Teams365 Blog - Potentials Realized

#TEAMS365 #2085 – Weekly Round Up

9/15/2019

Happy Sunday! This week we’ve explored a number of key topics of interest to those who are both working remote and also in-person. If you haven’t read this week’s daily posts, be sure to check out:

Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt # 64 : Read it here
Friday’s Flashback Friday post around habits: read it here
Thursday’s Team Building Tip #253 - Read it here
Wednesday’s post on the remote work myth that “out of sight equals out of mind”. Read it here
Tuesday’s post of Remote Work Pitfalls. Read it here.
Monday’s post around the art of Questioning in Effective Virtual Conversations. Read it here.

Given that it’s mid-month, it’s a great opportunity to take a look at your goals for the month and see how you are coming with them. What are you tracking? What are you noticing? What do you want to focus more on?

A reminder to also check out last Monday's Effective Virtual Conversations call on more effective meetings. Check out this 20 minute video for some quick tips you can implement right away in your next team meeting.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,
Jennifer

PS - In today's #90DaysPlanDoTrack Instagram Post I included several prompts for you to consider as you do your mid-month planning - be sure to complete your week in Review and the Monthly Daily Trackers in your PlanDoTrack or Coaching Business Builder workbooks.

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
For those looking for tips, tools and ideas about remote work and support for your remote teams, be sure to check out these tags and resources.

#TEAMS365 #2078 – Weekly Round-up – Remote Work, Daily Steps, Virtual Facilitation, Why Not?

9/8/2019

As we’ve stepped back to work, this week’s focus here at the blog has started to zoom into the remote workspace. Sundays here include a weekly round-up so you can catch up on posts you might not have read during the week. Here’s what I covered this week:

Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt 66 – Why Not?
Friday’s Flashback to 7 skills for Virtual Facilitators
Thursday’s Team Building Tip – What needs to go under the microscope?
Wednesday’s post on the tagline of my PlanDoTrack publication – Daily Steps + Consistent Action = Momentum
Tuesday’s focus on Getting Organized for Fall: 4 Areas for Making Remote Work, Work
Monday’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip getting you to explore how your work has changed in the last year

I hope that it’s been a great week for you and that you are already getting back into the routine you want for this last 4 months of the year. If not, what changes do you want to make? What time could you carve out today to get more organized?

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with Season 2 of the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
For those looking for tips, tools and ideas about remote work and support for your remote teams, be sure to check out these tags and resources.

#TEAMS365 #2072 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 109

9/2/2019

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip gets you to think about the question “How much has your work changed in the last year?”. The pace of technological change continues to create interesting waves and push backs.

Think about these questions:

What platforms were you using this time last year? Five years ago? Ten years ago?
What was your work characterized by – last year, three years ago, five years ago? A decade ago?
How were you working a year ago? Three years ago? Five years ago?
What type of conversations were you having virtually? Team meetings, team development, educational etc.?
What about digital distractions? Digital minimalism?
What devices were you using a year ago? Three years ago? How has this changed how, when and where you do your work?

In the last year, we have had great writing released including Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism which explores the experience of those who detox digitally.
The last year has also seen a huge wave of the audio-book, the podcast and other audio devices, thanks to the present nature of Apple Car Play, Alexis, and Google Home Minis.

It’s also likely that your work may have become either more global or focused in nature, depending on the industry you are in, and the geographic location you reside in. Technology thankfully is reducing barriers.

What do you note about how your work and ways of working have changed in the last year?

What additional changes do you want to embrace?

What do you want to change?

Best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

#TEAMS365 #2060 - Teamwork Foundations – Questions to Consider When Seeking Out a Mentor

8/21/2019

Mentoring is a very popular modality for development. It no longer is considered a one-way conversation with the senior person sharing all the knowledge. In fact, “reverse mentoring” has really taken root, with the more senior person often benefiting as much from the conversation as the more junior person.

In today’s post I wanted to share several questions to consider if you are seeking out a mentor yourself. These can help to gain clarity in terms of what you are looking for, and help you focus the conversations you are going to have.

Mentors serve a variety of roles in today’s workplace, including being able to share insights about the practicalities of business/industry based on their experience. They may also be able to shed light on “how things are really done”, giving you insights you might not normally hear about through other channels.
Just like any other business relationship, supervision or coaching, the mentoring partnership is dependent on a good match and fit. Take some time as you go to seek out a mentor to make sure they are going to be your best fit.
Questions to consider when seeking out a mentor

What is important for me to learn?
Where do I want to grow?
What am I looking for in a mentor?
What are the skills and experiences I hope the mentor will bring?
What can I bring to the mentoring relationship?
What time am I earmarking for this?
What are my goals?
What topics do I want to explore?
When/if things get tough, I will…

As you look to your responses to these questions, what do you notice?

Enjoy the conversations,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

#TEAMS365 #2050 – Weekly Roundup

8/11/2019

This week we’ve taken a look at virtual team culture, stretch, accountability, minimizing distractions. These all seem to be key themes for teams today.
If you missed any of the posts this week, be sure to check them out:
2049 – Saturday August 10 - Weekly Journaling Prompt 62
2048 – Friday August 9 - Flashback Friday: Articulating your virtual team culture
2047 – Thursday August 8 – Team Building Tip 248
2046 – Wednesday August 7 - Teamwork Fundamentals: Minimizing Distractions
2045 – Tuesday August 6 - Remote Teamwork Fundamentals: Five Things to Keep in Mind
2044 – Monday August 5 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #105: Accountability in Focus

What’s going to help you this month as a remote team?

If you aren’t in a remote team, what can you translate to your context?

Enjoy your weekend!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

#TEAMS365 #2043 – Weekly Roundup

8/4/2019

It’s been a full week! Every Sunday I do a quick weekly round up so you can catch up on posts you might have missed.

Here are the posts from this week you will want to check out:

Saturday – Weekly Journaling Prompt about downshifting
Friday – Flashback Friday of 7 Key Challenges for New Leaders. Read it here.
Thursday’s overview of where we are going this month in our focus of a return to the basics. Read it here.
Wednesday’s Monthly Review and Planning for August. Read it here.
Tuesday’s post on Focus in the Hot Days of Summer. Read it here.
Monday’s Effective Virtual Conversation Tip around Building and Eroding Trust in the Virtual Space. Rea d it here.

Enjoy your reading!

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.

#TEAMS365 #2033 - Team Building Tip 246

7/25/2019

This week’s Team Building Tip gets you to consider the question “Where would it be useful to sprint?”. Many current business and team practices are experimenting with more rapid iterations and cycles, where things that used to be allocated weeks, are now being allocated hours.

What are the things that would benefit from a sprint in shorter cycles?

Over the last three years I have been experimenting with using sprints and hacks in a couple of program formats including program design and some business planning. While the initial sprint may not lead to the full-blown end product, it often leads to some new, quicker ideas being ready for testing and launch. With today’s business cycle being quicker and faster, getting programs out faster can be of benefit.

What are the areas you and your team might find it useful to sprint?

Best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

#TEAMS365 #2029 Weekly Roundup

7/21/2019

This week we’ve been focusing on the topic of simplification. A quick reminder of the posts from this week’s dally series:

Monday July 15th - Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 102: Keeping It Simple (Tips for keeping virtual conversations simple)
Tuesday July 16 - Simplification
Wednesday July 17 - Digital Detox
Thursday July 18 - Team Building Tip 245
Friday July 19th - Flashback Friday – Leadership Practice – Feedback
Saturday July 20th - Weekly Journaling Prompt on Appreciation

I hope that you will take a few minutes today to review the past posts and look at what is of interest, and relevance for you.

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

#TEAMS365 #2025 - Digital Detox

7/17/2019

As a business owner I am regularly thinking about systems and processes for the business. In structuring the way I work here at Potentials Realized, I’ve been intentional since the start of the business to earmark the summer months for extended periods of work in my remote northern office. Early on in the business this included a series of short long weekends, and now fifteen years later includes a five to six week block of time. I have found that as the pace of business has increased, these blocks of time have become even more important for focus and recharging.

The nice thing about working remote this that it also provides more of an opportunity to undertake some “digital detox”. This involves:

Shorter, and more focused, periods of being online (helped by a much slower connection speed!)
Changing my work schedule so that I check emails at the start of the day and towards the end of a regular workday
Letting people know that for a certain period of the year, I am working even more remote and won’t be as available (this is key for managing expectations)

While some readers might think – I couldn’t do that – I have come to realize that “I simply CANNOT not do this!”. It’s critical for my own productivity and also satisfaction with my work.

What’s going to help you detox digitally?

For more great resources on this do check out Cal Newport’s Digital Minimalism Book. It’s a great read.

Wishing you the best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

#TEAMS365 #2015 - Weekly Round Up

7/7/2019

It’s Sunday, and part of simplifying this summer means that I am pointing back to weekly posts on Friday. Whether it’s here at the Teams365 blog, or at my other feeds including PlanDoTrack.com, this month I will be doing a weekly round-up of posts.

Be sure to check out the following from this week:

Last Sunday June 30 – Month End Reflection and Quarterly Planning Questions.
Monday July 1st – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #100 – Celebrating a Milestone
Tuesday July 2nd – A kick off to July, highlight our themes this month
Wednesday July 3rd – Simplification in Business
Thursday July 4th – Team Building Tip 243
Friday July 5th - FlashBack Friday: Developing Your Team Through Mentoring, Coaching and Leadership
Saturday July 6th – Weekly Journaling Prompt: The One Thing I Want To Complete By Year End

Wishing you the best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.