Teams365 Blog - Potentials Realized

#TEAMS365 #1882 – PlanDoTrack Video Montage #11

2/24/2019

We are back at week 11 of the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series of video posts. These weekly montage videos are a compilation of the different weeks of the Instagram series I have hosted over at the CoachingBizBuilder feed.

Daily posts are geared to get you thinking about, and taking action on, your business. As I write in PlanDoTrack – Daily Steps + Consistent Action = Momentum.

Take a look at this week’s compilation video and see what questions are important for you to note. What's important to take action on?

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Connect on Instagram for the 90DaysPlanDoTrack Posts
Phone: (416)996-8326
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#TEAMS365 #1786 Year End Productivity Reminders – 4 Areas to Keep in Mind

11/20/2018

As we start creeping to the close of the year, pressure ramps up to “Get it done!”. There may not seem to be enough hours in the day, or even the rest of the year, to get EVERY. THING. DONE!

Today’s post gets you thinking about a number of “year-end productivity hacks” which bring us back to some of the tried and true prioritization tools:

#1 – Understanding your Pareto Ratio – The 80/20 rule asserts that we get 80% of our results from 20% of our efforts. While it may not be truly 80% it can be very useful to think about the areas that provide the most impact in your work, and the results you are aiming towards.
It can be very useful to understand where we get our impact, particularly at crunch time, so that we know what to say yes to, and what we want to say no to.

#2 – Going back to Covey’s Urgent/Important Framework – I have written about how a five day training around Steven Covey’s work as a younger manager more than 15 years ago, still influences my thinking about time management. If you haven’t read The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, do it now! With the volume of distractions at a peak (from social media, to tech, to diffuse focus):

What’s really important to be focusing on now?
What’s important in the mid-term so that you are setting yourself up for success in the new year?
What are distractions and time wasters?

#3 – What can you delegate and defer?
Delegation continues to be a stretch area for most professionals today. Many times we feel we can’t delegate or we have no one to delegate to? What are the tasks that only you can do? What are the tasks that could be chunked down/broken down, so others might be able to complete?
For more on delegation – check out this LinkedIn article “Your Key To Success: Effective Delegation” I wrote on delegation.

#4 – What is absolutely essential?
Sometimes we really need to get ruthless with our time, asking “what’s absolutely essential?”. As we get into crunch time, what are the things we need to move to the finish line this year, no matter what? What are the elements that can carry over? What elements need to be put on hold?

For more on these prioritization tools, take a look at what I wrote in Teams365 #951 on prioritization.

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations | Coaching Team Leaders
We provide team and leadership development support through coaching, consulting and training services
Author of several books including the 2018 Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner & Effective Virtual Conversations (2017)
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

#TEAMS365 #1748 – Teamwork Videos

10/14/2018

This weekend, we are going to take a look back at some of the Teams365 Teamwork Videos already created, just in case you missed them. Take a look at these past videos:

Teams365 #885: Accountability and the Team: 1 minute 41 seconds – View it here.
Teams365 #553: Project Check Points - Check it out here.
Teams365 #391: Delegation - Watch it here.
Teams365 #1611: Teamwork and Complexity/ Focus and Renewal - Check it out here.

A reminder for you to feel free to link to any of these videos or show them as part of your upcoming team sessions.

If there are videos you would like to see created from past Teams365 posts, please let me know.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations | Coaching Team Leaders
We provide team and leadership development support through coaching, consulting and training services
Author of several books including the 2018 Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner & Effective Virtual Conversations (2017)
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

#TEAMS365 #1695 – Creating Boundaries

8/22/2018

One of the areas I commonly hear about from leaders and other professionals is the impact of interruptions and other distractions in their work flow. As research has shown, it can take upwards of twenty or more minutes to refocus when you have been interrupted. What boundaries do you want to create in your work this fall?
As you consider what boundaries are appropriate, consider these questions:

What’s important in your work right now?
What’s important with your team’s work right now? Your bosses?
With this in mind, what are the boundaries need to help you focus and run at full capacity?
What do you need to defer – shift to a later date?
What do you need to delegate?
What items/tasks/projects do you need to say NO to?
What negotiation might this entail?
What habits will help you stay focused?
What else?

Here are some great articles which give you more tips for setting boundaries at work, and why that’s important:

The Inc article by Dana Dionta and Dan Guerra, “How Successful People Set Boundaries at Work” - https://www.inc.com/dana-gionta-dan-guerra/how-to-manage-boundaries-at-work.html

Check out Erin Bucklann’s article over at DailyWorth, “How to Set Work-Life Boundaries at Your New Job” - https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/2251-how-to-set-work-life-boundaries-at-your-new-job

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations | Coaching Team Leaders
We provide team and leadership development support through coaching, consulting and training services
Author of Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner & Effective Virtual Conversations (2017)
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

#TEAMS365 #1675: #THROWBACKTHURSDAY - Team Building Tip #194

8/2/2018

It’s Thursday and time for another Team Building Tip. This one is #194. It gets you to consider the question “What does the team really know how to do? What can you do to leverage that or make it more of a habit?”.

Teams which excel are clear on what they are good at, and find ways to mitigate against the things they are not so good at. In order to do this they may bring in additional team members, delegate tasks to others, or redirect work to others who can do it better. It’s hard to do all things well and while it may take some time to helps teams realign with what they are good at, and how all the work can be covered, take note of what your team does exceptionally well.

Enjoy your Thursday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations | Coaching Team Leaders
We provide team and leadership development support through coaching, consulting and training services
Author of Effective Virtual Conversations (2017)
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

#TEAMS365 #1671 - Videos in Review

7/29/2018

This month I’ve been doing a review of some of the most popular posts here at the Teams365 blog. For many Sunday’s this year I’ve shared a new video which you are invited to also pass on to your team.

Here are a few you may want to check out:

Project Check Points – Teams365 #553

Delegation – Teams365 #335

Summer Planning and Quarterly Reflection – Teams365 #1629

Teamwork in Complexity – Teams365 #1611

These are several of the topics we are exploring here at the Teams365 blog. Please feel free to share these with your colleagues and your team.

Enjoy and have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations | Coaching Team Leaders
We provide team and leadership development support through coaching, consulting and training services
Author of Effective Virtual Conversations (2017)
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

#Teams365 #1587: [Teams365video] Delegation

5/6/2018

This week's Teams365 video addresses the topic of delegation. In today's world of "doing more with less" leaders and team members can benefit from the skill of delegation. What do you want to delegate? What will make it successful?

Today's post brings to life the 2015 Teams365 post #391 on Delegation.

Be sure to check out other Teams365 videos at our YouTube Channel.

Enjoy!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
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(416)996-8326

#Teams365 #1576: Productivity Tool - Is/Is Not

4/25/2018

Doing more with less is critical for any team today, and the more we can support our teams with tools they can use and apply right away in their work the better.

There are dozens of different productivity tools which can help to facilitate focus, and action, on the part of team members. One that is really simple in sharing, and is likely to have immediate use in helping people get even more focused, is the IS/IS NOT tool. Straightforward in its' structure (which usually is the sign of a great productivity tool), this asks us to consider the question what is it and what is it not?

First, think about a current task or project you have this quarter. Maybe you are responsible for designing a new presentation or report for stakeholders. On one side of your page write out everything this presentation is, or is aiming to be. That might include, "the presentation is:
Aimed for fellow team members
Focused on the 5 things to....
Geared to get listeners up to speed with the project
Intended to create alignment
ETC.

On the next side of the page, list out "the presentation/report IS NOT..."
Longer than 10 minutes
A replacement for the other resources people need to review
Meant as a comprehensive briefing on the topic
ETC

This productivity tool is really useful when we delegate and hold a 1-1 to talk about the task, in terms of creating clear and shared expectations. It's also an invaluable tool for virtual team members or project members who are working through their own thinking on a project. Finally, this can be a great coaching tool, helping people work through/think through what the initiative IS and IS NOT to gain clarity, focus and alignment.

Let us know how you use the IS/IS NOT framework by sharing comments below.

Warm regards
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

Looking to enhance your virtual conversations - Conference calls? Webinars? Virtual coaching work? Pick up a copy of my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations, at Amazon.

#Teams365 #1564: FlashBAckFriday: DeLegation

4/13/2018

Today's #FlashbackFriday takes us to two posts on delegation, an area team members and team leaders regularly ask for support in. You might wonder, how can a team member ask for support? Well, with today's shift to more agile, and empowered teams work often flows up, down and across.

Today's FlashbackFriday posts merges two past posts together - First Teams365 #391: Delegation - the Dreaded D Word. Here' what I wrote:
"One area both new and experienced team leaders struggle with is in the area of Delegation. How do you find delegation as a skill set and practice yourself?

If you are one of the many leaders who struggle with this area then this week's focus on delegation is for you. You may already find yourself with way too many things on your plate, and not enough time to do it.

To get a handle on what might be "delegation material" schedule the following 10-15 minute activity:

1. Pull out your current to do list, along with your accountabilities for the next quarter.
2. With these in mind, take a look at the current key priorities. These may be shaped by KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), Team Goals or any other Organizational Goals which are priority this quarter (or year).
3. What are the tasks that only you can accomplish?
4. What are the tasks that you need to be involved with, but can be supported by others?
5. What are the tasks that you really need support from others to accomplish (i.e specialized skills may be needed, due to complexity etc)?
6. What are the tasks on your list that really need to be completely handed off - who can do them? What support and direction do they need?
7. With these items off your plate, how much more time will you have?

Once you have gotten a line of sight on the tasks which need to be handed off, we can then start exploring how to do this. We'll be looking at tips for that this week, and you may also want to refer back to other posts I've written on delegation namely
Teams365 #90 - Delegation Tips which you can read here OR
Teams365 #315: Leadership a - z - D is for delegation which you can read here"

Once you have figured out the big picture you may want to do a check with these questions from Teams365 #393: 8 Questions to ask yourself about delegation in which I wrote:

"At the core of delegation is planning, and the ability to have a good conversation. Conversations are started with great questions. Today's post prompts you with some of questions to consider.

8 Questions to be asking yourself as you think about delegation include:
1. What is important for me to focus on right now? With that in mind, what can I delegate on?

2. Who would benefit, and be able, to take on each task?

3. What support will they need to the successful?

4. What will success look like for each project? How will they know that they are on the mark?

5. How will we check in around the task?

6. What authority and responsibility do I need to provide to them to be successful with the task?

7. What are the lessons learned from taking on the task?

8. With what I have delegated, what space does that free up?

What other questions will you want to keep in mind as you think about delegation?

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
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Contact us and let us know how we can support you in helping your team reach its' full potential: (416)996-TEAM (8326)

#Teams365 #1288: Leadership Practice: Delegation

7/11/2017

One of the biggest challenges for most leaders today is the ability to delegate. In our shift from being an individual contributor to leader, many of us have been tapped for our ability to get results, get things done and our technical expertise. In stepping into a leadership role it is important to be able to delegate work tasks to free up time for more strategic, planning initiatives.

Delegation is not only about thinking about what you want to hand off to others, it is also about what you can hand off to others. In delegating think about the following:
What are the tasks that can be done by others?
What are the tasks that only you can do yourself?
What does success or completion look like for each task?
What are the steps for task completion?
What are the milestones towards completion?
When and how will you check in long the way?
Who has the skills to complete the job?
Who would enjoy or final valuable the task?
As you go to delegate have you clearly communicated why this task is important to complete?

For more posts on delegation, check out these other Teams365 posts:
Teams365 #392 :Five Resources to Support you with Delegaton Read it at http://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-392-five-resources-to-support-you-with-delegation
Teams365 #942 - Delegation Article : Your Keys to Success: Read it at http://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-942-delegation-article-your-keys-to-success-effective-delegation
Teams365 #90 – Delegation Tips: Read it at http://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams-365-90-delegation-tips

What is important for you to consider as you think about delegation and your current tasks at hand?

Have a great Tuesday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

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