Teams365 Blog - Potentials Realized

#TEAMS365 #1686: Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #57

8/13/2018

It’s Monday and time for another Effective Virtual Conversations tip - #57 in the series! This week we are at number four of the five virtual facilitation faux-pas – not rotating meeting times. When teams are stretched across time zones ensuring that you rotate meeting times can be an important step in building trust and connection. If one team member is always the one who has to call in late at night or early in the morning, it can have an impact on trust and connection.

Within reason, what can you do to ensure meeting times have a variable impact on the team, and that it’s not always the “one team member” who is adversely impacted?

Be sure to check out other effective virtual conversations tips here, published every Monday.

With 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 Effective Virtual Conversations (2017)
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

#TEAMS365 #1658 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #53 – Engagement Tip – Assign Roles

7/16/2018

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip is about “upping the ante” on virtual conversations by assigning roles. I often talk about the value of breakouts which can be enabled in many virtual platforms. The question of “how many people should go into breakout?’ is a common one. Two, three, or four is usually a good number. If the group size becomes too big, group members may retreat – and the purpose of breakouts is to facilitate more of each person’s voice.

In maximizing the use of breakouts, consider the following:

Keep group size on the smaller size
Assign roles – one person may be the note taker, one the facilitator of the conversation and one the time keeper. You may also want to get people to
Rather than taking a lot of time to have the roles determined, consider something arbitrary like “the person with the longest hair is the note taker” of the “person with the latest birthdate in the year”.
Provide clear instructions
Send a “broadcast message to everyone, reminding them of the time frame and instructions
Leave enough time for people to have the conversation

What can you do to boost engagement in your upcoming breakouts?

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 Effective Virtual Conversations (2017)
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

#TEAMS365 #1651 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 52: Video Production

7/9/2018

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversation tip #52 gets you to think about developing short videos for whatever type of virtual conversations you are creating. Whether it is a webinar or a team meeting, short videos can serve to jazz things up. Consider:

Who is the audience? What would they like to see or experience? What’s the most important topic for them right now?
Length – shorter videos are usually better – 2 minutes or less
Will the video include photos? Music? Text?
Always be aware of copyright and intellectual property issues

I recently spoke with a group of professional coaches and indicated that using videos as one of the pace changes every five to ten minutes can keep calls moving along. They can also help with focus, and spark some new energy (particularly if it’s an after lunch session).

Videos can also be seen as more novel or memorable, and may be an important vehicle for making things stick.
There’s a compelling case for video creation:

Two different video creation tools I have used in my work are:
Lumen5 and Adobe Spark

Both are easy to use and quickly repurpose content you might have. If you have been following along with the Teams365 blog for a while you may have seen some of the short 2-3 minute Sunday videos I have created, bringing to life many of the blog posts I have written here. While it’s not quite just a cut and paste of the content and the video is done, it is quite a quick process.

This week, take stock of the content you have that could be converted into a video. Perhaps it’s a:

Blog post
An article you have written which can be broken down into shorter posts
A series of tips you have created around a topic
A response to some of the common questions you receive in your work

Make a list of five to ten videos you could create. If you are drawing a blank, set a timer for 3 minutes and make a list of everything that comes to mind!

Enjoy!
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 #1644 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #51 : Video

7/2/2018

How are you incorporating video to you work? Dialogue? Learning? Virtual Conversations?

A few weeks ago I attended a school field trip with my son’s Grade 7 class. We were visiting a historical site and it was the end of the day. To wrap things up the guide asked if we wanted to watch a video or recap the ideas verbally. It was a resounding 100% “Video!”. On the hour long bus ride back to the school you could hear the continued conversation about the video and its’ contents.

Video is still at a stage where it’s the memorable and novel approach to recapping or sharing information. How are you using video in your work?

Over the last two years I have been experimenting through more use of video, not only here at the blog, but also in presentations and my webinars. You’ll notice that for most Sunday posts over the last year I’ve included a short 2 minute video, bringing to life a blog post. If you’ve taken the time to read the original then view the video, which do you prefer? Take a look at some of the Sunday videos here.

Most of these short 1.5-2.5 minute videos were made via Lumen5. It’s a platform I find intuitively easy to use, and is great if you have content you want to convert to video.

I’ve also experimented with other video platforms – Facebook Live as well as Adobe Spark. In Adobe Spark you can take still photos and add words, plus do a voice over. It’s another great option. Facebook Live, of course, is a different option, and can be a valuable vehicle to connect with your audience in real-time.

How might you be able to use more video in your work? What addition would it provide?

Enjoy the start to your month!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching(Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009)
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

#TEAMS365 #1637 – Monday June 25 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #50 – What’s Beyond the Screen?

6/25/2018

Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #50 gets to you think about how you can get people to bring something “from beyond the screen”. In today’s virtual world, we often only get to know people “in the screen”. I recently was out on the West Coast doing some work in person where people had only met me on the screen. We joked about how I was much shorter and smaller than the screen makes me appear.

Given that our window is fixed, unless we are shifting around and calling in via a mobile, it can be interesting for people to be able to share something from “beyond their screen”. You can get creative with this. Consider:

How people can use the app to log in and move around using a mobile instead of a desk-top.

How members can move around and call in from a different space each time.

In coaching work, integrating kinesthetic approaches or using body-centered coaching creates new energy through movement.

What can you do to move more in your programming?

Enjoy your reflections!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2016)
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

#TEAMS365 #1630 – Monday June 18 – Effective Virtual Conversation Tip #49: Parking Lots

6/18/2018

Today’s Effective Virtual Conversation tip is that “Parking Lots provide a virtual space to leave issues for discussion later”. In any given program or meeting, it is likely that there will be additional items which cannot be covered during the conversation. Capturing these in a parking lot is really beneficial to make sure they don’t get lost. What is critical in any conversation is that the parking lot issues go somewhere and are not lost.

What can you do to create a parking lot in your work? What can you do to capture them? What will you do or schedule to make sure they are not lost?

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2016)
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

#Teams365 #1632: Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #48: Engagement in the Virtual Space

6/11/2018

Today’s Effective Virtual Conversation tip takes us to the topic of engagement. As you may know, I do a series of monthly Effective Virtual Conversation calls and one of our topics last fall was on the topic of engagement. Keeping the pace moving with a virtual call is essential. While each group or team you are working with will have it’s own pace, it is key to be regularly monitoring where the energy of the group is.

In this week’s Effective Virtual conversations tip you are encouraged to think about how you can use annotation, chats, polls and videos to keep the pace moving and varied.

In the virtual realm we have many distractions to contend with - emails, work to be done etc. Keeping people's attention is key. Sometimes engagement is contingent on, or facilitated by, the type of learning style we bring.

Those that are visual will enjoy chat, and videos. Those that like to be more actively engaged will benefit ro using annotation. Annotation is using the pen and other writing functions which are embedded into many of the virtual platforms. Sometimes you need to enable this on your dashboard.

If you would like to see different examples of using breakouts and annotation, do check out last fall's 4 Ways to Move the Needle on Engagement here.

Enjoy the start to your week!

Jennifer

Note: This month's Effective Virtual Conversations community call will take place on Friday at 12 noon ET, rather than today at 11 am ET. I hope that you will be able to join us at my zoom room.

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Looking to spark more conversation with your team? Consider the Conversation Sparker(TM) Cards
Set up a conversation about how we can support you and your team best
(416)996-8326

#TEams365 #1616: Effective Virtual Conversations Tip # - Pitfall #10

6/4/2018

We’ve finally made it to Pitfall #10 of the Effective Virtual Conversations Tip - the Multi-tasking Mindset. This is tip #47 in the series.

Here’s what I wrote in Effective Virtual Conversations about pitfall #10 in virtual facilitation:

“The multi-tasking mindset can be commonplace for many of us. What can you do to capture people's attention and keep it focused?
Solution: Consider these questions.
·         Are you making a request for people to disconnect from other technologies?
·         Are you changing the pace frequently (i.e. every 5-7 or 10 minutes)?
·         Are you creating opportunities for individuals to pause and engage at their desk?
·         What engagement strategies are you employing?”
As I have shared in other posts, engagement is critical in avoiding the “Death by Conference Call” mindset. We want to be using a variety of approaches – from breakouts where people can connect with each other, to using annotation to get people to share their ideas on the screen. It’s likely that when people are on their own devices, the allure of multi-tasking is going to be great, and if they are in dialogue with each other, they may find that more engaging and focusing.

What are the strategies you could use to support greater engagement in your calls.
For more ideas, check out some of the monthly Effective Virtual Conversation calls I’ve hosted since the book launched last July, including the October 2017 call on Breakouts that Sizzle. You can view the playlist here.

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009)
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

#TEams365 #1602: Effective Virtual Conversations tip #45: Pitfall #8

5/28/2018

It’s Monday and time for another Effective Virtual Conversations tip. This week we are at Tip #45, pitfall 8 in our series of ten common pitfalls in virtual conversations of all kinds – webinars, virtual meetings, virtual team development.

Pitfall #8 of the ten pitfalls I share is one of “low energy”. This is a common one that can be experienced in virtual conversations of all kinds. Whether it is because we are on a platform that does not allow us to stream and see each other, or whether it’s because of the time of day we are calling in, or the topic we are exploring, there are a variety of reasons we can experience “low energy” in the virtual space.
The downside of low energy is that it leads to disengagement, disconnection, lack of focus, and an ineffective use of time.

Here’s what I wrote about pitfall #8 – low energy – in my latest book, Effective Virtual Conversations:

Pitfall #8 – Low Energy
Virtual programs can be challenging for new facilitators in terms of the energy and feedback you receive.

Solution: If you are using a phone-based system only, other than enabling people to raise their hands in response or signal their agreement on their keypad, it may feel like you are talking into a black hole. Your energy is imperative in keeping the flow going. Remember that it is critical to engage your group members every 5-7 minutes. Without involvement and engagement, it is challenging for anyone to continue to focus, let alone participate.

What is the energy you bring to virtual calls? How would others describe your energy?

Enjoy the start to your week,
Jennifer

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

You can grab a copy of my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations, at Amazon. You can also purchase a copy direct from our site, signed by me!

Looking to schedule some team development this fall? Contact me to discuss whether the Everything DiSC or the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team may be a great starting point.

#Teams365 #1609: Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #46: Pitfall #9

5/28/2018

Teams365 #1609: Effective Virtual Conversation Tip #46: Pitfall # 9 – Lack of Connection Felt by the Group
We are continuing to make our way through ten different pitfalls for virtual communication as we explore ten different pitfalls as part of our Effective Virtual Conversations Tips.

Here’s what I wrote about Pitfall #9 - Lack of Connection felt by the group – in my latest book, Effective Virtual Conversations:
“It is surprising how facilitators overlook how important it is to build connection among group members. Connection is an essential ingredient for virtual programming, and is an important foundation even with a teleseminar or teleclass which may be more content focused. Engagement levels will be impacted if group members do not feel connected with the host and/or others.

Solution: Consider how you can build connection (as appropriate) amongst group members. If it is an extended program, are you giving air time for everyone to speak? Are you encouraging people to share a bio/photo at the start of the program? For one-off engagements, are you posing questions to the group which they can respond to verbally, by email/chat or by using their key pad? If you are hosting a longer program, are you creating “learning partners” or buddies?”

I’ve dedicated a number of the recent community calls for Effective Virtual Conversations to the topic of building connection in your virtual groups including these 30 minute calls:
Breakouts that Sizzle
Four Ways to Move the Needle on Engagement
The Triad of Trust, Connection and Safety

Click on over to view these calls here.

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

You can grab a copy of my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations, at Amazon. You can also purchase a copy direct from our site, signed by me!

Looking to schedule some team development this fall? Contact me to discuss whether the Everything DiSC or the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team may be a great starting point.