This week I am reaching back to post from August 2019, Reducing Digital Distractions and Creating Focus. What do you notice about your ability to focus in the virtual space?

Take a look at these factors:

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations post takes me to one of the areas I hear about the most from professionals of all kinds today – “How can I minimize my digital distractions and create more focus in the virtual space?”
Digital distractions are created by a variety of things. Consider:

• The bing of your email
• An “urgent” email which isn’t an urgent email as you are bcc'ed in
• An instant message that comes through via Slack
• Having to toggle back and forth through different screens instead of being able to lay things out in one way
• Having different people on your team using different frameworks/platforms for reporting

The cost of digital distractions is multi-fold:

• Work doesn’t get done
• Projects are not completed
• People are frustrated because they are not able to finish tasks
• Motivation suffers in the short term
• Engagement levels drop
• Turnover occurs much more quickly

There are significant human and business costs for both.

So, what are some ways to reduce digital distractions? Consider these items AS a TEAM. They need to be team based so everyone is doing them.

Be intentional as a team (and possibly as an organization) as to what the expectations are in terms of being “on” and when people can be off. It’s not uncommon for some organizations to have a block of global working hours where everyone needs to be available and meetings can be called.

• Experiment with “offline” blocks of hours where people can engage in their deeper work projects. Deeper work projects might include proposals, new projects, addressing strategic issues, working on systems to ensure process and people flow.
• Turn off the technology or close it off at certain times of the day (this will need to be discussed as a team/organization in terms of what is realistic and appropriate.)
• Think twice with subject lines, cc'ing and bcc'ing (which really shouldn’t be used widely, if at all).
• Consider when having an analog copy of paper/hard copy might make a task move faster or be completed at a greater depth of synthesis. Deeper thinking of work cannot be completed with just cut and paste.
• Provide workspaces and/or flex arrangements so people can work with less distraction.
• Consider the best platform for the work

Best,
Jennifer

This week I am hosting another 5 Day Stand Out Virtually Challenge, this one focusing on supporting organizational or corporate initiatives.

With many organizations realizing that their training, and team development, is going to need to be extended into the virtual realm for the distant future, being able to serve large groups, teams and even entire organizations in engaging virtual conversations focused on boosting relationships and enhancing  results.
There are many options for virtual conversations in the corporate space including:

• Virtual Retreats (Yes, organizations and teams moving their retreat process online.)
• Team Meetings
• Team Building Sessions – From escape room experiences to team development, team building is of great need. Prior to the pandemic about 1 in 4 remote teams had virtual team development. Given that teams are often the engines of business, what’s possible in your organization? Contact us to learn more about our team days. 
• Strategic Planning Sessions – One of my favorites, strategic planning sessions are a must as we move into Q4. Be sure to leave enough time for discussion and working on the plan.
• Micro-learning – Short video-based learning modules which people can fit in
• Virtual Round-tables – Time dedicated to bringing people together for discussion and dialogue.

What are the different virtual formats you want to explore? What’s going to help teams and groups work more effectively in the virtual space?

Be sure to return back to read tomorrow’s blog post on “The Different Bells and Whistles of Engagement for Zoom Calls” 

Best,
​Jennifer

Many teams globally are needing to continue to redefine how they operate, and one thing is clear; collaboration is essential. Part of collaboration is learning how to synergize. How to blend skills and fuse them together. How to break things down into different packets and weave them together.

This week, I wanted to reach back to a post I originally shared in 2019 – Teamwork in Uncertainty – Synergy. Let’s take a look at what I wrote then:
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When situations are complex and uncertain, it may be difficult to bring all the skills required for success. Therefore, being able to focus in on leveraging the skills that are available to you as a group or team can help maximize your skill base as well as what is available to you.

As I wrote in yesterdays’ post, knowing our strengths is important on the individual and team levels.

In synergy, we are looking at how 1+1 equals more than 2.
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If you have completed some strengths-based work, some additional questions to explore as a team are:

1. What the core strengths we bring as a collective?
2. What can we harness as a team?
3. Where might we be over-developed?
4. What is missing?
5. Where are the gaps?
6. When we think about current projects what strengths would benefit them?
7. Who is best suited to support which project?
8. What else is important to note?

​In situations of uncertainty, it can be important to consider risk, and also contingencies. Given that contexts may be changing rapidly leading from strengths allows us to do things quicker and with less energy expended, freeing up focus and energy for other items.
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What is important to note around synergy?

All the best,
​Jennifer

Last winter I published a white paper entitled the “Remote Working Whitepaper”. It’s been downloaded hundreds of times that I can track. You can pick up a copy here.

In it, I share what I term the 7 C’s or Remote Enablers to Work. The first one is expectations – what are the agreements you are creating as a team? This might include:​

• Quality of work.
• Communication – how much, in what channels, how regularly?
• How often you meet.
• The process and structure of how you meet.
• What is applicable and appropriate to raise at meetings, and what should be funneled elsewhere?

Clarity around expectations creates alignment around goals. What are the conversations you want to have?

Best,
Jennifer

Virtual Collaboration is a core topic for all types of remote professionals. Whether we have to build something within our team, or expand our network, it’s key to build capacity to collaborate across distance and time. I address this topic in Chapter 12 of Effective Virtual Conversations. In a very practical way, you will want to consider the following areas for exploration:

#1 – Why are we collaborating? Many writers assert that it’s important not to collaborate just to collaborate. In fact, it’s key that we are clear on why we are collaborating. Is it because our skills are better when we fuse them together? It is because we bring a different insight into a core topic? Be clear on why you are collaborating.

#2 – What’s your core stance and common ground around the topic? What is the common stance you hold around the topic? Perhaps you are both passionate about educating around a topic. Perhaps you want to create a new approach to looking at an issue. Being clear on where you both align, and where you are different, is important.

#3 – What’s different between your work? Consider where your work is not only the same, but complimentary. Partnerships can get weakened if both partners are too similar. Consider exploring not only what’s the same, but also what’s different.

#4 – Consider what your end result is. Results in the remote space need to be specific? Clear? Focused? What are your end results? What are you looking to achieve?

#5 – Provide feedback. Feedback is critical to any partnership and collaborative experience. Be clear on what’s working. What’s not. What changes are needed and how things can proceed.

How often are you meeting? What type of feedback are you both providing and receiving?

Collaboration will continue to be a “pain point” for many professionals. What’s going to help your partnerships flourish in the remote space?
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Enjoy the conversation!
Jennifer

This week’s Team Building Tip asks the question – What would create more safety?

For team members to engage, or individuals to engage virtually, we need to ensure that there is safety.  This is an essential ingredient for learning, results, relationships and performance.

Safety is created through many things –

• From being clear on what people can expect
• From being clear on outcomes
• By inviting all voices into the room
• By being clear what the boundaries are around the outcome
• By clarifying roles

Safety is an important part of what I term “the triad of virtual calls”. This includes TRUST, SAFETY and CONNECTION. Be sure to check out other posts on this topic here.

As you surface this conversation, what do you notice?

Enjoy your conversations, 
​Jennifer

This week I wanted to reach back to a post I wrote in 2016, and get you thinking about how it translates to the type of support you are providing your team leaders in the virtual space.

Here’s what I wrote in Teams365  #1026

Earlier this week I was part of a panel discussion on Team and Group Coaching at this week's Columbia University's Coaching Conference. As a coach, when I come into work with teams, team leaders play a key role in creating the conditions for success in building and maintaining a coaching culture. This was a precursor for success in work I undertook last year in developing a coaching culture with The Scarborough Hospital here in the Toronto area. This work just won a PRISM Award for Coaching Excellence from the International Coach Federation Toronto Chapter earlier this week.

While in the thick of things, team leaders sometimes forget the critical role they play for organizational success. Here's ten ways team leaders contribute to organizational success:
1. They translate the organizational objectives, KPIs and vision down into the tactical team realm;
2. They are the conduit for feedback and information up the leadership and organizational ranks;
3. They play a key role in creating a coaching culture (see above);
4. They are often the eyes and ears of what is really being spoken about in an organization;
5. They are the human face of the organization for team members, especially in larger organizations;
6. They are often the link and relationship with external stakeholders;
7. They often get called into be the voice of the organization for customers or clients when things go wrong;
8. They are able to share best practices quickly across their web of peers;
9. They have direct impact on the morale, culture and spirit of the teams they lead;
10. They play the unique middle role of being a conduit up and down the organization. This role is often overlooked by teams and leaders above them alike.

Based on this, what support are you providing right now for your team leaders? How are you involving them in communication and decision making? What development opportunities are they getting.

As you may know here at the Teams365 blog most of our work is geared to supporting teams and team leaders in doing their best work. If have questions about how coaching skills training, or some of our other leadership development programming could be of support, please reach out and let's set up a time to talk.
 
As many of you know virtual programming has been our preferred way of operating since opening our doors in 2004. What can we do to support your virtual and remote teams and/or organization in doing your best work?

With best wishes,
Jennifer

This week’s Team Building Question may seem a bit provocative, and in the remote space, it’s critical that we ask it – What’s not being spoken about?

When trust levels are high the question “what’s not being spoken about” can open up the doorway for a great dialogue. When trust levels are low, this question might seem very provocative.

The answer to this question can shine the light on areas you need to explore as a team, or areas to keep in min.

Here are a few other questions to keep in mind this week:

• What other areas haven’t you explored, or spoken about?
• What is taboo in terms of looking at as a team?
• What ideas are never surfaced?
• What’s not safe about bringing up an alternative view?

Enjoy your conversation,
Jennifer

PS - Take a minute and be sure to join us over at the Virtual and Remote Visionaries Hub as well on Facebook. You can join us here. 

A large part of my work for the five plus years has been in supporting organizations make the transition from in-person learning to online learning. This year has created a tidal wave for the need for engaging and interactive virtual meetings, learning and teamwork.

As I wrote in Effective Virtual Conversations

“Meetings can be an essential part of the communication needed for a high-performing team, and, unfortunately, they have gotten a bad rap due to poorly planned and poorly executed meetings. We know teams that excel usually have shared practices like meetings, which focus on building relationships and getting results.

With more than 35-50% of people’s time being spent in meetings each week, the question of “what could we do to make team meetings more effective?” is a strategic one.

As a team consider:

• What are the top three reasons we should be holding meetings?
• When is the best time to hold them?
• What’s working with our meetings currently? What’s not?
• What’s the one thing we could let go of doing in our meetings without having too much of an impact?
• What is the one thing we wish we did more of?
• What is the best way to communicate information in different topic areas?
• What are the things we want to start doing as a team instead of meetings?

END OF EXCERPT - © Jennifer Britton, Effective Virtual Conversations, 2017, pp. 312
 
Catch up on other EVC Author Readings I hosted during April, May and June. You can find them here at the Effective Virtual Conversations blog site. You’ll be able to listen into Chapters 1 to 4 of the book as I read it in a daily 5-7 minute reading. Enjoy!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Welcome back to another weekly Thursday question to bring into your team. This week’s question is “What could be collapsed?”
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When you think about this question it might take you to thinking about:

• What processes could be collapsed so they are more streamlined?
• What components could be simplified?
• What communication could be made easier?
• What elements could be broken down?
• When you think of collapsed, what is important to note?

Best,
​Jennifer