Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

#teams365 #3045 Questions to Get the Mentoring Conversation Going

5/5/2022

One of the areas many readers enjoy is the questions provided in Reconnecting Workspaces, which they can apply to their own work.

I thought I would zoom us into page 289 of the book today which includes 6 questions you might want to use to get you mentoring conversations going:

What do you want to focus on today? What’s going to be a good outcome fro our call?
What have been your biggest successes as a team leader/professional?
What were the ingredients that have shaped your success? What has gotten in the way?
What have been the most important moved you have made in your career?
What resources do you recommend I tap into?
What’s the most important piece of advice you would have for new team leaders?
I hope that these questions may spark some new conversations for you. Enjoy!

With 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

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 #3029 What Coaching Is, What Coahing Is Not.. Flashback to Teams365 #191

4/29/2022

I’m reaching back to a blog post from 2014 which dove into how to define coaching. I think it’s as appropriate and important to revisit today as it was years ago. Let’s take a look at what I wrote:
l sorts of behaviors get “labelled” coaching in today’s business environment. I often hear a wide range of descriptors when I deliver coaching skills training with leaders - new, seasoned, and emerging leaders.

After leading dozens of coaching skills training over the years one of my favorite coaching descriptions comes from a former SME , Doug McLaren, who I co-faciltiated with for years. As he said, Co-Facilitation is a “Conversation with Intent”. You can find more about what I write about coaching for leaders in chapter 10 of in my latest book From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching.

Whether you are a leader coaching their team, and internal coach “professionally coaching “ others, or an external coach working with a team:

What coaching is…..

A conversation with intent

Focused on the present and geared towards the future

Focused on performance and relationships

Grounded in awareness, goals and action

Elicits what the person being coached knows

What coaching is not….

Simply a conversation with no direction

Focused on the past

Navel gazing

Telling others what to do

Mentoring, Advising, Consulting

In fact, the International Coach Federation identifies competencies for coaching, in which all coaching models should be grounded. These range from ethics, to designing the coaching agreement, to listening, goal setting and planning, designing actions, and creating awareness. Personally, I use these in all training of coaches I undertake - leaders, as well as the thousands of coaches I have supported in the last fifteen years as they develop their own group and team coaching work.

How do you define what coaching is? What coaching is not? Why is this important in your work?
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

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 #3034: Week in Review

4/24/2022

This past week we explored a range of blog posts around coaching and mentoring in today’s hybrid and remote space.

Let’s take a look at where we were:
Saturday April 23 – Weekly Journaling Prompt – Where do you want to grow?
Friday April 22nd – Four Foundations of Coaching – a flashback to Teams365 #777
Thursday April 21st – Reconnecting Workspaces myth around Coaching and Mentoring
Wednesday April 20 th – Principles around Coaching and Mentoring
Tuesday April 19th – Reconnecting Workspaces Tip around Mentoring and Coaching
Monday April 18th – An introduction into Chapter 15 of the Reconnecting Workspaces focus on Coaching and Mentoring

What important conversations did you have this week? What else is important to note?

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

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 #3032: Four Foundations of the Coaching Process

4/22/2022

This week we are looking back to four foundations of the coaching process – Teams365 #777. Let’s take a look at what I shared years ago on what coaching is:

Many different activities get labelled coaching in today’ environment. Today’s post shares four foundations of the coaching approach. Whether we are coaching others as leaders, or work a an external or internal coach, these four foundations ground the variety of approaches which fall in the category of coaching.

1. Accountability – accountability is at the core of any coaching process. Coaching is not just about having a conversation, it is about taking action. Coaching is an approach where the person being coached is responsible for taking action. Accountability in coaching does not mean telling someone what to do. If the person being coached does not want to be in the drivers seat than coaching as a modality is probably not the right fit or solution for that conversation.

2. Goals – Coaching is about getting results. Each coaching conversation will focus on a goal – articulated or not. Perhaps someone wants to become a better public speaker or more effective at managing their range of emotions at work. In coaching, It can be good practice to start the conversation by asking what the goals are for the coaching conversation. You’ll want to also connect these goals with the goals in the bigger picture. Finally, best practice is to wrap up by asking how did we do on our goals today.

3. Coaching is not about fixing. There often is a misperception that coaching is to “fix people’ or a remedial approach. In fact, the coaching philosophy is grounded in the ability of each person being coached as being resourceful (able to effect change), and creative (able to come up with their own solutions). The role of the coach is to help the person being coached discover these answers or connect with others who can help them do that. Most coaching models are grounded in an appreciative standpoint.

4. Coaching is not a one off conversation. Coaching is not about a one-off conversation. If supports a process of change which takes placer over time. The ability for the coach (internal, eternal or leader ) to circle back and check in is critical.

While there can be many different models of coaching, and different contests (i.e. individual coaching, team coaching, group coaching) most all are rounded in these coaching philosophies. If not, what is probably being labelled coaching, might not be. For more information check out the International Coach Federation, the global body governing professional coaching. You can find them at www.coachfederation.org.

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

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 #3031 Reconnecting Workspaces Myth Around Coaching and Mentoring

4/21/2022

Remote work obliterated some of the myths of leadership and development. One area it explored is that of coaching.

Many people feel that coaching is just about getting things done quickly. As I wrote in Reconnecting Workspaces, a myth in the remote space is that,
“Coaching is just about the results and action. In fact, coaching occurs over the dual axis of
Awareness and Action. It can be as important to enhance our awareness about our biases,
strengths, assumptions and beliefs, and mindsets, as it is around taking consistent action.” (Chapter 15, Reconnecting Workspaces, © Jennifer Britton, 2021.

As I shared in yesterday’s post, professional development, learning and change occur over time. It’s unlikely that things are going to change right away. It takes time to learn, and then apply, and learn from that, then change. What do you notice about your learning cycle, and how long it takes to put learning into action?

Enjoy the conversation and focus!

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

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 #3029 Reconnecting the Workspace Tip

4/19/2022

Supporting others to do their best work in the virtual, remote, and hybrid workspace is an integral part of keeping organizations moving. Professionals at all levels of an organization can benefit from enhanced coaching skills in goal setting, questioning, listening, and accountability. What type of support will work best for you—coaching or mentoring?

What are the conversations you want to initiate? What can you do to connect team members with their vision, values, beliefs, and assumptions? How can the iceberg model support you to do your best work?

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

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 #3028 Quote

4/19/2022

Welcome back to a focus on Chapter 15 of Reconnecting Workspaces which focuses on Coaching and Mentoring. Conversations are a critical piece in today’s workspace to support teams and individuals in doing their best work. What type of development opportunities exist in your organization.

As Plutarch indicated millennia ago,
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”

What opportunities exist in your organization to foster the growth of others

Chapter 15 explores both coaching and mentoring, which in some organizations are seen as the same thing. As someone who provides both coaching and mentoring support for organizations through train-the-trainer initiatives as well as direct service provision, it’s important to note the difference.

Coaching is a conversational modality geared to support others to achieve their best work. It’s about supporting others to identify the options available in achieving their most important work. Coaching can be invaluable in terms of providing an opportunity to have a pause in looking at what’s most important.

Mentoring is also important in today’s workspace as it provides the opportunity for a more seasoned person to share their wisdom. This could include providing insights around how things work in an organization, or technical know-how. Mentors usually share their experience with others.
Mentoring is a low-cost opportunity to cultivate relationships and insights in an organization.

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

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 #2423 – Stand Out Virtually with PERC

8/18/2020

As part of Day 1 of the Stand Out Virtually Challenge I am hosting this week, I covered 4 essential ingredients for any virtual call. Whether you are leading a webinar, group coaching session, virtual team meeting or presentation, we all can benefit from incorporating these four elements into our virtual and remote presentations:

P – Process - Process is key in the remote space. What’s the end result? What’s the sequence from one area to another? What is the call to action?

E – Engagement - What are the elements of engagement you want to incorporate?

R – Results - What are the results you are aiming for? What are the 2-3 bullet points you want people to leave with?

C – Connection - What are you doing to connect people to the material? To the context? To each other? To yourself?

Catch up on the recording from day 1 (it’s available until early afternoon today – Eastern/New York/Toronto). Can’t make the calls but want to benefit from the content? Purchase the recordings for the week for $47 US. You can sign up at here.

Wishing you all the best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time™ in the Remote Space
Contact us to discuss leadership, coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

TEAMS365 #2369 – Team Building Tip 251: What could increase your range?

6/25/2020

This week’s Team Building Question asks you to consider “What could increase your range”? Individually? Collectively as a team?

Our range usually is the distance between the start and end of your comfort zone. Consider how this may have shifted in recent months. What in your comfort zone has shifted?

Our range is important as individuals as it allows us to continue reaching and growing.

Our range as a team is often the exponential amount of our capabilities and our collective comfort zone. This is important as it can help us as a team to continue stretching, growing, and also innovating.

What are the activities which could increase your range? Consider things like:

Job Shadowing – Seeing others in action (virtually or in-person) so you can learn about how they do things, how they approach tasks you are not familiar with
Mentoring – Working with someone more seasoned who can provide insights around HOW to do things
Learning – Taking formal or informal courses
Coaching – Working with a coach to explore alternative perspectives and ways of doing things, your mindset and/or belief systems. Contact me to set up a sample coaching conversation.

Enjoy your conversations and action!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time™ in the Remote Space
Contact us to discuss leadership, coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out our Digital Resources to support you in your work and conversations

TEAMS365 #2338 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 146

5/25/2020

Over the last few months, we’ve had a tsunami of professionals joining us in the virtual and remote space. One thing that most have become aware of is that virtual conversations are not uniform across the virtual and remote space. In fact, in my 2017 book, Effective Virtual Conversations, I share 9 different types of virtual conversations which vary across both level of formality and peer versus individual learning approaches.

In EVC, I differentiate between these nine different types of virtual conversations across the ecosystem:

Mentoring
Coaching
Peer Learning
Team Development
Goal Setting
Video Based Learning
Education – Webinars, Webcasts, Formal Learning, MOOCs
Meetings
E-Learning

What are the different types of virtual conversations you are engaging in? Are they synchronous – real time – or asynchronous – when the conversations take place at different times?

Chapter 4 of Effective Virtual Conversations dives more deeply into the different types of virtual conversations which exist.

Regardless of the type of conversation we are having, many of the same skills and practices underpin all of these. Last week I delivered a national webinar series for the Institute for Performance Learning and covered the 8 skill sets that underpin virtual conversations including:

Creating the Context
Communication
Process
Tools
Group Development
Ourselves as Facilitators
Technical
Design

(Copyright – 2017, Jennifer Britton, page 71)

What are the skills which are important for you to develop further to enhance your conversations?

For more on these skills, check out the Daily Reading Series I hosted during April and May of this year covering off chapters 1-3 of the book. You can listen in here at the Effective Virtual Conversations Blog.

Enjoy!
Jennifer

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

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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.

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