​This summer I was committed to tackling the growing pile of books I had purchased earlier this year, but not cracked the spine on. The growing pile actually felt like a weight on me. While I love to read, the volume was dragging me down.
Supported by no TV, and a slower than normal internet connection, I was able to reshift some of my usual screen time (which today is pretty much streaming based) to turning in earlier and reading regularly. It helped me not only “get through” but enjoy reading a number of books this summer. It was a pretty eclectic range but I wanted to share some of them with you:
The 5 Choices: The Path to Extraordinary Productivity  by Kory Kogon, Adam Merrill and Leena Rinne –  I’ve written quite a bit bout the influence of Stephen Covey’s Training on my time management and productivity almost twenty years ago. I had picked up the Covey team’s latest book before hopping on a red eye flight from Vancouver to Toronto in June. Edits for my new book, the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner, superseded reading it then, but I got to it just this last week.
For those looking for a quick, and integrated approach to time, this is a terrific resource. Their approach is grounded in Covey’s Urgent/Important Matrix, but also incorporates today’s focus on values and roles. A great read!
The Fire Starter Sessions – Danielle LaPorte – Loaded with short stories, quotes, the Fire Starter Sessions is a great book to dip into over time, with topics touching on time, money.
The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin – I continue to enjoy Gretchen Rubin’s weekly Podcast – Happier – and almost heard her voice speaking The Four Tendencies. This book takes us into the dynamic, and important, area of styles, and Gretchen’s framework around Questioners, Upholders Obligers, and Rebels. A must-read for team leaders and team members, this book will support you in thinking deeper about how you approach work, decisions and relationships, and what matters for those you work and live with! Check out what she has to say at her own blog post from 2015 here.
Build an A Team – Whitney Johnson – A terrific read for leaders and coaches and anyone who takes a strengths-based approach to work. With chapters focusing in on supporting new hires, as well as “masters” on  your team, this is a great read to get you thinking about what type of support people will benefit from, and how Johnson writes you can “support them up the learning curve”.
And on a lighter note, I also enjoyed the Agatha Christie-ish mystery – Woman in Cabin Ten. Given that this book was sitting for almost a year on my bedside table it was a relief to dip into this quick read – a solid one for anyone who likes mysteries!

What books did you enjoy reading this summer? What is sticking and transforming the way you work, and/or live?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations |  Coaching Team Leaders  
We provide team and leadership development support through coaching, consulting and training services
Author of several books including the 2018 Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner & Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) 
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations |  Coaching Team Leaders  
We provide team and leadership development support through coaching, consulting and training services
Author of Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) 
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

As a coach and author I love to read books to pass on to my readers and clients. In the last few months as I have been starting to write my new book on virtual and remote team leadership and teamwork, I’ve been reading A LOT of the more recent business titles. Today's post includes seven that I found myself enjoying and recommending regularly to leaders, teams and fellow facilitators. While not all were published this year, they did have relevance to the current leadership, and teamwork, context. Here they are:
 
Extreme Teaming – Amy Edmondson and Jean-Francois Harvey -  A wonderful follow up to Edmondson’s 2012 Teaming, this book explores teaming in its extreme forms. Think teams which have to form and disband regularly (i.e. shift teams, ER teams, some project teams). This book takes a look at core foundations and the theory behind teaming. A great read even if you are not a theorist. As a practitioner I would hazard a guess that many of the teams I work with would benefit from more of a focus on the principles identified.

The Productivity Habit – Chris Bailey. I really enjoyed reading Bailey’s book. As someone who is regularly asked to speak with teams and emerging leaders around personal productivity, this book is an excellent resource covering pertinent research and providing very practical, and tactical, activities to undertake. I appreciated how Bailey included how much time it would take to cover each chapter, and it allowed me to cover more than I might have while traveling for work recently.

The Weekend Effect – Katrina Onstad. Another book about the importance of time, and renewal. I enjoyed how Onstad also provided research and stories about the importance of taking back our weekends.

Grit – Angela Duckworth - Another valuable read around leadership in today’s uncertain context.

Scrum – Jeff Sutherland - With Agile’s leveraging of teams, I found that this was an important read for me, providing more of the framework behind this increasingly adopted, and important topic.

Deep Work – Cal Newport – Living and operating in a digitally distracted world, Deep Work is a wonderful read, and an important reminder of the need for deep work.

Radical Candor – Kim Scott - A must read for all teams who want to be able to accelerate their results. This year I would trace much of the challenges experienced by teams that I worked with back to a struggle with being able to practice candor in their communication, pointing to and speaking to difficult issues in a way that was productive, and effective.
 
What books were you influenced by this year? What did you enjoy reading?
 
 
 With best wishes,
Jennifer

It's Friday and time for another Flashback Friday. This week I'm taking us back to #Teams365 #626, a post from September 2016. Even though things continue to change dramatically in some industries, one area which I continue to see leaders struggle with it Difficult Conversations. My post from 2016 highlighted several resources which leaders will find useful in their difficult conversations. Here's what I wrote in Teams365 #626:

If I were to identify one area earmarked as a "must have more of" from leaders it is resources and practice in holding difficult conversations. Consider your work right now, what difficult conversations are needed this week? Next week?

Newer leaders, and sometimes even very seasoned leaders, are uncomfortable and not confident in raising the issues that need to be raised. For those that are looking for more resources on this topic, I would encourage you to check out:

Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Grenney, McMillian and Switzler

Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott

Thanks for the Feedback - the Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well - Douglas Stone and Shelia Heen

Difficult Conversations - How To Discuss What Matters Most - also by Doublas Stone

The Discomfort Zone - How Leaders Trun Difficult Conversations into Breakthroughs - Marcia Reynolds

******************************************************
​Whether I am working with new leaders, seasoned leaders or entire teams, it is likely that the topic of difficult conversations will be brought up, and the yearning to become more proficient in having them. 

​A couple of other resources which I also have been recommending lately are:

​Conversational Intelligence by Judith Glaser. Given my own recent professional development in this area, and appreciating the rich resource base Judith has drawn on in creating this work, I am weaving in CI-Q elements into both training and coaching initiatives for leaders and teams. Contact me for more information on how we can bring this into programs at your organization.

​I've also been reaching back to Steven Covey's Seminal work in the Seven Habits of Highly Effectivve People and a reminder of his principle of "seek first to understand and then be understood".

​What resources do you recommend around Difficult Conversations?

​Have a great weekend,
​Jennifer

rWhatA few weeks ago a foot infection had me unable to make a trip to a conference in Arizona. With a couple of extra days on my hands I found myself heading to the library for some quiet time for research and also clearing out some of the TO-Dos which had piled up over the summer.

I found myself browsing throughout the business section and walked away with five really fun reads for fall. I wanted to share these with you as I have enjoyed reading each of them:

1. The Sweet Spot - Christine Carter. An ideal book for those of us who are continually juggling hats and tasks between our professional and personal realms. Carter introduces the science behind becoming more efficient and focused on what's important.

2. The Ideal Team Player - Patrick Lencioni - Another must-read business fable by Lencioni. A great read not only for team leaders, but team members. AS you may have noted from reading our posts here at the Teams365 blog - team members play a key role in today's leadership context.

3. Unplug and Play - 50 Original Group Games by Brad Berger. As someone who is regularly facilitating group and team initiatives, it's great to pick up a book that gives you a spark for some new ideas. This is a quick read with some really good ideas/games which could be used as energizers or warm ups in retreats or even team meetings.

4. Scaling up Excellence: Getting to More without Settling for Less -Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao - Another good read focusing on innovation and how teams can get better.

5. One I picked up at the bookstore the same weekend - Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five days by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. A fascinating read and process from Google Venture Lab's experience of working with teams, projects and start-ups. For those who facilitate, lead projects, this is a must-read into an iterative process you can apply to your own business challenges!

What books do you have on your bookshelf right now? What books are you enjoying reading?

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

This week we've started our latest foundations series - this one around the Foundations of Teamwork. If you missed the Foundations of Feedback series you can check them out here, or the Foundations of Goals here.

Earlier this week in Teams365 #897 I shared with you some of the areas where teamwork and communication is important. Today's post looks at five resources you may want to share with your team around communication:

The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni - view it here on Amazon

Back Pocket Coach - 33 Strategies for communication a and life - Alexandra Ross and Dianne Brennan. View it here on amazon

Crucial Conversations - Patterson et al

Fierce Conversations - Susan Scott

Mastering Communication at Work. View it on Amazon.

What resources do you recommend?

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326