​Last month here at the Teams365 blog I intentionally focused on posts to support you in wrapping up the year. We usually never have enough time at this time of the year, so for today’s FlashbackFriday I want to reconnect you to these five posts. Do make a point of checking at least one of them out!

5 things to get in your calendar for 2019, right now! 
Have you got all 5 of these items in your calendar for 2019? Click on over to the post to explore what I’ve written and linked to around team meetings, team development, feedback, mentoring and skill development.
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Planning for Year End Activities with your Team 

Year end productivity reminders – 4 things to keep in mind
In addition to the 19 Productivity Tips for 2019, you may also want to check out this post which includes 4 key things to keep in mind around productivity (Going back to the basics including  - understanding your Pareto Ratio)

18 Questions for 2018 Year-end one on ones
While I have flagged these questions for year-end one-on-ones, these are just as good for the start of the year conversations. What have you already scheduled for 2019 conversations and 1-1 time with your team?

Bringing projects to a close
Some of you may still be moving to get projects to a close. Check out this post for several tips for bringing projects to a close.

Enjoy!
Jennifer

This week's #FlashbackFriday takes us back to Teams365 Blog Post #1432. Read it here or below:

"This week's weekend quote comes from Winston Churchill who wrote "Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it". Is there a  project you have been wanting to complete for a while but haven't found the time? Would an extra hour a day move that project forward?

This past month I participated in NANOWRIMO for the third year. It's National Writing Month and by getting up early (a little more than an hour earlier than my usual) I was able to get on paper a new book for virtual team leaders and team members. While many hours of editing lay ahead, to know that it's there to be molded is a great feeling, and one that will let me rest this holiday season. I've come to appreciate the "focused push" I create for myself in a limited time window, so that important projects get attention, and don't swamp every day. Last year's NANOWRIMO project was my latest book, Effective Virtual Conversations. So stay tuned in later 2018 for the new, new book!"

Flashforward to end of 2018...what's interesting is that I've just wrapped up NANOWRIMO for the 4th year in a row. While the manuscript from last year is still in draft form, it spurred on two other publications this year -
The Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner AND
The PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner

I have been enjoying taking professionals of all kinds through 4 hour virtual retreats, supporting them in creating a pause of plan, tackle important projects and consider how they want to track it going forward. Join us for an upcoming PlanDoTrack Retreat and learn more about them here.

What project would you like to move forward? When might be a good time to do a focused push on this?"

Best,
​Jennifer

​Given our quickly shifting focus to the holidays and year end, I thought it would be appropriate to shift our attention back to a Linked In article I wrote and post I shared this time last year – Teams365 #1389.

This "It’s that time of year for parties, year-end team retreats and other events. Are you maximizing the amount of time and impact of these team events?

Having supported year-end programming for teams and organizations for many years I thought it would be useful to share four focus areas you may want to consider as you start preparing, planning and perhaps facilitating your year-end processes.

Number One — What’s the purpose? If you had to distill down the top two or three takeaways from the retreat process or that off site, what is it? The purpose of our year-end function can impact the structure and activities undertaken in the program.

Is the purpose of your year-end event:

• to build connection?
• to share important information?
• do some goal planning?
• to build understanding across the silos, that may exist within your organization?

I’d encourage you to think about the top two or three purposes of the upcoming program and link to consideration #2.

Number Two — What is the connection to the business? Think about what is the connection to the business. It’s still very common in today’s world for people to just go through the motions of a traditional annual year end party and /or event. 
Are you really maximizing that investment of bringing people together?
Could you build into that luncheon a half-day session before or after, to do some work with your staff teams to support their development, to help them look at their skills and strengths and styles and also to share with them, you know, and help them connect to the link with your business.
What opportunities do you have already formalized for bringing people together at year-end? What changes or additions do you want to make?

Number Three — Do you want to do it all alone? Many organizations today have a committee and amongst that committee membership, there may be some members who would be very comfortable in facilitating your year-end team or organizational process.
So, think about who might be best equipped to do the work? Is it you, members of that committee or maybe you are interested in bringing in an external facilitator?
One of the things we do, is either we come in and facilitate or develop activities which you can facilitate yourself.
Think about how you might be able to leverage the resources you have and or bring in some special guest speakers or external resources to contribute to the environment that you want to create.

Number Four — How are you going to take this forward? One of the biggest challenges that we see in learning and development today is this continued lack of transferability to the work place.
This was what drew me to focus more on the area of Coaching which places an ongoing emphasis on accountability and transferability to the workplace.
One the things I like to encourage organizations that I partner with to always thinking about is – How will you sustain the conversation? How will you take this forward into your work?
Hopefully any year-end retreat process or year-end meeting will have an action step and a very formalized action planning stage. Remember to build in time in the new year to revisit your commitments and accountabilities.

Here’s a quick recap:
Number One - Think about the purpose. What are the top three or four reasons or things that you want people to take away?
Number Two - What’s the link of the year-end program to the business? Is it just to have fun or something else?
Number Three - As your approaching your year-end processes, is this something you want to do or do you want to bring in a facilitator? A third option perhaps is to have something designed for you, so you can facilitate it yourself.
And finally, Number Four. What are the takeaways? How will people sustain the conversation? When will you check in on your actions and commitments?
I hope that you’re finding these ideas valuable, practical, and of course, implementable."
What are you looking forward to creating for your team in terms of year end planning and reflection?

Take a look at some of the other year end posts here. 

Best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations |  Coaching Team Leaders  
Join Jennifer for a year-end virtual planning retreat in the PlanDoTrack Series!
Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
YouTube – Teams365 Leadership Channel
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

Last month I took at look at core teamwork skills, a critical area for success in any team. At this stage of the year, your budget allocation may still be available. With that in mind, I wanted to take us back to what I wrote only five weeks ago about key themes and ideas for your own team development. Here’s what I wrote in Teams365 1736.
​
“This month we are going to focus on teamwork skills. Whether you work as an intact team, a project team or a remote team, teamwork skills are cross-cutting and help professionals at all stages of their careers do better work.
The context of teamwork has changed. In the past, teams were together for longer windows, with much more stability. Today most teams experience ongoing change and team composition. Researcher Amy Edmonston terms this “Teaming” and writes, “actively building and developing teams even as a project is in process, while realizing that a team's composition may change at any given moment.” (Teaming, Edmonston 2013)
She flags four behaviors as essential in the teaming context:

• Speaking Up
• Collaboration
• Experimentation
• Reflection

What are you doing to foster these areas?
The teamwork skills we are going to explore this month are:

• Trust
• Collaboration
• Communication
• Working Across Differences
• Relationship Management
• Conflict Management
• Emotional Intelligence
• Change Management
• Influence

For each of the areas we’ll explore what the skill is about, why it’s important. What some of the differences are in the different types of teams today. I’ll also point you back to some of the many posts I’ve already written on these topics.”
​
If you weren’t with us last month, I hope you’ll  take some time this weekend to look at some of the blog posts I shared. You may also want to build in time to think about WHAT SKILLS your team could benefit from more resources, conversation and training around.
 
Enjoy your weekend,
Jennifer

I thought that it would be interesting to take a look back to the first week of November in 2014 during the first week of this blog. What was I writing about then? In fact, that week marked the start of one of the first A-Z series I’ve hosted here at the blog. That one took us through the A-Z of leadership. You might recall that I’ve hosted other A-Z series in 2015 (Virtual and Remote) as well as in Team Development Activities. Do check them out! 

Here’s what I wrote back in 2014 as I kicked off the A-Z series:

“Today marks the start of a new series focusing on the a through z of Team Leadership. This time last year I did a similar series of blog posts over at the BizToolKit blog. You can read what I read my last year's post on A is for Action and Accountability over at the BizToolkit blog leadership here.

In addition to Action and Accountability, some of the words I have included in the Teams365 version for A include:
Attitude - What's the attitude you are demonstrating. What's the attitude each team member is bringing?
Able/Ability - What are you able to do? What abilities does the team bring? Each team member? How do you leverage these?
Aspire - Where do you aspire to move to?
Assumptions - What assumptions are you holding?
Articulation - To articulate is to spell something out. What do you need to articulate to the team?
Accepting - How accepting is the team? What do you bend for? Consider a bottom line? Deal Breaker?
Astute - Astute leaders use their intuition and observe. What are you noticing?
Assessment - What assessments are working for the team? What do you each need to step back and make a self-assessment on?
Agility - Agility, which embodies flexibility, is critical for today's ever changing workplace. Agile is also a term which has been embraced within the IT, and related sectors, as a core component of,, and approaches around, leadership.

What are the questions for you to explore today?”
I won’t be going through each day again this month, but you are encouraged to take a look and in any spare minutes, think about the opportunities for you as a team leader, or aspiring team leader.

Enjoy!
Jennifer

​This week’s FlashbackFriday post takes us to the territory of two past posts which explored the teamwork skills of Listening and Working Across Differences. If I had to categorize the different areas teams prioritize as wanting to get better in, or develop, it’s often in these two areas.
​
Let us take a look back at two posts I’ve written – one on Listening, and one on Working Across Differences.
 
First, here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #1103  on Listening. Read it here or below.

“Exceptional teams don't usually emerge as exceptional. They develop over time skills in different areas.

​The first area we are going to look at is Listening. In a team context listening is of utmost importance - it's listening on multiple levels. Listening to what the other team member is saying, and also listening for how it connects with your work. Listening is also hearing the emotional and requests behind the words. When teams are in conflict, there is usually a request behind each complaint that exists.

​In listening we want to listen on multiple levels:

​1. To the words that are being shared. This in fact only comprises about 8% of the message.
​2. To the tone, pace and pitch of the statement - what do you notice about the energy and impact of how the words are being spoken? This comprises more than 30% of the message.
​3. To the body language. What do you notice about the person's gestures? How they are standing? What does their body language say about how open or closed they are? Body language comprises about 55% of the message when we are in face to face settings.

​One of the challenges with team communication today is that so much is done by instant messaging or text in which we have no tone or body language to help make sense of what the words really mean. The impact of this means that words and the way they are interpreted are heavily influenced by the levels of trust and connection that exist within the team. You may be interested in checking out these two posts for boosting trust and connection in your virtual teams:

​Teams365 #258: Create Connection within Your Virtual Team. Read it here.

​Teams365 #610: Four Ways to Build trust in your team.

​There are some past posts I've written on listening, which is also a paramount skill in coaching. Take a look at these past posts related to listening:

​Teams365 #914: The Foundations of TeamWork - Listening - Read it here

​Teams365 #192: Listening And Coaching as A Leader. Read it here”
 
Working across differences is another challenging area for many teams today. The differences which exist on a team are often the greatest strength. However, how do we become more effective at working across differences? Consider what I wrote in this post – Teams365 #1110 – Working Across Differences.
 
“Today's teamwork skill in focus is the ability to work across differences. In today's world of ongoing collaboration and teamwork, this skill set is essential.

​Some tips for working across differences include:
​
​* Knowing each member's unique strengths and what they bring to the table. StrengthsFinder 2.0 is a wonderful tool to help people understand more about their unique strengths. Click here to read what I have written in the past about the benefits of leading from strengths, and supporting the team in understanding their strengths.

* Creating an environment where differences are celebrated and encouraged

​* Understanding the different styles which exist on a team. I usually use the Everything DiSC with the clients I work with. This helps to provide insights around people's natural working style, to support individuals in learning more about their "go to" approaches, especially when under stress. Understanding this also helps to adapt their style for working with others.

​What other ways do you want to support individuals on the team in working across differences?”

As you step into the weekend, what’s one concrete thing you can do to support your team in enhancing their skills in either listening or working across differences this month?

Best,
​Jennifer

It’s the start of fall today and time to stop and pause and take stock on what is  important for you. As part of our Flashback Friday series, I have two posts for you to consider.

First, let’s go back to last year’s video on questions to consider: Click above or here.
 
Second, here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #267 back in 2014:
As a new leaf turns (another color) and we move into a new season, what is it that you want to put a focus on this fall?  (Or spring for those in the Southern hemisphere)
What are your goals this season?
What new habits and practices do you want to put into place?
What relationships do you want to put attention around?
What else is significant for you this fall?
 
Adding on some of the questions I am commonly asking in 2018:
WHO can support you in achieving your goals?
What contingency plans do you want to put into place?
What’s the one thing you need to let go of, so you can focus more quickly?
How will you simplify this fall?
 
Looking forward to continuing to journey together for the next few months as we move through fall.
 
Warm regards,
Jennifer

For this week’s Flashback Friday I am reaching back to a guest article I wrote for the Coaching Tools Company a few years ago entitled “ Dive Back Into Work and School with these Five Goal Setting Elements” . You can find the original article here.
 
Here’s what I wrote:
“As the summer draws to a close for those of us in the northern hemisphere, people are gearing up for back to school and work. It's a great time to be working with our clients on goals - and whether you are an individual, team or group coach, goal-setting is a foundational piece of our work with coaching clients. This article explores five key elements of goal-setting.

1. Which Goal-Setting Framework?
Many of us work with our clients around setting SMART Goals, goals which are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant or Resonant and Time-bound. SMART goals allow clients to articulate goals which are more detailed, and therefore easier to track progress on.
There are several other goal-setting frameworks out there including what John Whitmore describes in his seminal book, Coaching for Performance, as PURE goals which are Positively stated, Understood, Relevant  and Ethical. For some, goals may be enshrined in a one page action plan, or in organizations as part of a development plan that is shared with the client's consent.
Consider with your clients which goal-setting frameworks will support them best. Their own style will have an influence on the type of goal framework they may wish to adopt.
Motivation is essential: Regardless of goal-setting framework it is important to explore with clients the issue of motivation. We can be motivated by things that are internal, or external. What's the "driver" for achieving this goal? Supporting our clients to connect with the motivational factor of the goal, or what I call SMART-E - the excitement, supports clients as they move through the peaks and valleys and when they hit the slump. When goal-setting, work with clients to connect their goals with their values and the importance of achieving them in the bigger picture.

2. Goal Timelines
What's the timeline on this? Goals can change dramatically based on the timeframe provided. Is this a short term goal, medium or long-term? When goal-setting, it can be seductive to always work on short term goals that create quick wins, but many times these become a rote check-box activity. Supporting clients to link their goals to their values and the WHY behind it, is important. For medium and long term goals, what will be motivational for the client over time? It is also important to work with clients on updating their goals as their context changes and key goals are achieved. You may want to build in goal checkpoints throughout the coaching process.

3. Goal Visibility
Make goals visible. Keeping goals visible can help to remind our clients of what they have identified as important. What is the structure which will keep their goals visible in a way that works best? Is it a post-it note on their computer screen, is it a photo on their phone or tablet, or is it something else? When you're goal-setting, inquire with your client about what structure will keep this visible and top of mind for them.

4. Accountability and Support
In the book, The Oz Factor, authors write, "Accountability is the guiding principle that defines how we make commitments to one another, how we measure and report our progress how we interact when things go wrong, and how much ownership we take to get things done. It is, in essence, the nerve center that runs throughout every part of the organization and through every working relationship to every member of every team."  The Oz Principle
Who will the person be accountable to - you? Others? In achieving this goal what do people need to say yes to? No to? How does the person want to be supported? Do they want their feet held to the fire, or do they want a high five? Building accountability into goal-setting is a key part of the coaching process.

5. Celebration and Recognition
Celebration and recognition of goal achievement is important, especially for large goals. In today's busy work world, we may not stop and pause and recognize our accomplishments. It is very common for teams and leaders to check off the box, and move onto the next goal without really taking the time to capture new learning, and what can be applied to future projects. In addition to supporting learning, recognizing and celebrating achievements helps us to connect with the WHY of each goal and its' importance.
Your Pondering Question: How can these five elements - Goal-Setting Frameworks, Goal Timelines, Goal Visibility, Accountability and Support, and Celebration and Recognition amp up your next coaching conversation - and results for your clients?”
 
Enjoy your last week of summer scheduling!
​
Best wishes,
Jennifer
 

While we still have a few weeks to go towards Labor Day and what many consider the end of summer (although not the official end of summer), this is often the week where a lot of parents start gearing up for back to school and back to work routines. In light of this, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at one of my older posts – this one from 2016 in a September post entitled “Gearing up For Back to Work”.

Here’s what I wrote then:
 
“Across North America, many of us are celebrating Labor Day and gearing up for back to work and school. As you approach your work routines this fall here are a couple of things you might want to focus on:

1. Build in time for planning - It's easy to get on the fly wheel of doing, doing, doing which creates its' own momentum. Building in time for daily planning bursts can help create laser like focus.

​2. Create pockets of digital downtime - Research is starting to identify the dark side of on-going digital connectivity. We all need time to digitally disconnect. What pockets do you want to create for yourself of digital downtime? What conversations do you need to have in order to create these disconnection points?

​3. Consider what routines are going to support you to continue to be at your peak. with the somewhat slower summer schedule behind us and things usually going into overdrive in the fall, it can be very important to consider how you are going to run at your peak. What routines will help you be most successful? What activities are going to help you renew, blow off steam etc?

4. Consider what those around you need from you. Work is not the primary focus for many workers today, and it's important to consider the other roles we wear. Spouse, parent, caretaker, friend. What support are those around you looking for this fall? How you do ensure that there is time for their needs?

​This fall, what is one habit you want to make sure you are building? Perhaps it's getting to the gym on regular basis, getting out of the office at a certain time, or spending more time with loved ones. Make note of this and consider what is going to help you be successful in this domain.”
 
Questions:
What’s important for you this fall?
What’s going to support you in building habits which are supportive
What one item do you want to put attention around?

Best wishes,
Jennifer