Each Thursday I provide a question for you as a team to explore and have a short conversation around. Typically, these are questions which may provoke new discussions you are not having or prompt a sharing of information that is not naturally available.

This week’s team building question might fall into the category of “provocative” for some teams.

The question is “What is not being spoken about?”.

We know from research that teams which excel are teams which are able to surface difficult issues for exploration, without fear of retribution. This is not easy and requires high levels of TRUST and connection with other group members.

When we don’t surface issues, or address issues which need to be raised, it’s likely that they will grow in magnitude and possibly FESTER, creating more toxicity for the team. Rather than being an issue which could be addressed quickly it may become an issue that gets charged with emotional and resentment.

When we are surrounded by an elephant in the room it can be refreshing to finally name it, even if we can’t address it right away.

As a team this week, how might it be useful to surface the issues which are not being spoken about? What do you want to do to capture these and address them in the medium- to long-term? When we open what might be perceived as a Pandora’s Box it can be useful to have shared clarity around what will happen with these issues. Are you looking to spark conversation and problem solving or provide a “release valve” on issues which need to be surfaced but may not change? Consider how you want to set this question up as a team.

Enjoy your conversations!
​Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including 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.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
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. ​

This week’s Flashback Friday post takes us back to a post from 2017 on Remote Team Mistakes. Our focus these last few months has been on remote team mistakes. Here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #1163: 
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This month's focus here at the Teams365 blog has been on virtual and remote teamwork and leadership. Check out our March 2017 posts if you haven't been along on the journey so far.

Today's post covers a range of virtual team faux-pas or mistakes. Things that when overlooked, can lead to missed opportunities, and sometimes a reduction of trust and connection. Consider how you might as a team be able to avoid these and what solutions make most sense for you:

* Not trying to meet regularly - Regular meetings are important in the virtual domain AND an important corollary is that meetings should meet the needs of the group in terms of efficiency. What can be shared before or after the meeting rather than during the meeting. "Out of sight does not always equal out of mind."
* Not thinking that different team members need support - Being on a virtual team can be isolating. While many of us love the autonomy this provides, it does not mean that we don't need support. Be clear with support needs across the team. Regular 1-1s can be important in the virtual/remote world.
* Not considering what type of support different team members need - Given that teams are diverse and complimentary, it is likely that team members will need different types of support. Spend time this week inquiring what type of support is most useful if you don't know.
* Duplication of effort - Watch for how much duplication of effort occurs. This can be a signal that some changes are required around roles and responsibilities, priorities and/or communication.
* Priorities that become competitive - Having a line of sight across the team and priorities can be important in avoiding or minimizing this mistake
* Not having consistent measurement across the team  - What does success look like from each team member's perspective around their current priorities and initiatives. Be careful to note what consistent measurement means and looks like.

What other faux-pas are you aware of or want to take note of for your team?

Enjoy your weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including 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.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
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. ​

Many of the skills we employ in the in-person world become augmented when we work remote. For example, let’s explore communication. Communication is always critical in any workplace context. As we shift to remote work, it become even more nuanced, with considerations around:

• What is the best way to communicate an issue which needs to be addressed by my colleague 12 hours ahead in terms of time, but who I will not cross paths with?
• What are my colleagues’ preferences in terms of communication? Consider:
  • Do they like a lot of detail? Context? Just the briefest of information?
  • What is the channel of preference – Phone? Email? IM? Other?
  • If we are using different platforms, like Slack, how can I share more detail, context and background in the message I am addressing?
  • What considerations and adaptations should I make given that English is not all our first working language?

Given the volume of information coming at people it also can be important to reinforce key messages through multiple communication touch-points. Just saying an important message once is not enough. Consider reinforcing messaged in different ways – i.e. via email, talked about in the team meeting, shared via video message etc.

Finally, check for understanding. In one-on-ones, via email and/or chat, what do people understand? What have they heard from the messaging? Have them rephrase or feed back to you what their understanding.

Communication is a cornerstone of high performance. Clear communication across distance, time and culture can be even more complex.

What are you doing to ensure that your communication is the best suited for the context and message? What are you doing to ensure that it's understood as it is intended?

Best,
​Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including 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.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
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. ​

As we consider this month’s focus around remote work, we get to explore another myth of remote work. One of the fallacies of remote work is thinking that “I can be on all the time”.  As a remote worker it can be very important to set boundaries around when you, and others on the team, are available. While days with long hours of work may be a “one off”, they should not become the norm. It’s important to remember that remote workers are typically governed by the work context in which they reside, where different employment standards may exist.

Several organizations I have worked for as a former remote director and leader established core working hours. These were hours that everyone across the organization had to make themselves available for.

Questions to consider:

• What are the hours of work everyone should be available for – even a few days a week?
• What boundaries are important for team members to consider?
• What are the elements which are important to note?
• What will help people on the team renew?
• What will support that sharing of information “around the clock”?

Best wishes, 
​Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including 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.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
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. ​

Today’s blog post continues this month’s focus on remote work myths and pitfalls. Today’s myth is a common pitfall – “out of sight equals out of mind”. In fact, both research and practice have shown the need for more consistent and frequent communication to keep things moving on remote teams.

​This can be accomplished via a number of avenues including:

• Creating opportunities for peers to connect on a regular basis. This might include more formal activities, or it might include more informal events like virtual potlucks or co-working sessions. In a remote team, focus should be made on providing regular peer connections.
• Consistent meeting times for the team. It can be a very slippery slope when remote teams try to find a time when everyone is available. This may never happen! Get into the practice of establishing a set time so everyone can start adjusting their schedule to meet this. For those that are not there, have peer partners provide an update and/or check in.
• Put attention on team development for the team. It’s often assumed that remote teams don’t need a focus, however, if we treat everyone as separate bubbles, it’s really hard for people to feel part of a bigger entity. Research in the last few years has found that only about 1 in 4 remote teams do put a focus on team development. Going back to the basics around team effectiveness, teamwork skills and building a team identity can go a long way. AND it can be done virtually as well!
• Build a strong team identity. Team culture is key in remote team success. It helps with connection and alignment. Check out past posts I’ve written on team culture and team identity in the last few months.

Ensuring regular one-on-ones with staff. Be sure to check out past Teams365 blog posts for more on hosting 1-1 calls, and questions you might ask. 

What’s going to support your team from not feeling “out of sight and mind”.

Enjoy your conversations,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including 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.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
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. ​

As more people and organizations turn to remote work conditions, it’s important that we also are aware of some of the pitfalls. This month, I’m taking a look at things that will help and hinder your remote work experience.

Today’s post covers 4 remote work pitfalls:

#1 I can do it all by myself - Remote work does not mean operating in a vacuum. In fact, collaboration skills are needed at a higher level by remote workers. Take time to consider WHO you need to collaborate with regularly and make a point of setting up meetings and/or work sessions.

#2 Unclear expectations - Creating shared expectations are the key to remote work success. This needs to be co-created or created together. Expectations may revolve around large and small issues including:

• Hours of work
• Level of connection with the office, the team, etc.
• Device use – personal and work
• Security and confidentiality around files, and materials
• Boundaries

What are the expectations you need to clarity more fully?
 
#3 Thinking it can all be remote - When I was a remote team leader, one of the best investments for my team was an annual face to face meeting. I supported professionals across multiple countries, and while there was an expense involved, brining people together once a year or every 18 months for a mutli-day working set of meetings was invaluable. The team appreciated the investment and we made use of every moment from dusk to dawn in formal and informal team activities. The investment paid off immensely and was not difficult to organize given the high level of engagement of the team.
 
#4 Micro-managing, not micro-monitoring - One of the greatest pitfalls is trying to “control” or micro-manage a remote team. High levels of trust are required in the remote work space. As a former colleague of mine, Doug, used to say “always micro-monitor, not micro-manage”.

Micro-monitoring means that you keep an eye on the end result, but you let people do their work in the best way they can.

What does micro-monitoring mean in your context? How can that help you as a team have the space and means to excel?

Enjoy your conversation,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including 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.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
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. ​

Each Thursday I share a question for prompt for you and your team to consider and explore together. They are questions you might bring into your team meetings to create a quick new focus OR they might get circulated in a weekly email. Feel free to share, while attributing this blog as the source.

This week’s question - #252 in the series – gets you to consider the question “What needs to go under the microscope?”.

When we put things under the microscope a number of things happen:

• We can adjust resolution
• We can zoom into new parts
• We can get curious about detail

My undergraduate degree is in science and I spent a lot of time peering through microscopes in my first few years at McGill. The process always fascinated me and has left its mark around the different perspectives and insights microscopes provide.

What issues do you want to put under a metaphorical microscope?

What could benefit from a zoom in or looking at more detail?

Enjoy the conversation and the exploration!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including 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 (season 2 of the 90 days series has just started)
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
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. ​

​This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip takes us into the landscape of coaching. Coaching is one of the many varied conversations which are taking place in the virtual space today.
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Coaching has been leveraged by organizations and individuals for several decades now. Similar to sports coaching, business, executive and team coaching, supports individuals and systems to get their best work achieved. A coach is there to help a person/group/team tap into their knowledge, and create the conditions for success.

Whether it’s a business owner looking to accelerate their business, a leader to help their team be successful, or someone in career transition looking to land their next best role, coaching is a collaborative conversation, supporting the client to set goals, take action, expand their awareness and benefit from enhanced accountability. Together, these areas fuse to create the conditions to more focused and informed actions.
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Let’s look at each one in turn. Coaching is grounded in helping the person or group/team being coached, get clearer on the results they want. As philosophers have written for millennium, without a clear destination it’s hard to get there. Work around vision as well as goal setting, and resourcing is foundational to the coaching processes.
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Coaching is also about supporting informed action and also enhanced awareness. Many times, the things that help and hinder us are “below the waterline”. As I share in my recent workbook planner “PlanDoTrack”, it’s the habits, assumptions, values and beliefs which shape our behaviors and then results. Shein first published on this decades ago in his work from Harvard.
Think about it. As a team, if you have a belief that you will succeed with a task and have your leaders blessing to do what you need to do to make that happen, you are more likely to experiment, take risks, innovate, share information etc. If there is a belief that only one person will succeed, it’s likely that information won’t be shared, competition will ensue, and potentially you won’t be successful.

In coaching, we may spend a bulk of time “Going below the waterline” to explore, and make explicit these assumptions, beliefs, values which are driving and shaping decisions, behaviors and results.
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Coaching is also beneficial due to the accountability between the coach and client. In today’s disrupted world, enhanced accountability can mean that we do keep our eyes on what’s important, rather than feeling whiplashed from bouncing from one marker to another. Peer accountability can play a key role when the coaching conversation is expanded to many, as in group and team coaching.

Where might coaching benefit your organization or your self? What results are you looking to achieve in the next 12 – 18 months?

Set up a call to discuss how we can support your organization with coaching services, or training of your leaders in coaching.  Reach out with an email to me at info@potentialsrealized.com.
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I look forward to hearing from you,
Jennifer

This week’s Team Building Tip gets you to think about what you are putting your attention around. What we measure gets done. What we focus on, may improve.

Creating intentional focus is critical for success in a disrupted business context. It’s often the consistent action that gets things going.

In contrast to the question you, as a team, will want to consider – what are you NOT putting attention around?  What does need some attention?

As we step into the early part of September, it’s likely that things are going to ramp up again. Having a discussion this week with your team who is in the office around what you are and are not focusing on, and changes you want to make, can help set you up for success this fall.
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Enjoy your conversations!
Jennifer

As I have written in other Teams366 blog posts, shared team practices are critical for high performance. Shared team practices are the ways teams communicate with each other and share information and build trust and connection.

Shared team practices could include:

• Weekly team meetings
• A monthly pot-luck meal (virtual or in person)
• Getting together monthly to share information about programming and focus areas
• Informal and/formal peer learning events

One of the main vehicles teams use for communication is meetings. As many find, meetings may not be held most efficiently or effectively. Next week I’ll share more on meeting pitfalls.

In today’s post, I wanted to remind you of the 8 Essential Meeting Questions I share in Effective Virtual Conversations. These are questions you will want to get in the practice of asking before each conversation you have:

1. What’s the purpose?
2. What takeaways do we want?
3. Who needs to be on the calls?
4. What preparation is needed for us to be most effective in the meeting?
5. What pace do we want in order to keep it engaging?
6. What will help keep the focus?
7. What is absolutely essential (versus what will be a nice to cover) where people can go for more information?
8. What follow-up might be required?

(Source: Britton, Effective Virtual Conversations, page 304)

As you consider your meetings and/or team practices, what is important to note? To adjust as you step into September?

Best wishes,
​Jennifer