This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets you to undertake one of the positive psychology exercises we see as a happiness and well-being booster asking you to reflect on what you are grateful for. Positive psychology has a very well know daily practice called "the 3 things you are grateful for" where people are encouraged to reflect on, and write out 3 things they are grateful for.

Whether you do this once a week or on a daily basis, studies have found that getting into the habit of reflecting on, and articulating, what you are grateful for has impact on self-esteem, health (physiological, psychological) and relationships.

Read Amy Morin's 2014 article on 7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude  here.
 
Check out this White Paper on Gratitude from the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley - Download it here.

I hope that you will enjoy this week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt, and more importantly, find that it has longer term impact!

Enjoy your writing!
Jennifer'

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

2019 has been a year of disruption on many fronts. Professionals of all kinds are no longer being buffeted by their leaders from the winds of change. Learning how to navigate disruption has become an imperative for all professionals.

I thought it would be fitting to reach back to a post from this past June on Navigating Disruption to help you think about the focus you want to take in continuing to cultivate these skills and mindsets in your work – here we go with a revisit of Teams365 #2003.
 
Here’s what I wrote in that blog post from June 2019 – Key Trends: Navigating Disruption
​
Disruption is part of the landscape of many industries and workplaces today. Whether things are changing dramatically due to technology or geopolitical impacts, change is pervasive for many.

While we can’t change the pace of change, we can adjust our approaches to it.

What do we do to continue to be effective and positive in times of change?

Three practical things we can do are:

Cultivate curiosity – While many leaders would assert “easier said than done”, cultivating curiosity is important for today’s business landscape. Cultivating curiosity can be an important skill to develop in team members AND embed in the culture of an organization.

For more on cultivating curiosity, check out this earlier Teams365 blog post I wrote on Cultivating Curiosity Teams365 #1955 and what the research says Teams365 1961 – Encouraging Curiosity.

Be clear on the big picture goals – Adopting a 30,000 foot view on work, life and context can also be a valuable strategy for buffeting against the shocks of change. While the meta-view (big picture view) is not one that everyone adopts easily, seeing the big picture helps with the micro-shocks we can feel on a regular basis when things change. This is why it’s really important to continue communicating and meeting during times of change. Helping share the big picture so people don’t find themselves in the “Weeds”, cut off from what’s happening in the bigger picture is critical.

Become comfortable with knowing when things are “good enough” to let go, and that learning may always be needed. The embracement of “growth mindset” on the part of organizations in support of their staff is encouraging. When we come from what Carol Dweck has coined “growth mindset” it gives permission for experimentation, learning, and not quite being ready “yet”.

Disruption may mean that reverse mentoring (junior to more senior professionals) is just as important as traditional mentoring (senior to more junior professionals). It also provides us with an opportunity to pause and see how we are adjusting to change. Are we as “good at change” as we thought we were?

A reminder that last month I focused on Teamwork in Uncertainty:

Teams365 #1955- Teamwork in Uncertainty: Cultivating Curiosity. View it here.

Teams365 #1954 – Managing Uncertainty – Building Trust and Connection on Your Team Virtually. All workplaces can benefit from this topic – it is one of the #1 questions we receive here at Potentials Realized. Check out the post here.
 
Teams365 #1962:  Teamwork in Uncertainty: Empowering your Team with the Space to Experiment. Read it here.
 
Teams365 #1968: Teamwork in Uncertainty: Pivot . Read it here. 
 
Teams365 #1969: Teamwork in Uncertainty: Comfort with the Unknown: Read it here.

Enjoy!
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

This week’s Team Building Tip gets you to think about different pitfalls which might exist in your work. Proactivity and thinking through what you might do to prevent them, or recover, if you don’t prevent them, can save a lot of time and energy.

Here’s a list of some of the common pitfalls I saw this year in the work that I did with leaders and teams:

• Team Pitfalls - Disengagement, people disconnecting because they always feel that they are the ones who have to flex (i.e. being the only team member who has to call in early or late all the time), not sharing information, not collaborating because people don’t know who is who.
• Communication Pitfalls - Messages not being understood as intended, overuse of different technologies, assuming everyone had read the email.
• Leadership Pitfalls - Not being clear in terms of process, message, outcome, not co-creating expectations with the team, not investing in one-on-one time, not being consistent with messages and meetings, not providing direction/information on the big picture and strategic direction, not being clear on how people connect and not providing time for the team to meet.
• Technology Pitfalls - Not keeping things simple in the virtual space, getting thrown off by tech challenges, not running through the technology before the conversation, not taking time to prepare, trying to fit too much in and not keeping it simple.
• Meeting Pitfalls – Not having an agenda, not getting input around the agenda, not rotating facilitation of it, not following up on accountabilities, not being consistent with meeting, not being clear on purpose of meetings.

What other pitfalls have you experienced this year?

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

Conversations are at the heart of business success in any context or industry. Whether communication is happening face-to-face, by instant message, text or email, clarity in our communication is key. Checking assumptions and looping back to ensure that our message has been received as it was intended are also critical for success.

Two types of conversations which can be important for professionals of all kinds today – leaders, individual contributors and entrepreneurs – is having conversations with a coach and a mentor. Coaching and mentoring are in fact different modalities and each brings a different focus. Sometimes, the same person can wear the hat of coach and mentor, but often they are two different relationships we enter into.

Mentors play a critical role in helping us navigate the complexities and undercurrents of an industry, an organization or a role. Mentors help us understand the nuances of an industry/organization, often by sharing their experience. Typically, more seasoned that the person being mentored, they become a go-to for questions you may not be able to take to your boss. Research over the last decade and a half has shown that similar to team effectiveness, coaching and other relationships that trust and connection are key.

You might partner with a mentor to support your development in:

• Understanding what is needed to succeed in your role
• Understanding the undercurrents and politics of an organization or industry
• Getting a better sense of one person’s career transition
• Connecting in with important people, organizations and resources related to your work
• Expanding your network

Mentors typically will bring experience in your industry or with the role you are exploring. Their stories and experience serve as a springboard for your conversations.

Coaching is a separate modality and helps individuals gain clarity and awareness around their own capabilities. A coach in today’s business context is usually there to ask questions and prompt new insights via the questions and approaches they use. Coaching conversations are underpinned by the goals a person is working on, and usually focus on expanding awareness and action towards those key goals. While a coach may “once in a while” take off their coaching hat to slip on a “mentoring” or “training” hat in terms of suggesting a reading list, the role of the coach is a neutral one. The coach is invested in your own development and goals.

You might partner with a coach to help you:

• Gain further awareness of strengths, challenges and blind spots
• Create accountability around your most important goals
• Develop clarity around goals and next steps
• Understand the mindsets, belief systems, assumptions, and patterns you are embracing
• Have a regular pause point to stop, focus and strategize on what’s important in terms of your next steps

​As you consider your goals for the next year, what are the most important conversations to be undertaking? Is now the time to find a mentor, or a coach, or both?

Curious about either coaching or mentoring? We offer training and support in both areas. Reach out and set up a conversation today. 

Enjoy your conversations,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

Episode 2 of the Remote Pathways Podcast is now live! Join us as we exploer the pathways of those new to working remote, as well as the pathway of virtual team leaders. Listen in on your favorite podcast player or directly here.

With an increasing number of professionals leveraging the power of virtual conversations and meetings, I thought it would be a good idea to include a post this month focusing on five ways you’ll want to jazz up your virtual conversations. Still too often virtual calls are plagued by poor connection, multi-tasking, being “talked at” rather than being engaged in discussion. It’s what I call the Death by Conference call mindset in my 2017 book, Effective Virtual Conversations.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at 5 ways to break the habits of bad conversations:

1. Get everyone on the same platform – We’ve all been there. Too often. In a call where some people are in a room together (physically) with a few outliers who are in the virtual space. The boomerang connection does not mix. Can we either:
   1. Bring everyone onto the same platform by moving the conversation completely into the remote space where everyone has their own window.
   2. Use a technology which will give a clear, 360 view of the room. I just heard about OWL Labs technology and WOW – what a game changer! (And no, this is not a paid endorsement for them.)
2. Get people co-designing and co-creating together – using annotation. Given the fact that we are often “Alone with our thoughts” many days, and don’t have the collaborative stimulation of a lunchroom or water cooler, would it be possible to dedicate some time for the group/team to create some learning together. Perhaps it’s doing some visual brainstorming work, or having people identify what they want to explore together. Use annotation throughout your calls and get people to see how co-creating visually may be of benefit beyond your calls. 
3. Use breakouts – Most remote workers are hungry for connection, and to be heard, given the isolated nature of work. What can you do to connect group members with each other for deeper levels of dialogue? Incorporating the use of breakouts, where people can be paired with one or two others for a few minutes to discuss a question or topic of interest, can leave a memorable impression. Check out this 2017 call I did on Breakouts. 
4. Make sure it’s the right type of meeting for the conversation. Also be discerning with whether a large group meeting is the right type of conversation. Does everyone need to be there? Could you connect people in different ways?
5. Signal it will be different – and make sure it will! Most important, be sure to grab people’s attention at the start of the call. What can you do to signal from the start that it’s NOT going to be Death By Conference call? You may be amazed at how quickly you develop a reputation for a MEH call, or an engaging call.

What type of environment do you want to create? What is important for you to note?

Best, 
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

For many years, I have shared the research with teams that they excel when they focus on both relationships and results. The same holds true for remote teams as well.

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip gets you thinking about what you are doing to help remote teams explore both their results and relationships.

A focus on results can include:

• Their goals
• Their vision
• Clarity around communication, tasks and focus
• How we measure success
• Leadership
• Roles

 
Relationship focus may explore:

• How much we know and trust each other
• Understanding our connections
• Understanding what our styles, and preferences are
• How we work across differences, conflict and difficult issues

​What are the things you need to focus on as a team?

In the remote space, taking time to build out the relationship focus is essential. We want to make sure that we are exploring who we are, what our strengths are, how we prefer to work, what helps and what hinders our work. No person is an island in any work context today. What opportunities are you creating to ensure that there is a focus on relationships in the team?

Could there be a component that you build into your next team meeting that focuses on having people share what they are working on and/or a little about their work. You might even consider undertaking some work around strengths or other areas.

What are the things you want to focus in around as a team right now?

Best wishes, 
​Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

Welcome back to Sunday’s post! This week we’ve explored a number of different posts including:

• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling prompt getting you to do a review of this last year and think about what your favorite memories have been. Read it here.
• Friday’s Flashback Friday focusing on expectations. Read it here.
• Thursday’s Team Building Tip getting you to explore or revisit communication. Read it here.
• Wednesday’s post with 4 Areas of Team Focus for 2020. Read it here.
  
• Tuesday’s focus for key topics and conversations for teams this year. Read it here.
  
• Monday’s post on Team Practices for the remote space. Read it here.
  

Have a great rest of the weekend!
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

Welcome to our next Weekly Journaling Prompt #79 in the series which focuses in on the question-  “One of my favorite memories this year has been….”.
​
As you reflect back across the year, what stands out? What have been the highlights of the year for you?

Enjoy your reflections!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.​

This week I am reaching back to one of the original Teams365 blog posts.
 
Here’s what I wrote, which might be an interesting conversation starter as you go through your year-end discussions. Expectations are often at the heart of a high performing team. 

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?

Enjoy the conversation,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

This week’s Team Building Tip should hopefully surface an interesting dialogue around communication and how people prefer to communicate.

One of the major areas of conflict for teams today can be the varied ways people want to communicate, and becoming entrenched in our own preferences, without embracing other ways of working.

On a team, it’s likely that you all will have different preferences around –

• Text vs. Chat
• Visual vs. Data
• Real-time vs. Recording
• Face-to-face vs. Virtual
• Big picture vs. Granular detail
• Focused on the present vs Focused on the future

This list could continue. As a team, it might be an interesting conversation to go around the table to discuss what:

• Different preferences exist along these continua listed above
• Focus areas
• What you as a team are doing in terms of varying approaches and meeting different people’s needs

Enjoy!
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.