Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

Teams365 #2854 - Weekly Journaling Prompt 171: Focus on Relationships and Results

10/23/2021

This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt invites you to consider the question “What focus are you having on RELATIONSHIPS and RESULTS in your work?”. Consider your work practices, how you team, what you are focusing on in meeting and also where you are putting your attention.

As I share throughout Reconnecting Workspaces, in today’s business context we need to focus on both Relationships and Results. As I share on page 142 of Reconnecting Workspaces,

Where are you spending more time?

Enjoy your reflection!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #2853 - Flashback Friday: Teamwork Skills in Complexity

10/22/2021

The last eighteen months have been a learning in practice opportunity for teams to put into practice many of the skills I mentioned conceptually back in 2017 when I did a series on Teamwork Skills in Complexity. I thought it would be useful to pick up with Teams365 #1597 which spotlighted the importance of Experimentation during times of complexity. Take a look at what I wrote, and think about how this skillset is helping you thrive right now:

This month we are exploring the skills required in teamwork, including listening and curiosity. Today I wanted to take a dive into a third skill area, that being the area of experimentation.

Experimentation is key for business leaders and teams today. Many times, the context is changing so quickly that we don’t have time to complete an entire roll-out before having to make a final decision. That can lead to a mindset of experimentation, where it is encouraged to try things out, see what works and what doesn’t.

In supporting experimentation in our team we want to:

Encourage and reward trial and error
Create safety around not getting “things right”
Provide team members with time and resources to experiment, beyond their every day team responsibilities
Facilitate an evaluation of projects or “Experiments” that are completed or are even at the midpoint

Questions we may ask at project reviews include:

What’s working?
What’s not?
What are the things that need to be abandoned or tweaked?
What additional resources do we need?
What unknown obstacles have become visible?
What is the big learning we are taking?
What is the one thing/ or the many things we are going to do differently going forward?
Who else can we learn from (including our own past projects?

If you haven’t taken a look at the article I wrote for the most recent edition of choice Magazine which focused on Disruption, take a look at it here. It’s entitled “Curiosity, Vision, Experimentation, Connection: Helping Teams and Groups Thrive in Periods of Disruption”. You can read it here at the Reconnecting Workspaces blog, including a download of it.
https://www.reconnectingworkspaces.com/post/4-key-skills-for-teams-and-groups-to-thrive-in-today-s-workspace

Enjoy the conversation!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Reconnecting-Workspaces-Pathways-Thrive-Virtual/dp/0993791557

Teams365 #2852 -Team Tool: The One Page Plan

10/21/2021

Chapter 8 of Reconnecting Workspaces explores the key concept of Teamwork Practices. The team tool for this chapter is one of my favorites – The One Page Plan.

When we work on a team it, especially a remote and hybrid one, it’s critical to keep a line of sight not only on our work, but also on those we are connected with, and that we need to collaborate with. When connections are not made across the team, it’s hard to activate the synergies required for exceptional work.

One of my favorite tools, with significant value, is the One Page Plan. Just as you see here, it’s simply a 5 x 5 matrix, inviting team members to share their top five goals, and core elements around it. Just as I shared earlier this week, powerful practices are SIMPLE, VISIBLE and ACCESSIBLE (page 131 of Reconnecting Workspaces), and the One Page Plan is all three.

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #2851- Reconnecting Workspaces Myth:Teamwork Practices

10/20/2021

The myth for Chapter 8 is “There is a myth that everyone is the same. That we have the same needs, wants and preferences. We know that socialization, education, and upbringing shape what we value, how we operate, how we work, make decisions, involve others, and address conflict. Remote teams by nature are more diverse.” (Reconnecting Workspaces, page 139, Jennifer Britton)

The strength of teams is its diversity. What myths are you holding around teamwork and what makes you a strong team? What makes you a unique team?

Chapter 8 of Reconnecting Workspaces https://www.amazon.com/Reconnecting-Workspaces-Pathways-Thrive-Virtual/dp/0993791557

Enjoy your reflection!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #2850 - Reconnecting Workspaces Principle: Ensure all Voices are in the Room

10/19/2021

Chapter 8 of Reconnecting Workspaces is a focus on Teamwork Practices and Skills for Relationships and Results. As I write on page 139 with this chapter’s principle,

“Ensure all voices are in the room. Teams are strong because of their diversity. Having a variety of strategies to harness the talents and approaches of everyone in the room is key. This might involve using Post-its in the physical space or apps like Miro and Mural in the remote world. Dotmocracy and using annotation to vote are other ways to surface interests”.

The strengths of teams and organizations is all about connection. In order to do this we need to incorporate everyone’s voice in the room.

What are you doing to bring all voices in the room?

Consider activating the 5 Engagement Levers I shared last year in the StandOutVirtually.com series of work. The five engagement levers include:
Chat
Annotation
Polling
Breakout
And Whiteboard

What are you doing to use these to ensure that everyone’s voice is being heard, and that you are activating the collective wisdom of the group?

For more on the Five Engagement Levers, be sure to check out this YouTube Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9VutiFh23U

Enjoy the conversation!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #2849 - Reconnecting the Workspace Tip

10/18/2021

It’s Monday and this week we are diving into chapter 8 of Reconnecting Workspaces which focuses on Teamwork Practices and Skills for Relationships and Results.

This chapter explores key topics teams can activate to help them connect and thrive. This includes the following topics:

Habits for teams
Keeping Connected as a Team Member
Practices for Relationships and Results
Evaluation and Pulse Checks
The Umbrella of Team Culture
Essential Teamwork Skills
Tricky issues for teams

This chapter is a must-explore for everyone – team members and leaders alike – given that teams are as strong as their weakest link!

As I share on page 141 – 142, “When thinking about practices, it can be important to follow these three virtual foundations:

Keep it simple
Keep it visible
Make it accessible”

What are you doing to lead from these three practices in your work?

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #2848 - Week in Review

10/17/2021

That’s a wrap for Chapter 7 and our focus on Systems, Processes and Tools. This past week we explored the following:

Saturday’s Wrap-up and Weekly Journaling Prompt (inspired by Halloween)

Friday’s Flashback

Thursday’s Six Leadership Questions

Wednesday’s Systems for Consistency and Connection

Tuesdays’ Brain tip around the Social Brain

Monday’s In Focus- The Urgent/Important Matrix

What else is important to explore right now?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new books, Reconnecting Workspaces and 90-Day Guide for Success: Pathways to Thrive in the Virtual, Remote, and Hybrid World at Amazon.

Teams365 #2847 - Wrap Up and Weekly Journaling Prompt

10/16/2021

And that’s it for the dive into chapter 7 of Reconnecting Workspaces where we focused on all things systems, practices and tools. While it may not be the most exciting part of work, it is and important part of keeping things moving. From leadership systems, to feedback loops, we’ve explored a variety of items which are important.

Keeping aligned with the upcoming Halloween holiday, this week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt is “If you had three wishes to grant, what would they be?”.
Can’t wait to kick off next week and our next chapter with you. Coming up – Chapter 8 of Reconnecting Workspaces!

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new books, Reconnecting Workspaces and 90-Day Guide for Success: Pathways to Thrive in the Virtual, Remote, and Hybrid World at Amazon.

Teams365 #2846 - Flashback Friday: Peer Coaching

10/15/2021

For today’s post I thought it would be interesting to reach back to a 2017 focus on Peer Coaching, which is just as relevant as it was when I originally wrote this post. Take a look at Teams #1337, Leadership Practice, here - https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-1337-leadership-practice-peer-coaching

Consider the following;
Fostering strong team connections where team members can take turns to lead and offer their expertise to others on the team is essential in today’s VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) environment. Helping team members improve their coaching skills with each other is an important part of creating a more collaborative environment.

Several of the core skills we want to cultivate in moving to a peer coaching environment are:

Questioning – the ability to ask open ended questions which will hep the other person widen their knowledge, explore options, gain clarity or create assumptions. In boosting our questioning skills it is also important to consider Are you leaving enough time for the person to reflect and then respond?

Designing the conversation – helping peers be in dialogue around what they want to purpose and outcome of the conversation to be is important This could include asking questions such as:
What do you want as an outcome for this conversation?
What would be most helpful to you? To brainstorm? Be asked questions? Consider solutions? Other?

Listening – Being able to listen deeply is important. The ability to listen on multiple levels is key to peer coaching. Listening around
One of the biggest stretch areas for peers is learning not to give advice but lead from questioning and listening

A starting point for peers to experiment with their sills is dedicating 20 – 30 minutes a mot to peer coaching conversations. Pair team members and have them bring a current business challenge or opportunity which they want to explore. Give them one to two minutes to outline what that is to their partner and then provide 7 minutes to coach and then one minute to identify specific next action steps. Rotate to the next person.

Peer coaching can be done virtually with virtual teams as well, using breakouts or separate calls between the session. Consider how you could integrate peer coaching into your upcoming conversations and team development.
What role can peer coaching play right now or you as an organization? In what areas is it important to build capability?

Enjoy the conversation!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Reconnecting-Workspaces-Pathways-Thrive-Virtual/dp/0993791557

Teams365 #2845 - 6 Questions for Remote Work

10/14/2021

SIX QUESTIONS FOR MORE REMOTE WORK

1. What’s going to help you be more productive?

2. What support do you need to do your best work?

3. How do you want to/need to stay connected to the team?

4. What information/accountability do you need to get your work moving?

5. What feedback loops are needed?

6. What is important to share with others?

Enjoy your reflection!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk
https://www.ted.com/talks/jennifer_britton_virtual_remote_and_hybrid_checklist_aug_2021

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new books, Reconnecting Workspaces and 90-Day Guide for Success: Pathways to Thrive in the Virtual, Remote, and Hybrid World at Amazon.