Today’s the last day of Q1. Where did it go? What has shifted for you and your focus? While I’ve been asking these questions every quarter since 2014 here at the blog, my guess is this past quarter has probably marked a huge shift in your work.
 
Here are some questions you might want to consider as you reflect on your quarter:

As you think back to this past quarter (so the period of January until now):

• What were my major achievements this quarter?
• What do I want to celebrate?
• As I consider my goals (and resolutions) I made at the start of the year, how am I doing with these on a scale of 1-10? Which ones are becoming new habits or something I can check off?
• Which ones need to be let go of?
• As a leader/professional, what have I noticed about my team this quarter?
• The thing that has helped me be most productive this quarter has been ______.
• The thing that has helped me be most successful this quarter has been ______.
• The thing that has helped me be happiest this quarter has been ________.
• The thing that has helped me be most healthy has been _______.

What have I noticed about my work/productivity/results and/or relationships this season?

Take note of any key metrics which are important for you, and your work. For corporate leaders this may be progress on key KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). For small business owners this may be key metrics around social media.

Looking ahead to Quarter 2:

• My priorities are:
• Our team priorities are:
• My goals are:
• My teams’ goals are:
• I want to:
• The habits I want to lean into are:
• The things I want to focus on are:
• I'll be really happy at the end of this quarter when:
• I also need to think about:

Enjoy your reflections!
Jennifer

This weeks Effective Virtual Conversations Tip is all about iteration. As we move into the virtual space, it’s likely that experimentation, and on-going action with adjustment, is the norm. Technology can “happen” and things that worked in the in-person world, may not work the same way in the virtual space.
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What does iteration mean for you?

Here’s a definition from StoryBoardThat.com:  

Iteration in a business is the concept of repeating a process, analyzing the outcomes each time, and modifying for ultimate efficiency in hopes to achieve a certain objective or outcome. Iterate.

As you consider your business goals for the second quarter, what are the things you can do to get things out more quickly, get feedback and iterate? This might be a new program you have been thinking about offering, a new product for your customers or clients, or a new system or process that could benefit from some feedback.

With many of the programs I run, there is an element of iteration. It often includes writing first here at the blog, then incorporating into a program I am running, and then looking at the metrics and feedback from both readers and group members. These two streams of feedback always help to strengthen programming.

Consider what iteration could look like in your work right now.
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With best wishes,
Jennifer

This week’s team building tip gets you to have a discussion (virtually) about what does each team member need. This is even more important at this time when teams are likely not seeing each other. Our personalities and our styles are likely to get magnified in the remote space, making it even more important to focus in on some discussion around what each team member needs.

Have discussion today around:

• What does each team member need? Consider – focus, motivation, feedback, communication
• What can others expect from each team member?
• What are teams able to do in terms of focus?

Given that you are likely to be meeting virtually, spend time going around and hearing from each person about what they can focus on, and then what they can provide to others.

Teams are as strong as their connection. What’s important for to you strengthen?

Wishing you the best,
​Jennifer

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

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.
Contact us to discuss how we can support you and your teams and organization with remote work.
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip reminds you to “Catch people doing things right”. A challenge in remote work is that we don’t always see people in their natural work setting. Feedback, in general, may be missing when we work remote and sometimes it can feel like we are operating in a vacuum.

In order to help team members excel, feedback is needed. Both positive feedback and constructive feedback when things aren’t going well.

So how do we provide feedback when we don’t see others in action?

Build in review reflection touchpoints. This might include mid-project or end of project reviews. These can involve sharing works in progress (or completion) where there’s a specific focus on sharing and receiving feedback.
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Build in co-working opportunities where it is live and virtual. This can provide a sense of everyone’s different working style. What might a co-working opportunity look like? It could be undertaking a 4-hour block of work together with the group coming together at the top of every hour. I facilitate these as part of the different remote coaching services I offer to group members who join me for an annual basis. With benefits of both ongoing accountability and getting things done quicker, it can be really interesting to have people share a snapshot of their work, real-time. It’s not only inspirational for us but can be a validating factor for those sharing the work. It also opens the door for informal feedback like – “Have you thought about….” OR “Have you considered looking at…..”. While we may operate in isolation, it can be important to benefit from peer wisdom and sharing.

Job shadow virtually, where feasible. Can more junior team members shadow another team member? Be an active observer so they can learn from others?

What else might you do to encourage job shadowing?

Finally, are you building in a culture with your remote team of having people share accomplishments and successes at team meetings? There might be a Star of the Week, or the Month. While this may not motivate everyone, it can build a great practice of building in a pause, so people note what they have done.

Enjoy your focus on thinking about feedback in the remote space and catching people doing it right.
 
Have a great week!
Jennifer

It’s Friday which means that it’s time for a Flashback Friday. Today I wanted to reach back to a 2017 post on Things New Remote Teams Need. Whether you are new to remote work, or are supporting others who are, this week’s post can also serve as a good checkpoint at the start of the year to see how we are all doing in each of the areas explored.

Check out the original 2017 post here.

Here’s what I wrote:
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In today's business context many teams are moving to a mobile, distributed or remote work force. Whether it's because the talent pool is dispersed, or commute times are pressurizing employees, remote work can be as effective or more so, when virtual teams are set up for success. Today's post explores six things new virtual teams need in order to thrive. These elements include:

1. Clarity regarding reporting relationships. Who are they to report to on what issues? When is reporting required? If matrix reporting relationships exist, what do they report to whom? What issues need to be co-reported?
2. Clarity regarding expectations regarding working – hours, approaches, breaks, how to log and share work etc.
3. The technology and ability to connect with others in the team and across the organization. Working remote can be a lonely endeavor and just as social time is important for face-to -ace teams, so is face-to-face for virtual team.
4. Regular check ins and feedback. Regular check-ins and feedback may revolve around the questions:
   1. How’s it going?
   2. What’s working? What’s not?
   3. What support do you need?
   4. What are your current priorities?
   5. What resources do you need in order to get the results you need?
5. Platforms so they can see each other and connect with their team. This could include regular virtual potlucks where the team actually connects for a meal from each of their locations. It could also include face-to-face time – quarterly or on a regular basis.
6. Clarity regarding how to flag issues - what issues to raise and when. Who should they be flagging issues to? When is the team leader available and how?

What other elements do you see as essential for new virtual teams to hit the ground running?

What’s important for your team to focus on, or take action on right now?

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

As we move into 2020, it’s easy to get swept up into the “doing” of work right away. Before the year gets further ahead, take a few minutes to be sure that you get these items scheduled in…

#1 – Team Meetings – Make them consistent and regular. It’s likely that you won’t be able to have everyone at the table (or the screen). Make sure that you create shared team agreements of what team members need to do if they are not present for meetings.

#2 – Meetings with Your Boss – Have you scheduled in time with your direct line manager? Keeping visible and being in regular communication is essential in today’s workplace. Corporate priorities can change quickly as can your boss’ priorities. How often are the two of you meeting? What format are you using? What’s important for them to know?

#3 – One-on-ones with The Team – While group and team meetings are great, team members still need some 1-1 time. Be sure to schedule in some time with your team on a regular basis. Are you aiming for monthly 1-1 conversations? Quarterly deeper dives? Daily touchpoints? As a team talk about expectations and make agreements about who is responsible for scheduling and follow up.

#4 – Team Development Time – As I shared in yesterday’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip, team development time is critical and is often overlooked for virtual teams. Teams don’t just excel by osmosis! They need time to get to know each other, clarify how they are operating and focus in on what’s important.

#5 – Strategic Thinking Time — Are you leaving yourself enough time for reflection and thinking? Be sure to leave in enough time for strategic thinking. This can include creating, or revisiting your VISION, MISSION and MANDATE. Taking time to think strategically is important so that you have a clear big picture with a longer-term horizon. With things changing rapidly, the strategic horizon of 1, 3 or 5 years down the road can be invaluable in helping us keep moving, and not getting too set back by the small changes which can feel frenetic.

#6 — Time to Get Things Done — With meetings, communication and email taking a lot of time, what time are you leaving for yourself to get things done? For some professionals, it means coming into the office early to tackle key tasks for 30-60 minutes before others arrive. For others, it means booking a conference room and closing the door. Notice when you are most productive and when it’s important to get things done.

# 7 – Learning Time – What are your learning and development goals this year? Embracing ongoing learning has never been more important. What are the skills, processes and approaches which are going to help you do your best work? Note that learning can take many forms: including in-person programming, virtual learning as well as on-demand learning. Finally, peer learning (see #9) is another set of approaches.

#8 – Feedback Time – What feedback touchpoints are you building in throughout the year? Feedback in many organizations has moved to an ongoing cycle, and it can be important to make sure that it is happening regularly. Block off time in your schedule to get it done.

#9 – Peer Learning Time/Mentoring Time — What is the peer learning you want to undertake this year? Is it possible to do some job shadowing or pair with a peer partner throughout the year to compare notes, share resources and learn from each other?

In addition to peer learning, what about identifying a mentor in your organization or industry who can share their experience in order to help you understand “what’s below the waterline”?

#10 – Time Within Your Industry or Outside Your Regular Scope of Work — Finally, industry connections are key. Keeping current in your area of work may be as important, or more important, in the medium- and longer-term. What connection into professional associations are going to support you this year?

As you think about this year, what is going to support you best?

Best wishes, 
​Jennifer

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversation Tip #125 takes us back into the vault of past EVC tips. This one brings us back to #25 which was “Feedback from your group is essential to facilitation growth and mastery”.

What feedback are you receiving BEFORE, DURING and AFTER, your virtual facilitation engagements? Feedback is critical at all stages.

Feedback before the session may take the form of connecting with learners before the program via voice and/or survey. Questions might include a focus on:

• What are you looking forward to learning?
• What should I know about your experience in the virtual learning space?
• How do you learn best?
• What’s important about this topic for you? Your work? Etc.

You may even ask people about how they will be following up with the learning.
Sometimes people feel that they may be speaking into a black hole. Taking time to get feedback during the session is also important. This might involve asking:

• For people to share an emoji
• To have people circle a number on the screen where they are in terms of their learning
• To share in chat what they are learning? What they are they going to do next?

Building in time at the end of the day to receive feedback around these questions can also be important. That might include some of these questions and/or questions along these lines:

• What worked well?
• What are you taking away?
• What should we do differently next time?

A third touchpoint where you may receive feedback about the session is:

• Right after the event with a traditional survey which may go out to measure impact.

A few weeks after the event you may also want to build in a final touchpoint which can not only serve as a point of evaluation but also as an opportunity for enhanced accountability. For many of the groups I work with, we will look to schedule a call about a month after the session to check in around what they are putting into practice and what questions they have.

Take a look at what we covered earlier in EVC Tip 25. Read the original EVC Tip #25 here.

What are the conversations you want to have?

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.

It’s the first weekend of the holiday season for some. For others, in retail, it may be another day in lead up to a continued busy period. This week we’ve covered a variety of topics including:

• Monday’s Effective Virtual Conversation Tip – Embrace the Differences. View it here. Read it here.
  
• Tuesday’s focus on Digital Transformation. Read it here.
  
• Wednesday’s focus on Ten Areas We Covered This Year. Read it here.
  
• Thursday’s focus on Team Building Question – “How do you want feedback?”. Read it here.
  
• Friday’s focus on 10 Questions to Take Stock of The Year.
  
• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt around what you want to put in your time capsule
  

​Enjoy your review!
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.

Coaches - What's possible if you were take 60 days of focused action on your business? Join us starting January 1st for this experiment in 60 days of focused action at the 60 Day Coaching Business Builder Accelerator. Join us. Early bird rate to December 23, 2019

This week’s Team Building Tip gets you to consider the question “HOW do you want feedback?” As part of team days, I host for teams (virtually and in person) we usually wind up doing work around strengths or styles, helping team members understand the diverse needs and approaches on the team. From there, we usually start exploring what these differences mean in terms of communication, working style, approaches to conflict and also things that get under our skin, or triggers.

One of the areas where you may see significant differences is in the area of feedback – how we like to give it, and how we like to receive it. Feedback should be a two-way street.

This week’s Team Building Tip asks the question: “How do you want feedback?”
Options might include:

• Regular in batches or as things happen
• Focused on the big picture vs. Granular in detail
• Verbal only vs writing which you can review and then connect verbally to speak about

What are the ways you want to focus on feedback?

Feedback should also be a two-way street, and while asking the question to those we are supporting through feedback, you’ll want to consider asking “What type of feedback do you want as the receiver?”

Note that in many teams, feedback is not just between the leader and team members. There may be peer feedback cycles as well. The question how “How do you want feedback?” may be an interesting one to explore with the entire team.
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Enjoy the conversations!
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.

As we step into the “last mile” of 2019 (i.e. the last six weeks, give or take a few, especially if your business shuts down for the holidays), one of the key activities you will want to make sure you build in time for is a set of year-end one-on-ones with staff. While many organizations have moved to an ongoing feedback and performance management culture, it can be important to ensure that final one-on-ones don’t get forgotten in the rush of year-end.

Some of the elements you may want to include in your final one-on-ones are:

• A look back at the key highlights for the individual this year.
• Reflections and sharing on key performance witnessed – things that they did very well, times when you saw their strengths in action.
• What were their major accomplishments? What skills and experiences were learned/acquired? How can this support them going forward?
• Discussion around areas for growth and improvement in the new year.
• Looking ahead to the new year, what are the key priorities based on organizational and department goals?
• What are their key learning goals? Where do they want to grow? What changes do they want to make?
• Support needs for the new year.
• Learning needs for the new year.  Identification of any areas they would like to acquire more skills within in their work.
• Goals they have for themselves and their career.

What other items might you include in your year-end one-on-ones? Every team and organization is different. While not all of these categories may reflect the type of performance conversations you typically have, it can be useful to invite your team to consider the bigger context of their work (i.e. how has this year helped them with future career aspirations).

While it’s top of mind, I hope that you will take a few minutes to make note of the questions you want to include in everyone’s discussion.

Enjoy!
​Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success focusing on the Virtual and 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. ​
Coming soon - the Remote Pathways™ Podcast