Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

TEAMS365 #2315 –Weekly Journaling Prompt #97 – Systems Check

5/2/2020

As a coach who works with entrepreneurs (Remotepreneurs) and remote teams, I spend a lot of time in dialogue around systems. As I write in PlanDoTrack, systems create consistency which is so critical in the remote space. Systems also allow us to scale which is so important in the remote space as well.

This week’s blog post is a systems check. It gets you to think about the systems you have in place, as well as which ones you might want to, or need to develop.

Consider these different areas:

Recruitment
Financial
Sales
Marketing
Client support
Communication
Reporting

What else?

Enjoy your reflection!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

Get your Q2 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, or join me for the Virtual Facilitation Essentials program

Contact us to discuss how we can support you and your teams and organization with remote work.

Check out upcoming virtual programs on our calendar

PDF copies of PlanDoTrack now available! Get yours here.

TEAMS365 #2257 – Team Building Tip 277: DIgital Detox

3/5/2020

Given my work in the virtual learning space, and with remote work in general, a term that I’ve been using for years is the notion of the digital detox. While many LOVE being online 24/7 for personal reasons, being on round the clock for work reasons may be another opportunity.

In recent years the notion of undertaking a digital detox has become popular. This may involve limiting time online to certain hours of the day, going offline for chunks of time, or totally going offgrid.

A great book on this topic is Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport.

Personally, I have two months of the year - usually July and August (plus select weekends between April and SeptmebeR) when I have windows of digital detox (small windows at that). When I work from up north at my cottage I make intentional scheduling choices to block most of my web based work two or three days of the week, leaving several days with the option of being on. Given cell service (thank you Canadian Shield) I usually can't be reached by cell and most people don't have the cottage number.

From a business perspective, I need to put a number of things in place to allow the business to keep humming, but I have to say I look forward to the creative spurts that usually happen throughout these summer months. I'll be stepping into year 16 of my summer routine in a few months and am looking forward to tackling many of my 20 for 20 list, and just "being" for a few days at a time.

This likely doesn't sound as extravagant as longer periods of time, and as I always say in my work, it's not the quantity, it's the quality.

What could digital detox look like for you?

Enjoy your Thursday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

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.
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

TEAMS365 #2248 – Working From Home: When You Have To

2/25/2020

This year has already had a number of factors which have made working from home a necessity rather than a perk. Whether it’s been weather or health related, some people aren’t quite set up for a great working from home set up. Today’s post gets you thinking about what’s going to help you keep your work flowing, even if you have to work from home.

Consider these items:

Remote (or direct) access to the key files and information that you need. Do you know how to get into the files you need to keep working? Are they accessible?
A way to keep meetings running: Zoom may be a great option to set up for your team.
A way to keep project work meeting: Co-working is also easy when you are able to set up conversations with team members on zoom. What are the conversations you want to build in on a daily or weekly basis?
A secure and solid connection.
Passwords and access codes
A dedicated work space as free from interruptions as you can have.

What are the things you need access to right away to keep your work flowing?

For more on remote work, please check out the remote work tag.

My 2017 book, Effective Virtual Conversations, explores many of these topics as well. Pick up a copy at Amazon.

Later this month I'll be releasing a new White Paper on Remote Work - Getting Up to Speed in a Hurry. Sign up to receive a copy. It will be send when it is available - likely March 1st.

All the best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

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.
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

TEAMS365 #2243 – Team Building Tip 275: Remote Work Enabler: Boundaries

2/20/2020

This week’s Team Building Tip gets you thinking about our second remote work enabler. You can find the first remote work enabler here.

The second remote work enabler is to create boundaries. Boundaries are key in the remote space in order to focus.

What is key is being efficient in managing boundaries, especially if you are part of a matrix team and/or working across many sites. There can also be a challenge of ensuring that there is a good balance or integration of your work and life, especially when you collaborate and work with others in different time zones. This balance may look different that what a 9-5 job could look like, perhaps having you start work at 5 and run to 3 with breaks in between to get to the gym, or for a swim (as I do!).

What are the things that help you focus in your work as a remote worker? What boundaries might you need to integrate into your work?

Best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

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.
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

#TEAMS365 #2095 – Remote Working Success Factor: What You Need

9/25/2019

Getting organized and set up with the space and processes you require to work at peak performance is critical for those new to the remote space. It’s tempting to say “I’ll deal with it later”, and it’s likely that later may never arrive. Build in time at the start of your remote work to put into place these items at your new, dedicated work space:

A place with good lighting, privacy and space to work

A place to close the door and have private conversations
Place to secure files – physically and digitally
Cloud based storage for when you need it
Contact list you can access
Back up - where are you saving your files?
Super strong internet
Clear boundaries with loved ones and family about when and when you are not available. What are your working hours? Break times? Just because you are home it does not mean that you can walk the dog, take out the garbage, cook dinner etc. Developing a series of “go-to” phrases for when neighbors ask you to do things that will distract you from your focus can be useful.

What else do you think you will require to help you be at your best in the remote space?

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.
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 #2094 – Remote Working Myth: I Can Work Around the Clock

9/24/2019

As we consider this month’s focus around remote work, we get to explore another myth of remote work. One of the fallacies of remote work is thinking that “I can be on all the time”. As a remote worker it can be very important to set boundaries around when you, and others on the team, are available. While days with long hours of work may be a “one off”, they should not become the norm. It’s important to remember that remote workers are typically governed by the work context in which they reside, where different employment standards may exist.

Several organizations I have worked for as a former remote director and leader established core working hours. These were hours that everyone across the organization had to make themselves available for.

Questions to consider:

What are the hours of work everyone should be available for – even a few days a week?
What boundaries are important for team members to consider?
What are the elements which are important to note?
What will help people on the team renew?
What will support that sharing of information “around the clock”?

Best wishes,
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.
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 #2042 – Weekly Journaling Prompt 61

8/3/2019

This week’s weekly journaling prompt invites you to take a little bit longer this week to pause. This week’s prompt gets you to complete the following sentence “I can downshift _____ in order to ______”.

Many of us still have one more month before what’s often termed the “second new year “the start of the September work month.

What is important about renewal for you right now?

What might you need to let go of, or do less frequently, or in a different way, in order to create space?

What’s important to downshift? To simplify?

With speed and distraction framing the work world (if we choose!), I wanted to share this quote:

“In an age of speed, I began to think, nothing could be more invigorating than going slow. In an age of distraction, nothing can feel more luxurious than paying attention.” — Pico Iyer

What do you want to downshift?

Enjoy your reflection!
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 #2021 Weekly Journaling Prompt 58

7/13/2019

It’s Saturday which means that it’s time for another Weekly Journaling Prompt. This week’s post gets you to consider the question “One thing I want to let go of is…”.

This is part of a weekly series. Take a look at past posts here.

Enjoy the reflection!
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 #2005: Team Building Tip 242

6/27/2019

This week’s Team Building Tip is all about asking the question “What could you jettison so you move forward”?

Jettison may not be a term you are familiar with, but it refers to tossing something overboard to lighten your load.

We are often in the habit of saying YES to so much that we become overburdened. What is the one thing you need to let go of this season?

Success in business today doesn’t always mean doing more. Many times it means doing less. In approaching this week’s Team Building Tip, some other questions you will want to explore are:

What is the one thing which if you tossed, would lighten your load (metaphorically, of course)?
Is there a course of action you have been taking which needs to be completed? Wrapped up? Refocused?

Best wishes,
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.