It is one of the few times of the year where people do start to slow down and notice their surroundings.

What's been a WOW for you this year? What's filled you with wonder?

Tapping into the wisdom of the team members is a sign of a great leader. It helps us develop a culture of teamwork. A great quote about the ability to be a team player comes from Dennis Kinlaw who writes:

"Teamplayer: One who unites others toward a shared destiny through sharing information and ideas, empowering others and developing trust."

Throughout the year, posts which might support you in tapping into the wisdom of the team revolve around strengths and styles, topics we continue to return back to.

What structures and approaches will support the team in bringing their best self to work each day during 2015, and sharing their wisdom with others?

The other area that came to mind this morning as I thought about the Ws with Leadership is of course the series of the 5 Ws - What, What, When, Where, Who (and the H - How). The 5 Ws are key in any coaching and performance conversation as well as in delegating effectively.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

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

Give yourself the gift of Looking to do some personal leadership or business planning for 2015 in an on-demand format. I've just launched the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat which you can complete at your own pace at Udemy. Save $100 on your registration until December 26th using this link here.

Teams 365 #356: Leadership a - z: U is For Unique

12/22/2014

Today we are at the U in the Leadership a - z. U stands for Unique, Unprecedented, Ultimate, Understood, Universal, Upside and upheld.

throughout the year I've blogged a number of times on strengths and values, two areas in which we develop a deep understanding of who we are and how we are unique. This past year I have really enjoyed working with a number of different teams from a range of industries, who have built time to explore their unique strengths. Months later some of the results for the teams have included better communication, clearer alignment, and better results, in part for some due to a change in role function.

As leaders we may be moving with our teams into unprecedented areas. With the pace of change ongoing, global events shifting the business context and things like technology changing the way we work, we may feel like we are in new waters every day. Our ability to be flexible, reactive, agile and problem solve collaboratively is critical.

Our ability to communicate in a way that is understood not only by our team, but the multitude of stakeholders we work with, is key. For years I have reflected on Stephen Covey's Seek first to understand, and then be understood. Our ability to be empathetic is, and understand other perspectives, is key for leadership success.

Ultimate, epic and uber are adjectives which are part of the cultural lexicon today. What has been outstanding for you as a leader this year? For the team For the organization? What will it take to sustain this, and even augment it, next year?

Our ability to be optimistic and look at the upside of issues is also key in today's environment. Daniel Goleman included the competency in optimisim in the twenty plus Emotional Intelligence leadership competencies years ago. What does optimism mean for you? What does it look like in your context?

Finally, as leaders we take a stance for the issues and ideas which are important for us. Whether we take a stance for excellence, or quality, or collaboration or engagement, as leaders it is important to be aware of what our parameters are and what we will go to bat for. What do you uphold?

What other words which start with U come to mind as you think of leadership?

Have a great start to this holiday week,
Jennifer

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

Our stake as leaders, along with our values and strengths are three areas I explore in the Inner Biz Leader(TM) Virtual Business Planning Retreat. Part business planning for the next year, part personal development, this is an online video based program which which you can complete at your own pace at Udemy. Save $100 on your registration until December 26th using this link here.