With an increasing number of professionals leveraging the power of virtual conversations and meetings, I thought it would be a good idea to include a post this month focusing on five ways you’ll want to jazz up your virtual conversations. Still too often virtual calls are plagued by poor connection, multi-tasking, being “talked at” rather than being engaged in discussion. It’s what I call the Death by Conference call mindset in my 2017 book, Effective Virtual Conversations.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at 5 ways to break the habits of bad conversations:

1. Get everyone on the same platform – We’ve all been there. Too often. In a call where some people are in a room together (physically) with a few outliers who are in the virtual space. The boomerang connection does not mix. Can we either:
   1. Bring everyone onto the same platform by moving the conversation completely into the remote space where everyone has their own window.
   2. Use a technology which will give a clear, 360 view of the room. I just heard about OWL Labs technology and WOW – what a game changer! (And no, this is not a paid endorsement for them.)
2. Get people co-designing and co-creating together – using annotation. Given the fact that we are often “Alone with our thoughts” many days, and don’t have the collaborative stimulation of a lunchroom or water cooler, would it be possible to dedicate some time for the group/team to create some learning together. Perhaps it’s doing some visual brainstorming work, or having people identify what they want to explore together. Use annotation throughout your calls and get people to see how co-creating visually may be of benefit beyond your calls. 
3. Use breakouts – Most remote workers are hungry for connection, and to be heard, given the isolated nature of work. What can you do to connect group members with each other for deeper levels of dialogue? Incorporating the use of breakouts, where people can be paired with one or two others for a few minutes to discuss a question or topic of interest, can leave a memorable impression. Check out this 2017 call I did on Breakouts. 
4. Make sure it’s the right type of meeting for the conversation. Also be discerning with whether a large group meeting is the right type of conversation. Does everyone need to be there? Could you connect people in different ways?
5. Signal it will be different – and make sure it will! Most important, be sure to grab people’s attention at the start of the call. What can you do to signal from the start that it’s NOT going to be Death By Conference call? You may be amazed at how quickly you develop a reputation for a MEH call, or an engaging call.

What type of environment do you want to create? What is important for you to note?

Best, 
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.

Here we are again at the end of another week. This week’s focus has been on FOCUS and starting to consider year-end activities. If you didn’t catch all the blog posts this week, here’s a chance to catch up.

Take a look back at the following blog posts:

• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt around “I want to let go of….”
• Friday’s Flashback on Planning a Virtual Co-working Session (Teams365 1733)
• Thursday’s Team Building Tip with questions to consider around results.
• Wednesday’s Focus on planning and scheduling the last one-on-ones of the year
• Tuesday’s Focus on Creating FOCUS in the Last Mile of the Year
• Monday’s focus on Effective Virtual Conversations Tip: Skill of Design in the Virtual Space (part 3)

Enjoy your review!
​
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. ​

Very shortly I will be leading a new podcast entitled the Remote Pathways Podcast™ with my co-host Michelle Mullins. As many of you know from my writing here, I’m passionate about remote work in all it’s shapes and forms.

Earlier this year, in July, I completed a new writing project I have entitled “Remote Pathways” I’ve alluded to it in several posts already. It is somewhat modelled after a “choose your own adventure”, exploring the different remote and virtual professional pathways we can find ourselves working within.

From leaders who manage teams which work remote most of the month, to project teams which span the globe, from remotepreneurs leading virtual businesses, remote work is on the rise.

We’ll be following many of these trends and taking a deeper dive into the adventures of the Digital Dozen™, twelve different types of remote professionals. I hope that you’ll join us and will follow along at the new website – link to RemotePathways.com.

With so many professionals jumping into the remote workspace, I am hoping that the years of writing on remote work, and virtual teams here at the Teams365 blog will be of service.

With that in mind, I wanted to highlight an earlier blog post  - Teams365 #1729: Plan a Virtual Co-working Session

​As we move into fall, it can be very useful for teams to continue to put attention around getting things done WHILE connecting. A favorite activity I continue to facilitate is GET IT DONE afternoons, which really become Virtual Co-Working Sessions. They are a derivative of the virtual retreats I have been offering for teams, business owners and leaders since 2007. 
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Virtual co-working sessions may range from one-hour sprints, to four-hour blocks, to full day sessions.

Three considerations to making a virtual co-working session work include the following:
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1. A platform where you can all meet, see each other and converse for periods of time.

• Streaming is often best; however, others may appreciate the ability to take their work on the road and call in at time.

2. Focus – collectively and individually. Consider these questions:

• What’s bringing you together today?
• What’s the focus – is it to do something collectively or individually?
• What outcomes do you want?
• How do you want to break it down – meeting every hour for check-ins? Meeting more frequently?

3. Scheduled Checkpoints 

• A way to share and keep the momentum going throughout the day. I have found that virtual group and team sessions have been the seeds for some amazing new ideas and cross-pollination. Be sure to build in blocks where people are not only checking in around what they are doing, but also consider the value of building in some time for sharing of learning or insights.

Looking for inspiration on what you might do in a virtual co-working session? Consider these ideas – they are all real programs I have facilitated over the years:

• One-hour virtual sprints for planning on the team or individual level
• 30-minute brainstorming/innovation sessions geared to create new product and or service ideas
• Four-hour GET IT DONE sessions where groups of solopreneurs connect virtually to take focused action once a month on things on their list. Check-ins are once an hour.
• Four to eight-hour Virtual Retreats, where each hour has a dedicated focus and theme to explore and/take action on. For example, an hour dedicated to creating a business plan, an hour to marketing approaches, an hour for project work).

Looking for a facilitator to host your next virtual co-working session? Contact me to learn more about this service I offer. 

What could a co-working event look like for you?

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success focusing on the Remote Space
Author of 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.
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. ​
Launching today  - the Remote Pathways™ Podcast

This week’s remote working myth explores the myth of “I do it all alone”. The work of a remote worker can feel isolating and like we are in a vacuum. In fact, collaboration needs to be at a higher level for remote workers.  We often need to be more proactive in reaching out to meet our colleagues and seek out knowledge about where things are overlap in our work. This knowledge is critical for scaling our work as remote workers.

Here’s a quick exercise to try:

Think about the current projects you are working on. What tasks do you need to collaborate on with others?  Where could collaboration benefit the project?

Make a list of all the people you would like to get to know better, in service to the projects you have on the go. Earmark time every week to meet with one or two people.

Another more team-oriented way to figure out how you don’t need to do it alone is to dedicate 5-10 minutes of a team meeting into finding the common links between projects. This can be supplemented by what you are including in Slack or in other areas.

Who do you want to reach out to today?

All 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.
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. ​

As more people and organizations turn to remote work conditions, it’s important that we also are aware of some of the pitfalls. This month, I’m taking a look at things that will help and hinder your remote work experience.

Today’s post covers 4 remote work pitfalls:

#1 I can do it all by myself - Remote work does not mean operating in a vacuum. In fact, collaboration skills are needed at a higher level by remote workers. Take time to consider WHO you need to collaborate with regularly and make a point of setting up meetings and/or work sessions.

#2 Unclear expectations - Creating shared expectations are the key to remote work success. This needs to be co-created or created together. Expectations may revolve around large and small issues including:

• Hours of work
• Level of connection with the office, the team, etc.
• Device use – personal and work
• Security and confidentiality around files, and materials
• Boundaries

What are the expectations you need to clarity more fully?
 
#3 Thinking it can all be remote - When I was a remote team leader, one of the best investments for my team was an annual face to face meeting. I supported professionals across multiple countries, and while there was an expense involved, brining people together once a year or every 18 months for a mutli-day working set of meetings was invaluable. The team appreciated the investment and we made use of every moment from dusk to dawn in formal and informal team activities. The investment paid off immensely and was not difficult to organize given the high level of engagement of the team.
 
#4 Micro-managing, not micro-monitoring - One of the greatest pitfalls is trying to “control” or micro-manage a remote team. High levels of trust are required in the remote work space. As a former colleague of mine, Doug, used to say “always micro-monitor, not micro-manage”.

Micro-monitoring means that you keep an eye on the end result, but you let people do their work in the best way they can.

What does micro-monitoring mean in your context? How can that help you as a team have the space and means to excel?

Enjoy your conversation,
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. ​

​In yesterday’s Teams365 post (#2066) I shared several tips around organizations setting themselves up for remote work success. In today’s post, I explore it from the employee’s perspective and what employees who want to work remote can do to be successful in their role.

1. Have clear shared expectations with your leader and organization around what is expected in terms of work – not only hours, but output and what success looks like. When we work remote, it’s key that we know what’s expected as OUTPUT. Because we cannot be seen in terms of how we work, it’s the end product, and the way we collaborate which often boosts trust and provides security that remote work arrangements are working.
2. Have dedicated space to work – If you work from home (WFH) or Work From Anywhere (WFA), having what you need, in a secure way, is key to work success. While this may only mean a laptop and small bag for some, for others working remote will mean a dedicated space for files, work and focus. Make a list of all the things you might require to work effectively. And stay tuned for a post next month on the same topic
3. Minimize distractions – From kids coming into your home office, to trying to work on the road, distractions are a constant for remote workers. What can you do to minimize these, whether it’s changing your work hours, or work location, or adjusting HOW you work. Identify the top 3-5 distractions that could take you off course this month and work to minimize them.
4. Be clear with boundaries – Boundaries take many forms - from official working hours, to negotiating around when and where you are available for meetings. Given that things are not as visible in the remote space, it’s likely that those you support may not understand if you are being pulled from one task to another. The skills of negotiation and influence are key in the remote work space. What are the boundaries which are going to allow you to collaborate AND get work done?

Wishing you the best,
Jennifer

A tipping point around remote work seems to be starting to occur - with more and more organizations realizing that a key part of the talent equation is more flexible working arrangements. With large and small companies embracing remote work arrangements, we are seeing very compelling research and data around how remote work can support employee engagement and productivity. Read about what Craig Thornton of Telus shared recently about how remote work benefits both employer and employee.

This was a focus of my 2017 writing in my book Effective Virtual Conversations and continues to be a significant part of the work I am focusing on with teams and organizations today.

As someone who has supported remote workers and teams for several decades now, it’s great to see the tide turn again back to putting the flexibility in workers’ hands.

Today’s post and tomorrow’s post will explore what organizations and teams will want to do in setting themselves up for remote work success this fall.
Today’s post looks at it from the macro, organizational level. Tomorrow’s post will look at it from the employee’s perspective.
​
Four things organizations will want to ensure they do are:

1. Specify expectations around work output and quality – What gets measured in any work space should be the work output. Unfortunately, what often gets equated with success is how much time goes into making something happen. In the remote space, the success unit is OUTPUT.

Therefore, consider questions such as: What will success look like with work output for each employee? What are the expectations in terms of work, use of materials, security etc.

2. Provide connection with the office and other team members. Collaboration is just as important – and sometimes even more so – in the remote space. Be sure to spend time focusing in on orienting people across the organization and provide virtual events so people can get together. Invest in remote team development.How are you connecting people formally and informally?

Beyond meetings, are there virtual events people can join – lunch and learns; co-working opportunities etc?

3. Adopt the mantra that “out of sight does not mean out of mind”. One of the pitfalls to the transition to a remote work environment is that people can feel that they are not connected. Out of sight does not mean out of mind. Look at how you communicate and value connection and teamwork. Think about how communication and meetings can become more intentional and focused. Think about how you are bringing people together and connecting them with the communication which is needed.

4. Provide the tools and resources to make this happen – The transition to working remote arrangements takes time. It also requires a mind shift in many instances. What tools and resources are needed? What changes in the way you work is required?

For more tips on working remote be sure to check out my 2017 book Effective Virtual Conversations. Part 1 focuses on the ecosystem of the virtual space where conversations take place (from education to coaching to teams), Part 2 explores HOW you can work more effectively (meetings, program design etc), and Part 3 focuses on virtual leadership, and virtual teams in the remote space.

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

One of this week’s focuses has been about creating more focus in today’s digitally distracted world. For our Friday Flashback, I thought it would be interesting to reach back to a post from earlier this year where I highlighted Digital Distractions. Take a look at it here:

From open office spaces to a focus on collaboration, there can also be a pendulum swing in organizations where sometimes things go too far.
​
As I mentioned over the weekend, there are a number of studies exploring this topic of distraction including Udemy In Depth’s 2018 Workplace Distraction Survey. You can read it here. 
 
The report asserts that distractions have an impact on productivity. Some of the distractions noted in that study are talkative co-workers, email and others.
Many of the distractions I hear of in the work of my clients are:

• Unscheduled meetings
• Co-workers dropping by to chat
• Email
• Social media which takes you “down the rabbit hole”
• Materials and information which are not readily accessible and have not been stored in the locations you thought they would be in

What are you doing to minimize the distractions? What do you find distracting?

What conversations are important to have?

​Here are some other articles of interest:

Check out this article from Financial Times – “Digital Distractions are Making Us Dumb and Twitchy” which also includes some great tips from Professor Cal Newport.

Suresh Subamdam’s article on Is Your Work's Communication Channel Turning Your Team Into a Bunch of 'Slack'-ers?

Take a look at Digital Responsibility’s website and ideas on Digital Distraction.

Wishing you all the best,
​Jennifer

Remote and virtual teamwork has been something I have supported for the bulk of my 30-year career. While not every team I led in my early days was remote, over the years my own remote leadership experience continued to open doors to new roles and opportunities. When I started my own business, Potentials Realized, in 2004, it only made sense to have a virtual business.
​
While remote and virtual teamwork is becoming more common today than it was, it’s still an area which a lot of leaders (and team members!) are not comfortable with. I explored many of the topics I am touching on here in my 2017 book – Effective Virtual Conversations – and I continue to write and support remote teams in these areas.

Here are five key areas you will want to pay attention to, in your work and conversations:

1. Trust and Connection
2. We don’t operate in a vacuum – relationships are important
3. Understanding Context (everyone’s) and Big Picture
4. Strong Team Culture
5. Regular team practices

 
Let’s look at each one in turn:
#1 - Trust and Connection: Trust and connection are essential for exceptional virtual teamwork success. If we don’t have it, it’s likely that information does not flow, people don’t know each other or where to go, collaboration does not occur. Check out this past Teams #65 post to learn more.
#2 - We don’t operate in a vacuum – Relationships are important in the virtual space. Knowing our peers and who to reach out to, as well as having colleagues and connections across locations, is key. What learning could you do in the area of context or connection?
#3 - Understanding Context (everyone’s) and Big Picture – One of the challenges of virtual work is that we only see what’s on the screen. We usually don’t get a sense of the bigger context. What is the bigger picture we need to know about – priorities, gaps, roles, etc?
#4 - Strong Team Culture: Having a strong team culture helps us understand how we do things. It also helps us differentiate how we do things on this team, rather than other teams. Culture is manifested through sayings values, behaviors and practices. What’s important to clarify and/or communicate about your culture?
# 5- Regular Team Practices: Remote does not equal alone. Communication and regular team meetings are critical for performance, alignment and cohesion. What are the efficient ways you can keep each other informed?

As a virtual or remote team what’s important to note and focus on this quarter?

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

This week as part of the Flashback Friday we are getting into the landscape of tools for business owners and leaders. Whether we lead a team, or run our own show, honing certain skills can help to accelerate our success.

I wanted to take us back to Teams365 #1540: Tools for Your Toolkit – Leaders and Business owners. 

Here’s what I wrote:
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Much of my work as a coach and consultant with leaders and teams revolves around support to leaders and business owners. One area we regularly return to is our toolbox or those resources we have at our disposal. Many of these we acquire from our own experiences, as well as the valuable networks of mentors and peers we belong to. This week we'll be focusing on several of the different tools which can be useful in our toolkit. Some of the tools you will want to make sure you have on hand are:

​#1 - Tools for Virtual Conversations - Check out yesterday's Effective Virtual Conversations tip #36  (Teams365 #1539) where I mention five different tools you'll want to make sure you master for more engaged, memorable conversations in the virtual space.

​#2 - Tools for Decision Making - Check out this audio post #Teams365 #495 where I cover two tools for decision making

​#3 - Tools for Delegation - Delegation is one of the most challenging areas for team leaders and business owners. As our work evolves it can often feel difficult to pass projects off to others. Check out my past post #391 on The Dreaded D Word - Delegation, where I share with you a quick activity to undertake to identify some of the areas you could delegate

​#4 - Problem Solving Tools - Check out this short audio posts on 3 tools for problem solving in Teams365 #488 here.

#5 - Planning Tools - Without a clear vision, and a plan to execute, our efforts may become unfocused. Drucker wrote "what doesn't get measured, doesn't get done". What are the planning tools you refer to regularly? Whether we are undertaking a SWOT, or a strategic Issues mapping activity, or building in regular pause points to take stock of where we are, planning is critical for success. Check out the multiple posts on planning here.

#6 - Conflict Resolution Tools - Conflict is inevitable in teams, especially given that most teams which excel are highly diverse. Learning to work across differences, and adjust our styles is part and parcel of collaboration and conflict resolution.  Check out Teams365 #1196 for my post on Navigating Conflict in Teams.

​#7 - Collaboration Tools - Going hand in hand with conflict is collaboration. Having a toolkit of resources to help you incorporate different ideas and perspectives, unearth assumptions, and leverage the best of a team is critical for teams and businesses today. I've written multiple posts on collaboration in the past, from partnering to ingredients for collaboration

​#8 - Coaching Tools - The final tool-set I would add is that of coaching tools. Coaching encompasses listening, questioning and helping others create their own solutions. In today's ever changing VUCA world, coaching is playing an even more important role. This is a focus of the bulk of my work with clients. What can you do to boost your peer coaching skills, or developing these skills in your team? Check out past posts on coaching here.

​I hope that you will take a  few minutes today to take note of the tools you are already have in your toolkit, and those you want to develop this year. What are the skills which will help you take your business or your team to the next level?

Best wishes,
​Jennifer