Happy Saturday! What do you have planned this weekend? When are you going to build in some time to reflect on your week?

Today’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets you to think about your travels this year. The prompt is “My favorite trip this year has been….”. Travel has always been a passion for me, even when I was working and living overseas for more than a decade.

I love the learning and new insights caused by travel, as well as the freedom from my everyday routine.

I hope that this weekend you will find some time to reflect on your recent travels, and related insights/learning/observations.

With this now being #84 in the series, you may also want to dip into other posts including:
#81 – I want to put the following in my time capsule..
#77 – I am on the path to...

If you are journaling, are you also building in time to reflect and review what you have written? As you do so, you may want to be asking these questions:

• What journey have you been on as you’ve been journaling?
• What do you notice about themes across your writing?
• What connections do you see across the posts?
• What stands out/jumps out/emerges for you as you read it?
• What is significant?

Enjoy the reflection,
Jennifer

​In my former world of work as a remote leader with teams across ten countries, and in the last fifteen years of working remote a majority of the time, remote work is second nature, and is the primary focus of our support. As more organizations are gravitating to a remote work approach, it can be important to become more explicit with some of the nuanced differences in leadership and teamwork between in-person work and remote work. Today’s post explores four areas to pay attention to as a remote team:

1. Building everyone’s skill set and leadership capacity – In a remote team, it can be critical to equip all team members with skills and leadership capabilities even if they do not hold the title of leader. Given that remote team members may be the “face of the team or organization” or represent the organization to those locally, ensuring our team members are equipped with the right skills can make or a break an organization that is remote, or is moving remote. What are you doing to invest in team member’s development on an individual level?
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2. Spending time on team development – 2016 research done by Culture Wizard found that only about 1 in 4 remote teams benefited from any team development. This is an area that is often overlooked in terms of what might be possible. At Potentials Realized, we specialize in remote team support and bring years of experience in supporting remote leadership development, virtual skill development and remote team support. Reach out to learn more about the Remote TEAM DAYS we facilitate. From half day to full day virtual sessions, to strategic planning conversations, team development in the remote space is just as important, or even more important than that in the in-person space. Team development is a blend of both focusing on results as well as building relationships.

At Potentials Realized, we offer a suite of support services specialized for remote teams – from strategic planning, to team development, to virtual training in key leadership topics (link to map of remote team topics) or our Teams365 modules. From one-hour lunch and learns to multi-day sessions we’ll meet up with you in the remote space, designing and facilitating your event, without your team having to travel (unless they want to!). Set up a call to discuss.

Questions to consider:

• What opportunities do we have this year to bring the team together (virtually or in person)?
• What opportunities could be benefit from?
• What needs attention – building our relationships, clarifying our results, or both?
• Making things explicit – All teams may falter if things are not made explicit. When assumptions go unchecked. This is particularly true in the remote space when all of us may have “different pieces of the puzzle – i.e. different contexts we operate within, different skill sets, and different vantage points on the work we are undertaking. Being proactive in sharing our context, priorities and preferences builds trust and connection, and also supports a wider understanding of priorities, practices and approaches.

More questions to consider:

• What are the things that need to be clarified?
• What needs to be shared more?
• What are the assumptions which are not being named or checked?
• What else is not being seen?

3. Proactively taking time to build relationships – In the remote space it’s hard to meet colleagues as you head into the lunchroom or head to the water cooler. We usually only come together for formal events. Given that socializing time looks different in the remote space it can be important to be more proactive in building relationships. As an organization or team, you may want to take some time to create more informal connection points. Whether this is a virtual co-working space which opens up for short windows each week, or whether it’s an informal but facilitated series of conversations at lunchtime by a colleague (think virtual lunch and learns or book club calls). Remote workers need a sense of connection and identity (stay tuned for more on this topic tomorrow).

4. Be aware of what’s below the “waterline” – In my 2019 workbook/planner PlanDoTrack, I provide the metaphor of an iceberg as a valuable tool for self-development and team development. Where teams of all kinds can benefit it by exploring what’s below the waterline of their work.

Best wishes, 
​Jennifer

​​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the start of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

Winter 2019 programs start this week including the Coaching Biz Growth Lab (an annual focus on coaching business development), GroupCoachingEssentials (8.75 CCEs), the Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs) and the Virtual Facilitation Essentials program (8.5 CCEs) - geared to support you in creating more exceptional virtual conversations. Finally the Mentor Coaching Group for Winter 2020 will begin - aimed at coaches who are working towards their ACC, PCC or renewing.

As I go to write this post it’s a bit bittersweet. I’m sure many of you are feeling the same. The 2010s were a great time – personally and professionally.

I’m excited to step into a new decade and leave a few things behind, as well as carry forward many of the lessons learned of the last decade. While my memories of moving from 2009 to 2010 aren’t as clear, I vividly remember the eve of Y2K. Twenty years ago, as a much younger professional I was based in South America. My original four months in a country had turned into almost seven years at that point. I remember wondering what the new decade would bring. As it turned out amazing things – 3 years as a Manager with the UN, and then transitioning into establishing Potentials Realized in 2004.

What are you hopeful for?

As we step into 2020 as a business, we’ll be continuing our focus on providing teams and leaders with exceptional learning experiences grounded in coaching, mentoring and conversations. Our focus on remote work will also continue to expand with:

• The Annual Remote Pathways Lab meeting on Fridays during the 2nd and 4th week of the month.
• Team Days being custom designed for remote teams – focusing on strengths-based work, team effectiveness, clarifying result and boosting connections.
• In-person team days focusing on strengths-based work and team effectiveness.
• Our Teams365 series of programming – delivered as virtual modules.
• On-demand learning – short, video-based primer courses – Feedback and Team Effectiveness available.
• Support to coaches throught the 60 Day Coaching Business Builder Accelerator which starts on January 1st 2020. Coaches - hope you'll join us!

Thank you for visiting and spending time here at the blog. Stay tuned for some exciting changes for 2020 writing.

Wishing you an amazing start to the new decade!
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

Coaches - Don't forget we start the 60 Day Coaching Business Builder Accelerator January 1st - I hope you'll join us for this blended -live and on-demand - program.

This week’s Flashback Friday takes a look at one of the 2017 year-end posts focusing on revisiting #1093: Ten Questions to support you in creating your plan for the new year.

As we go to step into the new year and a new decade, you’ll want to build in some time to review your successes from this last year AND look ahead to 2020.

Here are 10 questions from Teams365 #1093 to help you do some visioning for the new year and decade.

As we look towards the end of the year and the start of the new year, consider these questions:

1. What are your top 5 goals for the new year – individually? Collectively?  Organizationally?
2. What successes from the last year or two can you build on?
3. What is going to help you create momentum in the new year?
4. What activities were core to the success of your team this past year?
5. What do you want the theme of the year to be?
6. What systems will be important for you to put in place or refine?
7. What will help accelerate results?
8. What will be key relationships to foster or focus on in the new year and decade?
9. What pauses do you want to build in for reflection and capturing lessons learned? Schedule these in your calendar now!  
10. When you look back on December 31, 2020 what do you hope the year will have brought to you?

 
What time do you want to build into your schedule next year for regular reflection? Do it now, perhaps by setting a clock or timer!

These questions are evergreen and are still as relevant as they were a few years ago!

Enjoy your reflection!
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversation Tip #125 takes us back into the vault of past EVC tips. This one brings us back to #25 which was “Feedback from your group is essential to facilitation growth and mastery”.

What feedback are you receiving BEFORE, DURING and AFTER, your virtual facilitation engagements? Feedback is critical at all stages.

Feedback before the session may take the form of connecting with learners before the program via voice and/or survey. Questions might include a focus on:

• What are you looking forward to learning?
• What should I know about your experience in the virtual learning space?
• How do you learn best?
• What’s important about this topic for you? Your work? Etc.

You may even ask people about how they will be following up with the learning.
Sometimes people feel that they may be speaking into a black hole. Taking time to get feedback during the session is also important. This might involve asking:

• For people to share an emoji
• To have people circle a number on the screen where they are in terms of their learning
• To share in chat what they are learning? What they are they going to do next?

Building in time at the end of the day to receive feedback around these questions can also be important. That might include some of these questions and/or questions along these lines:

• What worked well?
• What are you taking away?
• What should we do differently next time?

A third touchpoint where you may receive feedback about the session is:

• Right after the event with a traditional survey which may go out to measure impact.

A few weeks after the event you may also want to build in a final touchpoint which can not only serve as a point of evaluation but also as an opportunity for enhanced accountability. For many of the groups I work with, we will look to schedule a call about a month after the session to check in around what they are putting into practice and what questions they have.

Take a look at what we covered earlier in EVC Tip 25. Read the original EVC Tip #25 here.

What are the conversations you want to have?

Best, 
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

It’s the first weekend of the holiday season for some. For others, in retail, it may be another day in lead up to a continued busy period. This week we’ve covered a variety of topics including:

• Monday’s Effective Virtual Conversation Tip – Embrace the Differences. View it here. Read it here.
  
• Tuesday’s focus on Digital Transformation. Read it here.
  
• Wednesday’s focus on Ten Areas We Covered This Year. Read it here.
  
• Thursday’s focus on Team Building Question – “How do you want feedback?”. Read it here.
  
• Friday’s focus on 10 Questions to Take Stock of The Year.
  
• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt around what you want to put in your time capsule
  

​Enjoy your review!
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

Coaches - What's possible if you were take 60 days of focused action on your business? Join us starting January 1st for this experiment in 60 days of focused action at the 60 Day Coaching Business Builder Accelerator. Join us. Early bird rate to December 23, 2019

As an author and consultant, I often work with organizations and teams around the topic of digital transformation. As someone who has usually worked as an early adopter with technology, sometimes out of geographic necessity, digital transformation is an extension of the work I’ve been doing for several decades now.

You can hear more about the various pathways that bring us into remote and digital work at the new podcast I am hosting with colleague Michelle Mullins. Together we are exploring the people, pathways and processes that make up the remote workspace.

Digital transformation has been one part of this equation. From large banks, to healthcare, to education, the way we are connecting, conversing and doing our work is essential.

Many rural areas now have access to medical advisors that would not have been possible years ago. I remember vividly being part of some epiphany moments and paradigm shifters in 1998 (yes, that’s 1998) with a community deep in the interior of South America. A funding grant from the Canadian International Development Agency helped to fund solar panels, a satellite connection and special laptops to link that community with educational materials. When I arrived at the community to meet with my team who had been based there doing related work in primary health and infrastructure rehab, I was struck (as was often the case) with the very limited resources available for students. One notebook each, a small pencil and bare bookshelves. This pilot project was a bit of a game changer for that community, opening up the doorways to education for those children.

While not every project like this is a success, they radically change the paradigm of how we work, what’s available and then what’s possible.

This is also what’s happening in the era of digital transformation.

While we may not be comfortable in letting go of “how we’ve always done things” it’s important that we also look at the questions of:

• What can we do now?
• What’s now possible?
• What new connections are there?

VUCA, digital transformation, and AI (all 3 separate things) are showing up in some workplaces at the same time. IT can be overwhelming for some and spark creativity for others.

Providing a space for people to connect and share their insights in a way where they can be heard.

As a team, over time, be sure to build in time to explore additional questions around:

• What changes do we need?
• What can be evolved? Repurposed?
• What new things do we need to create?
• What do we need to stop doing?
• What conversations are important for you to have as a team? What space and time do you need to earmark so these conversations are taking place?

Best wishes, 
​Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

We’re just a few days away from the start of December and this is the time of year when EVERYTHING needs to get done. With that in mind, I thought it would be useful to take a look back at last year’s post about Bringing Projects to a close from Teams365 #1794. Here you go: 

“At this time of year, the clock is ticking and it may now be GO TIME to get projects across the finish line. Where there was once time and leeway, now things need to get done and completed. What is it going to take to get the project completed before the end of the year?

To bring the project across the finish line consider:

• What is it going to take to bring this project to a successful close?
• What resources are needed? Do we need to pull new resources?
• Are there any lessons learned from other projects that we can incorporate?
• Are there any specialized, or talented, human resources we can bring in at this time to move the project quicker? Are there experts or seasoned team members who can complete tasks more quickly than others?
• What elements can be completed consecutively? We often think that tasks are sequential (i.e. this has to be done before that), when in fact, we might be able to complete some tasks consecutively.
• What does complete look like? Think about quality and scope. Are we still within the original scope of the project, or has there been scope creep?
• Do we want to reconfirm project requirements, checking for any assumptions which may not be correct?
• What can we do to minimize distractions and focus on what is really important? Are there some tasks which need to be devolved from those on the project team so they can focus 100 % on the task at hand?
• What does project close out look like?
• How can we capture the learning so we don’t repeat these cycles next time?
• What’s going to help your projects move to completion phase quickly?”

Enjoy the conversation,
Jennifer

This week’s weekly journaling prompt gets you to consider the question – “I am on the path to ____”.

This is a great question to do some free-flowing writing around. Questions you may want to think about as you write today include:

• What’s shifted for you this year?
• Where have your adventures taken you this year?
• What are the new skills you are learning? What doors are they opening?
• What are the new experiences you are having? How are those shaping you?

​Enjoy the reflections!

As a reminder, I’ve pulled together a quarterly workbook with 12 weeks of journaling prompts you can pick up at the Potentials Realized store. It’s only $7 so a great stocking stuffer for yourself or a loved one. It’s delivered digitally to you. Check out the store here.
​
Enjoy your weekend!
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.

Some teams will start winding down in the next while. Before it gets to be the last minute, it can be useful to schedule some time to do a formal team wrap-up. Here are several questions you may want to ask/discuss. They were originally shared in my earlier Teams365 blog post.

Here are six questions to be asking yourself and your team to finish off on a "high note":

1. What projects need to be completed prior to the end of the year? What will it take to wrap these up?
2. What, if anything, needs to wound down before the end of the year - processes, accounts, reports?
3. If we need more people power on a project before the end of the year, what do we let go of?
4. Before we disband for the holidays, what lessons learned and recommendations for next time do we need to capture?
5. What new habits do we need to develop as we get back to work in January?
6. What do we want to celebrate?

What else do you want to make sure you have dialogue about before the team starts to disband for the year?
​
Enjoy the conversation,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing 
Phone (416)996-8326
 
As we step into the end of the year, get your planning on with the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or Coaching Business Builder
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations? Webinars? Pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations at Amazon.