Supporting team members around strengths can help boost productivity, engagement and zest! What can we specifically do to spark that conversation? In today’s Flashback Friday post, I reach back to a post from 2017, where I shared the facilitated instructions from one of the exercises found in the 40 Ways to Work with Visual Cards. This exercise can get you sparking a new conversation around strengths. Here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #1387.

In today’s post, we’re exploring strengths for virtual teams. How do you make it happen?

Helping team members understand their strengths helps teams leverage their skills and harness their capabilities. Gallup has also found very compelling results when team members are able to bring their strengths to work every day.

In addition to the StrengthsFinder, teams may also want to investigate another strengths assessment that being VIA Strengths – Values in Action.

The following is a short warm-up activity to a more detailed discussion as a team around your strengths.

When I’ve seen you at your best….

Time: 15 minutes
Materials Needed: None

Instructions:
Virtual team members need acknowledgement as well, particularly as they may receive less feedback that teams who can see each other face-to-face.

Ask team members to think about one person on the team who they have liaised with, or worked closely with (virtually) in the last quarter. At one of your team meetings you will give people the opportunity to share with that colleague responses to the following questions:

1. I see one of your strengths as….
2. I appreciate …..
3. Going forward, as we work together, I’d like to ask you to ______
4. You bring ….. to our team.

​This is an activity which will cultivate positive emotion and will bring team members closer together. Teams need positive reinforcement, as well as constructive feedback. For more on the concept of constructive feedback, check out the Foundations of Feedback series I did. It will be of interest to teams of all kinds who are hoping to build more of a feedback culture.
 
Enjoy your conversations,
Jennifer

​This weekend’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets to you answer the question “____Builds Trust.” Trust in today’s digital age is of prime concern. Trust is the factor that has the potential to bring people together. Without it, it’s likely that invisible barriers will get even more entrenched.

What are the things that are building trust in your world right now?

What are you doing to demonstrate trust or model trust?

What are the things that need addressing given that they are eroding trust?

For more on this topic you may want to read Steven Covey’s, The Speed of Trust. It’s an excellent book covering behaviors that build and erode trust.

If you haven’t had a chance to review the weekly journaling prompts, be sure to check them out here.

You may also want to take a look at Thursday’s post where I shared some questions for stock-taking of last month and prepping for the month ahead.
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Have a great weekend!
Jennifer

This week’s Weekly Effective Virtual Conversations Tip takes us into the landscape of designing a memorable virtual experience. In my book, Effective Virtual Conversations, I share the PEBBLLES ETC model of virtual program design, in order to create a more memorable virtual learning experience.
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For more on this model, check out the EVC community call I hosted on the same topic.

To paraphrase Suzuki - We remember things that are novel, memorable and attention grabbing. This is particularly important when we are leading a virtual call, given that it is likely that people will be moving quickly from topic to topic, and virtual meeting to virtual meeting.

When creating memorable programs for the virtual space it can be really useful to explore the following strategies to create more memorability:

• Stories – you own or harnessing the stories of the group you are working with. This is a quick way to help people tap into the WIIFM principle – What’s In It For Me? - quickly in a virtual call.
• Video
• Cartoon
• Poll about the topic
• Breakouts where people get to connect and share their personal stories around the topic

Consider 3-5 things you might incorporate to tap into people’s emotion, or capture their attention for your next call.

Curious about what PEBBLLES stands for? Check out the launch call I held back in the summer of 2017 for the kickoff of Effective Virtual Conversations. You can view it here along with some of my other virtual book club calls.
 
I’ll be doing a number of weekly focus areas around design with EVC Monday Tips, so do stay tuned to learn more about what design elements are included in PEBBLLES ETC.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

This month’s theme here at the blog is all about becoming more fluid as a remote worker. This is one area which is critical. As someone who has offered training in virtual facilitation for several years, I’ve noticed that more professionals are equipping themselves in these skills. I go into greater detail around two dozen skills which masterful virtual facilitators employ in my 2017 book – Effective Virtual Conversations.
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In this week’s FlashbackFriday I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at an earlier article I wrote entitled “7 Keys for Virtual Facilitation”. Think about how these items can support you in your work this season:

Seven Keys for Powerful Virtual Facilitation - Jennifer Britton

From Webinars, to virtual meetings which bring together teams scattered across a country or the globe, virtual facilitation skills are increasingly becoming an important skill set for leaders and team members alike. Chances are you have recently participated as part of a virtual meeting that was less than optimal.

This article explores seven keys for powerful virtual meetings. These seven quick items used together can be very effective in amping up your next virtual event success.

1. Engagement is key - Helping group members connect regularly with the WIIFM (What's in it for me) and engaging them in the dialogue is almost more important than it is in the in-person realm.  Competition with emails and your desktop is often the reality. Keep pace moving, encourage reflection and dialogue and take the pulse regularly to see where people are at.

2. Connection is the foundation - While you might not be able to see each other feeling connected with others is an important foundation for virtual meeting success, particularly if these meetings will continue for some time.

3. Trust is critical - Just as in the in-person environment, trust is critical. Given that we don't have the regular touch-points where we can be "seen" building trust in the virtual environment can be even more pointed. Consider how you are building your reputation and ask what others think of you.

4. Good design - Good design is especially important in the virtual domain. Consider what the overall blocks of the meeting or event are and how they fit together or are sequenced. More focus on process rater than less can be of benefit in the virtual domain. What are the design elements which will support the most effective virtual event? Consider breakouts, polls, use of a whiteboard, keeping it simple if technology is going to be a hindrance.

5. Leverage technology - Use the technology you have available and which is accessible to all. I often go to the "lowest common denominator" so we are not creating any new divisions based on technology available. If you can use more interactive supports such as breakouts to engage everyone, use them. Consider what support will help you - for example, have a co-facilitator who can set up breakouts while you are facilitating. Don't try to do it all alone!

6. Visuals are an important boost - Having a virtual anchor point, even on a phone call is important in the virtual realm. visuals can create a focus, and grounding point. If you are only meeting by phone consider sending out a one-pager prior to the call for meeting participants to download, print and use. Make sure they are provided this well enough n advance of the call.

7. Be nimble as a facilitator - Being flexible as a facilitator in the virtual realm is essential. Expect technology to happen because it will. Have a number of "back ups" available which you can draw upon. Think through the various scenarios which may happen and how you will deal with them.

What other tips would you suggest to others who are starting out with virtual facilitator? Please feel free to comment below.
 
Enjoy!
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 Season 2 of 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. ​

One of the biggest areas of time utilization that teams points to as not as effective as it can be is virtual meetings. In today’s post, I wanted to explore five key areas which can derail and demotivate teams. As someone who works with professionals who want to become more proficient in the virtual space, getting a handle on these five meeting pitfalls are key.
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#1 – Not prioritizing meetings.
Many times, virtual meetings are postponed because not everyone is going to be there. In fact, it may be more useful to start from the assumption that not everyone is going to be there, and people can catch up with a recording or the transcript. Regular team meetings and communication are important. They provide an important channel for sharing information, taking the pulse, and/or keeping the team connected.

#2 – Not putting everyone on the same platform.
One of the greatest challenges today is the blended meeting space, where you have some (or a bulk of people) calling in from one location, and others dialing in from separate locations. This can sometimes augment the disconnection across a team. Try putting all people on the virtual platform for a change and see what happens as you incorporate the different engagement strategies (see #5) and as you intentionally create dialogue and sharing across part of the team that may not normally be connected.

Putting everyone on the same platform is a great equalizer and if you are wanting to truly build a team, it means that common ground is needed.
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#3 – Not having a plan – 8 Meeting Questions.
A lot of meetings in both the virtual and in-person space are poorly organized. Before kicking off any meeting, be sure to check out the 8 Meeting Questions I share in Effective Virtual Conversations:

In Effective Virtual Conversations, I shared 8 Essential Meeting Questions to ask at the start or end of any meeting. These include:
1.      What’s the purpose?
2.      What takeaways do we want?
3.      Who needs to be on the call?
4.      What preparation is needed for us to be most effective in the meeting?
5.      What pace to do we want in order to keep it engaging?
6.      What will help keep the focus?
7.     What’s absolutely essential? (What’s essential, versus what will be nice to cover? If you can’t cover it, where can people go for more information around topics?)
8.      What follow up might be required?

(Reference: Jennifer Britton, Effective Virtual Conversations, pp 304, 2017)

#4 - Speaking at, rather than speaking with, the group.
It’s easy for people to slip into the trap of "speaking at” rather than “speaking with” virtual groups. The use of process is key for engagement, and it’s important that you let your group/team know about what they can expect in terms of input and interaction. Follow through with this and learn to be comfortable with “silence” and also handing the reins over to others.

Instead of opening the floor up to dead silence, let people know that you are first going to call on everyone in the team in a certain order – i.e. First name (forwards, backwards), East to West or West to East, Job Role, length of time with the organization...

Process creates clarity and it also creates safety.

#5 – Not using or underutilizing the tools available.
From recording the calls so you don’t have to spend weeks typing up the meeting notes, to using the different engagement functions virtual meetings CAN be interactive. Depending on what the purpose of the meeting is, consider how you might use:

• Polls – for voting or pulse check across the team
• Chat – To capture ideas, brainstorming, comments, and/or team agreements. Depending on the platform you use, you may be able to save the chat easily with your recording. This text file can then get sent to everyone.
• Use annotation to have people share their thoughts – agreements, priorities, what their strengths are. Annotation allows people to highlight and circle items on the screen
• Breakouts – probably one of the favorite transformers I see, breakouts allow people to move into their own private meeting space and have a smaller discussion. This can be invaluable if you are wanting to get the team’s input on things or boost motivation for change. If we are always feeling like we are TALKED at, rather than part of the conversation, it’s hard to have a good meeting.

As you go to organize your next meeting, what pitfalls do you want to keep an eye on? What changes do you want to make?

Best,
​Jennifer

​This week’s flashback Friday takes us to preparing for the feedback conversation. When feedback is unplanned or unscheduled things can go awry. Even taking a few minutes on a regular basis to review your team members performance, can be a useful habit to get into. Providing feedback on a regular basis is a best practice of leadership today.

Check out Teams365 1252 Preparing for the Feedback Conversation. This is useful for both the person giving and the person receiving the feedback.

Here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #1252:
Today's post takes us to the realm of feedback, an area I often find myself working with teams around. The performance conversation should not be a one-off conversation. In fact, it should be an on-going dialogue (two-way) between staff and their leader. 

​Taking time to prepare for the feedback conversation is an essential step in the process, and it is often one that is overlooked. It's important to take some time to think about the performance conversation, rather than just winging it.

​Some things to do when you are starting to prepare for any feedback conversation is:

​Make sure that you have solid items to talk about. What are the facts? What is hearsay? What have you seen yourself? If you realize that you don't have a lot to share, this is a flag to make some changes so that next time you do.

​What are the key goals which are important to discuss? Another challenge in the feedback conversation is that the team leader may be focusing on different things than the employee. What are the key goals which are important to discuss? Are these aligned?

How have you set the employee up for success in scheduling this meeting? Performance conversations should be a two-way process. What have you done to set the employee up for success? Have you asked them to consider any questions prior to meeting? Have you invited them to do a self-assessment? When was the last time the two of you sat down to explore performance issues? Nothing raised in an annual review should be a surprize.

​Dedicate time and space for the performance conversation and preparation. Even though many of us feel we need to run from task to task, feedback and performance conversations should not be left as a low item priority. Make sure you are dedicating time and space for not only holding the performance conversation, but also preparing for it.
​
​What other tips do you have for preparing for the performance conversation?

Enjoy the conversations!
​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.

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip gets you thinking about creating more interactivity in your next virtual program. This week’s EVC tip gets you thinking about using the tools of annotation.
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Most virtual platforms will have the option of enabling annotation, where people can write on the screen.

Annotation might involve getting people to:

1. Circle things they are in agreement around
2. Check things off on a list
3. Write things on a blank white screen/PowerPoint
4. Create a logo which represents what people are bringing to the call

Annotation is a great supplement to using chat, and it will also provide more hands-on interaction. When requested to write something on the screen or circle something we are less likely to multi-task or be doing something completely different.

This week consider how you could incorporate more annotation and interaction into your virtual conversations.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

​This month’s theme is about teamwork in complexity. One of the more complex areas can be the virtual and remote space. Let’s look at mistakes made by new and experienced virtual and remote team leaders.
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I also thought it would be interesting to reach back to a skill-based post as well. Here’s what I wrote about virtual and remote leadership skills:

Today we reach the W in the A-Z of Virtual and Remote Team Leadership. As virtual and remote team leaders, having a wealth of skills and experiences to draw on can be invaluable.  Given the need to lead across distance and ever-changing contexts it can be useful to have a broad base of skills to draw up on. Many of us are Jacks or Jills of all trades. The ability to lead confidently in uncertainty and across issues we are often unfamiliar with is key. Our ability to empower our team members to take the lead and advise on issues is also critical.

​Questions to Consider:

• ​When you think of your skill base as a team leader, what broad skills do you bring really help you lead effectively?
• What new skills would you like to add to the table?
• ​What experiences add to your mix?
• ​What new leadership experiences would help you round out your style?

https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-850-virtual-and-remote-team-leadership-w-is-for

I also wanted to remind you of some of the more common mistakes new and experienced virtual and remote team leaders make:

Today’s post explores common mistakes virtual and remote team leaders can make. In this post we are going to look at five different ones.

1. Not enough 1-1's – As I have said many times, being out of sight is not the same as being out of mind. Not spending enough time in one-on-ones can be detrimental to the levels of trust team members feel, the connection they feel with others, which will have an impact on levels of engagement. What is an appropriate frequency of meeting time with team members? What does it look like – phone calls, video streaming, onsite visits, or bringing staff into the office regularly?
2. Not learning on your feet – Part of being an effective virtual and remote team leader is your ability to be shifting, learning and adapting. Given that there is much less levels of control and greater span, the ability to learn on your feet and expecting this rather than feeling you will have all the answers, can make a big difference with team members.
3. Not being clear with goals – Goals can be a little different with virtual and remote teams. Whether people are matrixed and reporting into different areas, or whether goals can become competitive, providing opportunities to be clear with goals is important.
4. Not helping people connect with the bigger picture – Because virtual and remote team members are working with different levels of autonomy and independently, helping team members connect with the bigger picture is essential. This could include helping them understand more about corporate and departmental goals, giving them more access to strategic or corporate plans, and making goals and achievements more visible. Making goals more visible might include making the reporting structures more shared and visually appealing, or mapping out team goals on a weekly basis or other.
5. Not providing team members with the necessary responsibility and authority – A final mistake virtual and remote team leaders can make is not providing the necessary responsibility and authority to their team members so they can make the decisions they need to autonomously.

https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-1177-common-mistakes-made-by-virtual-and-remote-team-leaders

What can you do to avoid these common mistakes?

Pick up a copy of the entire A-Z series at the Potentials Realized Store here. It’s a downloadable ebook format for $19 US.

All the best,
Jennifer

This week’s Team Building Tip gets you thinking “outside of the box”. Challenges and opportunities exist all the time. What are the solutions which could be activated around your most pressing business challenge?

One of the frameworks I like to share with teams I work with is the Six Thinking Hats from DeBono. Read more about this topic here.

With the Six Thinking Hats we are encouraged to look at issues from a variety of perspectives –

• what’s possible,
• what new ideas can we generate,
• what are the benefits of the approaches,
• what caution do we need to heed,
• what are the facts and
• what might get in the way.

If you are not familiar with De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats model, take a look at his work and writing.

Wishing you all the best,
​Jennifer

​In this week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #94, consider using a map to create more engagement in your virtual sessions. Maps create a visual anchor for group members.

Maps can take a variety of forms, from:

• Geographic maps (i.e. map of your region, country, the world)
• A roadmap of where you are going
• A process map – what the steps are

Incorporating a map into your next call, may help people:

• Get a sense of location and context
• Identify where they are in relation to each other
• Visualize what a process can look like
• Remember what a sequence is

It is likely that I will incorporate a number of maps in a virtual call including:

1. A geographic map (Where are you calling in from today?)
2. A process map – Identify the area which is the one you find most challenging
3. A roadmap of our call sequence (shown at the start and possibly the end)

​What type of maps could you incorporate in your next call?

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 an digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.