This week brings us to Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #135. In remote meetings it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. One of the ruts we may find ourselves in is always meeting at the same time. If we are all in similar time zones that’s ok, but if we are in the space of remote work, it’s possible that one or a handful of the team is ALWAYS meeting at a time which is not convenient.

Today’s prompt gets you thinking about ROTATING things – whether it’s time, meeting location, or focus so that it’s more equitable.

Consider who might be getting shortchanged with your meetings or learning.
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Enjoy!
Jennifer

This week’s Team Building Tip reminds you that small changes add up. It’s often the incremental changes which are cumulative over time. What are the changes you have been making as a team over this last six months? Year? How are they adding up?

One of the things that happens with incremental change is that we don’t see it when the shifts are small. This is where taking time to pause so you can note the changes becomes important.

When our teams are small, or when we are a solopreneur, or working remote, it can be very important to explore how these small changes add up. Unlike instances where we may have a huge amount of resources, being able to see the impact of the small shifts we are able to make is key to motivation.

What type of change is important for you right now? Here’s an interesting blog post from the Green Book Blog to explore the distinctions between incremental change and disruptive change. 

What’s important for you as a team to explore?

A reminder that I will be hosting the month end review session for January tomorrow, Friday January 31st, from 3- 4 pm ET. During this time, you’ll have the opportunity to pause and take stock of your January accomplishments, while doing some planning for the month of February. You can learn more about this program and register here. Cost $49 US.

Best wishes, 
​Jennifer

Around this time of year people start abandoning their new years resolutions in volume! Just as in any change process, building new habits not only takes time, but it also takes energy. Change can be difficult.
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Throughout the change process, there’s also a place we can find ourselves as the “glow of the new year or honeymoon” wears off. It’s often referred to as THE DIP and I reference this in a couple of my books. We’ve also just covered this topic in the 60 Day Coaching Business Builder Accelerator program, a course I launched on January 1st. Part on demand, part live, it’s been interesting to see the momentum which gets created when we focus on taking action around our key goals and actions for an extended time. A new group will be starting up the first day of every quarter during 2020 so if you are a coach, or simply want ongoing support around some of your key goals as a business owner, leader or team member, consider joining us. More info here.

I thought it would be interesting to reach back to Teams365 #765 which focused on the topic of THE DIP, particularly as it relates to mentoring conversations, where we may be intentionally focusing on supporting someone’s development. This post will likely be of interest if you’ve found yourself abandoning new years resolutions or other things you wanted to change. Perhaps reflecting on the questions included towards the end of the post will spur you on to re-frame and refocus on your goals!

Here’s what I wrote in THE DIP:

“The first decade plus of my career was spent primarily working for Canadian and British humanitarian organizations and the United Nations. It was typical that mentoring was a key part of our team's development, as well as our own leadership development. Whether involved in passing on our skills to other staff happened formally or informally it was part of everyday work, given that you might only be in a role for six months or three years.

Today, I continue to see how mentoring is transforming organizations. In the last twelve years I've been able to support organizations in financial services, insurance, health care and safety create, and launch their own mentoring programs. It changes conversations, it changes leadership and it changes the culture!

What we often don't talk about in mentoring is the "DIP". Just as in any change process, such as cross-cultural integration when you move locations for work, or change through a coaching process, it's typical to start off with great gusto in what's commonly known as the "honeymoon" phase. At this point, mentor and protege are raring to go - they can't wait to get started and into dialogue with each other. Goals are clear as is usually the way forward.

As the meetings progress, some partnerships find an ever-evolving spiral of conversation and goal touchpoints, whereas others drop down into the “dip”. The “dip” is a place which sometimes feels like you are spinning your wheels, or not getting traction. Proteges and mentors may feel like mentoring is a waste of time.

In fact, the “dip” is natural! It's part of the change process. What you can see in today's photo is a sketch of the cycle of adaptation. It's actually from a recent conversation I had with a leader who was going to work globally and wanted to think about what to expect. I've seen the “dip” throughout my own international assignments, and I've seen it mirrored not in the hundreds, but over more than two decades of work in the intercultural sector, mirrored in the thousands.

The “dip” can, and does, happen in the mentoring process. What to do if you see it? Here are a few things to consider:
Revisit the goals of the protege?
What have they accomplished?
What do they want to aim for next?
Where might they need recharging?
What will "shake" things up a bit?

Tomorrow, we're moving on to look at five activities you might want to weave into your mentoring conversations. Some, or all of, these five could be a great addition to "shaking things up".

You might have noticed there were several other places where we can see the “dip” - in coaching, global assignments, and any change process. Where have you experienced the “dip”? What did you do?”
 
I hope that you will take some time to focus in on these questions and will revisit your most important goals (even if you recently put the journey towards them on hold!).

Enjoy,
Jennifer
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This week I came across a note I had made myself late last year and never got posted. Having worked to support team leaders for a number of years, I often get asked, “what are some of the key conversations they are having with their teams right now”? Here are five areas team leaders today may be in conversation around:

#1 - Focus - With so much occurring in the workplace today – flavors of the month, shiny red objects, interruptions, course changes, external events, etc…helping our team members focus on what is important RIGHT NOW, today, can be an important message to keep reinforcing. Helping team members with prioritization skills and being able to continue to focus on what’s important without adding to the interruptions and divergence is also key. If you are operating in a team context, the impact of one team member slipping may have a domino effect. What are the things that are going to help with focus?

#2 - Connection - What are the things you can do to help people feel connected? Connected to others in the team? Connected to the resources they need? The information they need? What is important about this topic right now for the team?

#3 - Disruption and Change - Disruption and change is becoming more commonplace across industries. Global events can have local impact. Disruption in a related industry can have a trickle effect. What are you doing to help people understand how they react to change, and also build capability in the areas of strategic thinking and/or contingency planning? Having worked for many decades in the areas of strategic planning, critical thinking and contingency planning, I often take it for granted that people are using these tools. What’s important to explore and have conversation with your team?

#4 - Building Trust - As Stephen Covey wrote - and I paraphrase – “Trust is the currency of business”. What are you doing to build trust, and erode trust? In today’s fast, and sometimes remote, business context, we may only see people in “small windows” of time.  Comments, and reactions, may get magnified. Certain activities or patterns of behaviors might be perceived as the norm. What are you doing to build trust, particularly in terms of creating an environment where people can be heard, and listened to? Where follow through is modeled? Where communication fits the needs of the team? What behaviors are visible?

#5 – What can people on the team do to be able to do their best work? Finally, we know from strengths-based research that when people are able to do their best work and use their strengths, there’s greater productivity, engagement and quality of life. Check out Gallup’s Strengths Center for the latest research on this.

Asking the team what they can do to do their best work, as often as possible can be a great conversation. It may also open up a debate point of “Why can’t I do this all the time?”. While we may not be able to use strengths EVERY DAY and EVERY HOUR on every PROJECT, what can we do to magnify or expand this?
Enjoy the conversations and let us know what you are exploring in your team. 

Best,
​Jennifer

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
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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 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

Today’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets you to think about the question – “The comfort zone I have stretched this year is….”

Learning, change and growth usually happen within or just outside the comfort zone. What are the things you have done to grow? Change? Stretch? What benefit have they had?

Enjoy your journaling this weekend and be sure to catch up on past posts.

If you want another way to look at these, check out the Quarterly Volumes of the Weekly Journaling Prompts available in a quarterly format at our store.

All the best,
​Jennifer

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip is #103 in the series and gets you to consider the question “What’s getting outdated and needs an update?”. In the realm of technology things are regularly getting updated - from devices, to software, to systems.

In your work, and office right now, what could benefit from an update? What is looking a little frayed or worn?

Also consider what you need to archive and/or back up.

Updating items could include:

• Devices
• Cords
• Back-ups
• Presentation Materials (i.e. slide decks, workbooks)
• The platform you are using
• The way you archive materials
• Welcome emails/typical emails sent to people

What might benefit from an update?

Enjoy the reflection and action,
Jennifer

This week’s theme is emerging to be “simplification”. In yesterday’s post I shared several strategies to simplify your virtual conversations.

Simplification is also a useful strategy in a context where disruption, change and distraction is prevalent. The cost of these things on productivity, and cognitive load is high.
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Simplification in work can look like  a number of things. Consider the work of Jane a project manager.  To her simplification might include:

• Dedicating blocks of the day (i.e. the first few hours of each day or all day Tuesday) to certain projects and/or tasks
• Delegating tasks that are not essential during critical phases of the project
• Creating a series of templates for reporting and/or tasks which need reporting regularly
• Batching other “unlike” tasks to certain times of the day when she can move quickly from task to task, without feeling like it is getting in the way of deeper work

Other team members might include these items on their list of simplification:

• Unsubscribing from lists that are not of interest anymore
• Dedicating certain blocks of time to social media
• Dedicating a certain day of the week to a focus on certain tasks – i.e. professional development or networking

During times of change, consistency also plays an important role. This can include consistency of message, consistency of touchpoints, and consistency of focus.

Consistency of message can include reinforcing key messages in several channels - so sharing something in a team meeting, then following up a day or two later with an email, and also reinforcing in a 1-1 conversation.

Consistency of touchpoints can involve letting people know that each month you’ll be scheduling a 1-1 with them for 30 minutes. This can help to get people into the regular routine of meeting and noting their key issues of discussion.
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Consistency of focus is not always easy to achieve. This might involve helping the team focus in on certain key tasks, while minimizing others until the bigger projects are completed. It could also involve dedicating certain team members to certain projects, and having other team members focus on a different, unrelated task.
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What are that things you can do to create more simplification and consistency in your work?

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

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, it 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 (link to tag of 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. Link to: (not a live link yet)
 
Teams365 #1968: Teamwork in Uncertainty: Pivot 
 
Teams365 #1969: Teamwork in Uncertainty: Comfort with the Unknown: link here

Enjoy the conversation,
Jennifer

You may also want to check out the following blog posts as well: