Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

#teams365 #3097 Collaboration In Focus – Revisiting Week 40

6/28/2022

This week we’re reaching back to a blog series I did over at the Remote Pathways blog back in 2020. Collaboration was the week 40 topic, and is as relevant today (and probably more so) than it was then. As you read though this, what do you notice?
Focus Question: Where can 1 + 1 = more than 2?

Description
Virtual collaboration is an art form, and a requirement of exceptional work in the remote space. “No person is an island”. It is critical that we spend time focusing on what is important for those we work with.

Collaboration can be more complex in the remote space as we don’t always see the context our colleagues are operating within. With this in mind, it can be even more important to be intentional in designing our relationships This is a topic I explore in Chapter 12 of Effective Virtual Conversations.

In Effective Virtual Conversations, I also explore some of the core skills at the heart of great collaboration. Take a minute and think about how these skills are underpinning great collaboration for you.

At the heart of great collaboration is clarity around:
Why are we collaborating? Collaboration is not always the best strategy.

What’s our common stake? What are all parties committed to?

What do we each bring to the table?
Activity
#1 – Where are you collaborating?
Map out the different collaboration partners you currently have? What makes them work?

#2 – Skills for Collaboration:
What skills do you lean into? What could use attention? Some of the more common skills needed for collaboration, which I outline in Chapter 12 of Effective Virtual Conversations, is listed below.

Complete the chart below:
For more on this topic check out: Chapter 12 – Effective Virtual Conversations and multiple sections in PlanDoTrack and Coaching Business Builder.

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

#teams365 #3086 Influence in Focus: Relationship Management

6/17/2022

Over the past few days we have been exploring the Emotional Intelligence focus on Relationship Management, and the competency of Developing Others.

Today, I wanted to turn my attention to the skill of influence. Influence is a key skill set for team leaders given your liaison role between your team and your own leader. Future posts will focus on the skill of managing up, and influencing your boss.

Key considerations with the skill of influence include :

Being a great listener and knowing what is important to others (team members, stakeholders, your boss, etc)
Knowing your people and their preferences
Being sensitive to others' "What's In It for Me" (WIIFM)
Skills in tactful communication - being able to diplomatically and sensitively communicate alternative points of view.
The ability to build trust and rapport quickly. Without this foundation of trust, the skill of influence is moot.
Understanding political currents and the nuances of groups/teams/organizations

What else do you see as key with respect to the skill of influence?

Activity:
Where is the skill of influence important to you?
As you reflect on some of the items above, how strong are you in each of these? Which ones could use further development?

As we consider the Triad of Trust, Safety and Connection in Reconnecting Workspaces (link to Amazon) notice that they are surrounded by Respect and Influence. Influence is a critical skillset for the hybrid workspace as we are needing to work through others for success. What are you doing to consider this area in your work, and relationships right now?

Enjoy the conversation.
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

#teams365 #3085 Relationship Management in Focus, Again and informal learning approaches

6/16/2022

Yesterday we started exploring Relationship Management, one facet of Emotional Intelligence. Key to success in moving up the leadership ladder is our ability to develop effective and strong relationships with others internally and externally.

Developing Others, one competencies of Relationship Management, is all about supporting the development of others. Whether it is through coaching and mentoring them, or creating new on the job opportunities for career development, this is a key trait. Many organizations today are continuing to develop agility through cross training and job rotations.

What opportunities are you seeing as valued by your team members? What opportunities can you create for them?

Consider these types of activities for developing others:

Coaching
Mentoring
Job Shadowing
Training - classroom, online, on-demand,
Stepping in while you are on leave
Leading/Coordinating special team events
Leading meetings

What other activities would you consider as providing an opportunity for your team members' to grow and develop?

For those interested in this topic you may want to "google" terms such as informal learning and/or explore with your HR department what opportunities may exist.

This blog post was originally published as https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-497-developing-others-relationship-management

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

#teams365 #3084 IN Focus: Emotional Intelligence – Relationship Building

6/15/2022

One of the core elements of Emotional Intelligence which is really important is that of Relationship Building. What is important to be focusing on in your relationships right now?
Here’s what I shared about Relationship Building and EI back in one of the first year’s of the blog – just as relevant today as it was then:
“Elements of Emotional Intelligence – Relationship Building

This week we are taking a look at the Relationship Management component of the Emotional Intelligence model. Last week we explored Self-Management here at the Teams365 blog.

Relationship Management refers to our ability to build strong and effective relationships with others. In today's business context having strong relationships are not enough. In fact, we want to couple those key relationships with a clear focus on goals and what we need to do. For many technical experts who move into the team leadership role the task focus may come easy, and the relationship management piece is the stretch.

Key areas Goleman identified as competencies in the area of relationship management are:

Influence

Developing Others
Inspiration
Teamwork and collaboration
Conflict management

Future posts will address several of these areas more in-depth. as you consider these categories, how do you define them in your work? Which ones are your strengths?”
Originally published at
https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams365-496-emotional-intelligence-relationship-management

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

#teams365 #3082 Focus areas for Hybrid Productivity

6/13/2022

With many offices well established in hybrid work now, it can be important to take a look beyond the re-establishing issues, and to the longer term focus areas of high performance. One of those key areas is in the space of productivity. I wanted to draw on a post from the PlanDoTrack blog from last year which summarized five key focus areas for remote productivity, which I think are just as important with hybrid productivity.
Here's what I wrote:

As we step into year 3 of use of PlanDoTrack and Coaching Business Builder, I continue to hear from users of the workbook/planner what they enjoy using. Shaped by hundreds (if not thousands of) hours of planning and productivity work with teams, organizations and business owners, PDT and Coaching Business Builder are geared to provide you with time to focus and get traction, putting into practice “Daily Steps + Consistent Action = Momentum”

Here are six of the perennial favorites which get mentioned regularly from readers and the PlanDoTrack Facilitators:

Monthly Daily Planner - One of my personal favorites, the Monthly daily tracker provides a space for you to regularly review your daily steps towards key goals. There’s space for you to track movement in 11 key areas – pick some personal, pick some business, and track away. You’ll see this one in the title for this week’s post.

Content Tools especially the Daily Content Tracker – The Daily Content tracker provides you with space to note what you have added to your list. Use it to list what you have created and where you are sharing it.

Monthly Content Journal – One Line a Day. Another favorite of mine, I use this in two ways. The One Line a Day gives you space to note one line for every day of the month. I use one to note my key actions for the day and a second one to note one sentence around IDEAS I had. It’s great to go back to and look at over time.

Monthly Content Tracker – While you may not be creating content every day, it’s likely that you will be sharing it. The monthly content tracker can be used to help you create a link to it.

Metaview Annual Goals and Milestones – This page allows you to get a high level overview of all the goals you have ahead of you. Update it as you go, given that annual plans can shift and change, as we’ve seen in recent years.

The Month in Focus – This is an invaluable tool used as a planner and retrospective on your week. Use it on a weekly basis to track your key priorities, successes, enablers, derailers, lessons learned and what you will do or focus on next week.
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Pick up a copy of either one of the Planners in digital format now at our Potentials Realized site. Note they are not available as a digital edition anywhere else (at least at the moment).

What is going to help you create the space, and set the stage, or exceptional virtual and remote work and results or you this year? Consider these 5 areas:

Daily Focus: Creating traction is a key part of exceptional work. IT’s the little steps which add up, and stack up, which I frame as “Daily Steps + Consistent Action = Momentum” in the Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack Resources.

Develop a routine that works for you – From being aware of our circadian rhythms (when we are at our best) to creating boundaries in our work, what is the routine which will work best for you?

Spend time planning and reflecting. The book is called PlanDoTrack for a reason – it’s a three stage process. We need to plan, then get into action and then reflect on what’s working and what’s not in order to track. What is your natural inclination in terms of where you spend your time. Is it PLANNING? DOING? TRACKING?
Which focus is really needed in your business this year?

Schedule it – As we were discussing recently in the 21 for 21 Co-Working Series – just like Peter Drucker said “What doesn’t get scheduled, doesn’t get done”. What time are you scheduling in your calendar? Looking for a starting place? Join us for the 21 for 21 series this month.
Here’s a calendar of the events –
Link to:
https://www.standoutvirtually.com/uploads/3/7/3/7/37374841/21_for_21_calendar_update_1.1.21.pdf

When are you going to schedule some time?

Connect – Remote Work can feel isolating. Be sure to connect in with others as you move forward with your work. What are you doing to be connect in with colleagues, old and new? What time are you earmarking to do this on a regular basis?

And finally as a bonus – be sure to fuel your soul. We can only go hard for so long if we don’t enjoy something. What’s going to help you get renewed? Enjoy your work?
Let us know what your focus is using the comments below.

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

#teams365 #3053 Week in Focus

5/15/2022

This week’s Sunday Week in Review provides us with the opportunity to focus on two areas – mentoring and meetings. Both are critical for today’s evolving workspace.
Take a look back at these posts from this week:
Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt on What Will Create Flow
Friday’s Flashback – Five Hybrid and Virtual Meeting Tips
Thursday’s Five Benefits to Mentoring
Wednesday’s Activate Mentoring in Today’s Workspace
Tuesday’s focus on Meeting Tips
Monday’s Reading from Reconnecting Workspaces

What’s going to support you in continuing to do your best work in this changing context?

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

#teams365 #3024 Six Questions to Consider around Conflict

4/14/2022

For the last three weeks we’ve been exploring the topic of conflict. What do you notice about conflict in the teams and organizations you have been working with?

Today’s focus is on the topic of questions around conflict.

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

TEAMS365 #2607 - Team Building Tip 279 – What will help with focus?

2/18/2021

Yesterday I wrote about some of the lessons learned so far in the 21 for 21 series of virtual co-working sprints I’ve held in January and February. One of the big benefits of this, as identified by participants has been the focus created around Getting Important Things Done.

This week’s team building tip is the question “What will help with focus?”.

Enjoy your conversations,
Jennifer

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

TEAMS365 #2558 – Year End Stock Taking

12/31/2020

2020 has been a year of many things unexpected. It’s been an opportunity to change and grow and involved tons of learning for everyone who had to pivot or double down on their work. As we go to wrap up the year, I want to wish you and your loved ones all the best for a new year!

Here are several questions I hope you will find useful as you go to undertake your year end stock taking:

1. What's been your biggest success for you this year?
2. What are you most proud of accomplishing?
3. What were your greatest results?
4. What habits have you cultivated?
5. What routines ground you?
6. What changes do you want to make as you step into the new year?
7. What three adjectives sum up the year for you?
8. What were key relationships instrumental to your success and experience this year?
9. What has been your biggest, and most important, learning this year?
10. Looking ahead, what are your key goals? What will wild success look like?
11. What do you want to make sure you keep doing in the new year? What do you want to stop doing?
12. What do you want to acknowledge yourself for?
13. What and how will you celebrate the successes of this year?

See you in 2021!
Jennifer

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

TEAMS365 #2557 – The Year in Review – Key Themes for 2020 at the Teams365 Blog

12/30/2020

As we go to wrap up the year, I wanted to take a look back at the many different focus areas here at the blog during 2020. Some of you may know that this blog started as an experiment for me back on January 1st, 2014. I wanted to see what would happen if I dedicated time every day to writing. More than 2500 blog posts later, and several other books which were borne through this writing, the Teams365 blog continues to go strong.

As someone who has written about remote work for many years, 2020 brought it in, in volume. If you didn’t take a look at yesterday’s post around the Top 10 podcast episodes from the Remote Pathways for 2020, please take a look.

Some of the key themes we touched on this year included:

Team Effectiveness in the Remote Space
Virtual Productivity
Leading in Disruption
Leadership
Standing Out Virtually in the Remote Space
Remote Work Foundations
Team Essentials

I also continued with the regular weekly series as well, including:

Monday’s Effective Virtual Conversations tips AND the more recent Stand Out Virtually Ideas
Thursday’s Team Building Tips – Questions to incorporate into your work
Friday’s Flashback – dipping into more than 52 past posts
Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompts – what have you enjoyed about these?

I look forward to continuing to provide blogs and posts into 2021!

With best wishes,
Jennifer

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