In the next few weeks and month, many of us are getting back to our regular work routines. Whether our children are back to school, or our team at work is back to running at full speed, August and September often signal a “new working year”.

Earlier this month I launched a new business workbook and planner – the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner. While it’s geared for coaches, I am working on another edition for virtual and remote professionals in addition to leaders which should be out later this year.

As you step into your new routine this September there are five areas you may want to consider:

1. What are the key activities you need to direct attention around?

What are the core initiatives you need to keep your eyes on? Steven Covey made famous the phrase “big rocks” years ago. The notion is, if you fit these in first, there's more space to do what we now term "work in the margins". What are your "big rocks" this fall?

2. Keeping the home fires rolling.

Having stepped away from city life for a few months this past summer and working out of a much smaller cottage, I recognize the cost and time invested in some of the more mundane, but essential tasks, it requires to keep an almost 3,000 square foot home in order. From groceries, to meal prep, to home maintenance, what are the tasks that are needed to keep things rolling at home while you work at full-tilt? From online grocery ordering, to meals in a box, or one of our favorite – family meal prep at Supperworks – keeping the home fires burning is essential to many of us.

What are the core elements which are important to you?
 
3. Scheduling in time for your own self-care.

Whether it’s working out, or building in time to renew, we only have one body, and keeping it in top condition is essential. What are the key activities you want to leave time for this year?

4. Clearing the clutter.

While some say that a disheveled office is often seen as part of a creative mind, clearing the clutter can be essential for high performance. Can you take some time before September rolls around to do a purge of items, or clearing of an area which has been growing in size?
 
5. Reviewing, or making your plan, for the fall.

Earlier this week I hosted the first of a series of "back to fall" virtual planning workshops, in a condensed 45 minute hack format. i brought in several of the resources and planning tools from my latest book, Coaching Business Builder: Workbook and Planner.

An older project management adage asserts that 10 minutes of planning can save 20 minutes of unfocused effort. What are your plans for fall? Each month? Each week? Are you taking 5-10 minutes daily, or on a regular basis, to make a list of all the important items?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

​Taking time in this last full month of summer for renewal and mindfulness can go a long way. Whether you have an extended long weekend or a full week off, renewal and mindfulness are important.

What renewal opportunities have you taken this summer? Is there an opportunity to fit in one more renewal burst?

The topic of renewal means many different things to different people. In my work as a coach, this is typically an area we explore together. For some clients it might mean – digitally detoxing – intentionally taking time offline to renew. For others it may mean getting out of the city and spending time in the country or more rural areas. For yet others it can include taking time to purge their own resources.

In today’s hyper-connected world, there may be some initial backlash and discomfort from slowing down…until you get a chance to ease into it. This is what I call the “Decompression” phase, something I experience every summer as I shift my office, and work, from Toronto to the beauty, and more laid-back pace, of Muskoka. This year I’ve been very conscious of the layers of decompression which have occurred. Sometimes uncomfortable, I have found myself more focused, relaxed and productive than I have been for years.

What does renewal mean for you?

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) 
Coaches - check out my new Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner. Now available.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

​It’s time for another Weekly Journaling Prompt and this week’s question is “What’s possible this year?”. As you step into the last five months of the year, take a look at what’s possible for you as a team this year.
Set your timer and note down everything you think is possible. At the end of the year it may be interesting to take a look back at what did come to be.
 
Enjoy the rest of your 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

It’s time to take a look back at a past post, and in the spirit of summer I am reaching back to a post I wrote a few months ago – Teams365 #1611:
What have you done, or have planned, around renewal recently? We know that for professionals, leaders and teams to keep moving they need periods of rest.
Looking to Teams365 #1611 and renewal as it relates to working in time of complexity:

“This month we’ve been looking at teamwork and complexity and what happens during times of stress, ongoing change and complexity. The toll on time in this context is multi-fold. Things can feel more stressful, which impacts our ability to focus and get things done, and at the same time, our older systems for time management may no longer work.
Today’s post gets you as a team to consider what is going to help you FOCUS, as well as RENEW. Yesterday’s Teams365 post – Teams365 #1610 – explored different tools for prioritization. Today’s post gets you to think about the systems and processes that help you keep moving. This might include things like:

1. Creating focused sprint times which are dedicated to focusing on one task only. In “Sprint” fashion, time windows may be used to pick up the pace for intensive bursts. I’ve been experimenting with this in my work with program designers and leaders in the last couple of years and it’s had a really  positive impact for participants in terms of generating immediate impact, content and also moving through some of the typical roadblocks which can be experienced.
2. Setting times of the day for meetings, communication and response. While this may not be feasible for all teams, email and correspondence can leak everywhere. When do you as a team want to dedicate time to meet and communicate with your team members, leaving you periods to also get the work done?
3. Consider what renewal looks like and means for each team member. Even high performing teams need break and rest cycles for renewal. When are you building these into your work. How are you focusing on giving some periods throughout the year where team members aren’t running at full speed but have pauses of slower pace and/or creative inspiration. For some team members renewal may mean working a condensed work week, and for others, it may mean working remote several times a month.

 
What can you do as a team to support focus and renewal during times of complexity?”

​If you haven’t got some white space in your calendar this month for some down time, what do you want to do to create some?

Enjoy your 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

As Robin Sharma writes “Clarity precedes success”.
 
This week’s team building question gets you to explore the question “What is clear for you right now?”. Taking time to stop and pause and ask what’s clear helps with focus, alignment and role clarity. In asking the question, it may also take us to the flipside of this – What is not clear?
 
As you consider your work right now, what’s clear for you as a team? What could use some further shaping?7
 
Enjoy your Thursday,
Jennifer

We are continuing on a look back at different team development focus areas.  In today’s post we are exploring E through H. What are the different things we might explore with teams we are working with?
 
E is for exceptional, excellence, emotional intelligence. Read Teams365 #1070 - Team Development Activities – E is for Exceptional  here.

OR
 
Other posts on building emotional intelligence here.

F is for fair, frank, focused.
 
In team development, one of my favorite travelling tools is to pack a roll of tin foil or aluminum foil. This can be used for a number of team development activities including foil modelling by a team of their vision, next steps etc. Creating a model that they can take back to the office is a great reminder of commitments and their focus. Read my Teams365 post on foil modelling here.
 
Check out these posts on the Leadership A – Z on F here.

G is for goals, gratitude and also the GROW model of coaching. Take a look at this post around the Leadership A – Z of G here.
 
For leaders working on Authenticity you may want to check out this other “G” post where I share some resources around being genuine here.
 
And finally, H is for Habits.
In an era of ongoing change and uncertainty, habits play an even more critical role. Habits are things that we have typically done so consistently that they become second-nature and automated. This means that we often don’t need to think about doing them as much, freeing us up to look at and consider other things. When teams are virtual, habits also play a critical role in creating consistency across the team. It’s an important part of culture.
 
Check out Teams365 #323 for H is for Habits here.
 
I’ve written a lot about habits and you can find other posts here.

Enjoy your Tuesday,
Jennifer

it would be really easy to create a long laundry list of things for you and your team to focus on this fall. There is always some new red,, shiny object. As a former team leader myself I am a firm believer in keeping things simple,  in being integrative, rather than additive.

So this week's Teams365 Sunday audio (6 min) looks at 3 core areas for you to explore and possibly invest in with your team this fall. We're going back to the basics - Goals, Connection and Commitment. Together they form a powerful triad to focus on, and support what the team effectiveness research says leads to high performance.

Listen in:

Practically, what can you to support the team in these three areas?

Have a great Sunday,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Coaching Skills Training | Leadership Development | Teamwork
Growing Team Leaders, One Conversation at a Time(TM)
Contact us to discuss coaching or performance needs for your and your team
Phone: (416)996-8326