Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

TEAMS365 #2511 – weekly Journaling Prompt 129

11/14/2020

Welcome back to another Weekly Journaling Prompt. While it’s not quite the end of the year, it’s about that time to start building in time for reflection and preparation for the new year. This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt is “My learning has been….”

I imagine this year has been ripe with learning. What have been those learning moments? The experience of learning? The triggering factors which led to learning? How you’ve put learning into practice, again, and again, and again…

I hope that you enjoy this week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt!

All the best,
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 #2502 – Team Building Tip 268- Celebrating and Acknowledgements

11/5/2020

What are the things you are celebrating in the team right now? As I’ve written in past posts, what are you acknowledging? What are the things which you are taking time to pause and explore?

Celebrations can take many forms including:

The traditional Employee or Team Member of the Week which might be recognized with a plaque, certificate or other piece
Providing acknowledgement moments in your meetings
Earmarking a special day for everyone to be focused on
Taking time at the end of projects that are complete, to celebrate their completion, as well as the learning and growth

What do you want to celebrate as a team? How will you celebrate?

Best,
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 #2500 - Motivation in the Remote Space

11/3/2020

Motivation is a key topic for remote workers to focus on in the remote space. What motivates one person, may not motivate another.

With the shift to remote working arrangements where we need to rely more on ourselves to get out of a dip in motivation or other elements, what are the things that are going to help you become more motivated?

In my work as a coach I like to share a model I call the CLAIMS framework of motivation. We are motivated by elements including:

C - Community – Many professionals want to be part of a bigger whole. This is particularly important when we work remotely. Some motivational models call this belonging or affiliation. In remote work, as it relates to community it is about relationship development, communication and developing a strong team culture.
L - Learning – Ongoing learning is critical for success within the remote workspace, particularly as teams today are fluid and ever changing. Think about the team elements which are all about ongoing learning – concepts like TEAMING, AGILE, etc. What are the different ways you want to learn? Contribute?
A - Autonomy – Remote work is not short on autonomy. Autonomy means having the independence to do our work in a way, time and structure set by us. It’s reliant on high trust and giving people the choice and flexibility to get things done. It’s also reliant on clear communication, systems, practices, goals, roles and other elements which are core for high performance. When clarity exists, remote workers can focus in on what’s important.
I - Impact – What’s the impact you want to make? As a remote worker our impact is often measured through our output (what results we get). Don’t’ forget that it can also be measured through the influence we have over others and how we build a sense of community and team.
M - Monetary – For some money and other benefits may be a significant driver. How are you supporting people in this area? What has happened to the compensation piece and perks since moving to remote work?
S - Status – What is our role? What is our position? Are we seen as the go-to person around problem solving? Are we acknowledged for what we bring to the team? Learn more about status and think about how this fits into work in the remote space.

Beyond these six areas there are several other areas which are a key part of remote work success.

As you consider your work, what’s important to note?

All the best,
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 #2497 - Weekly Journaling Prompt 127

10/31/2020

2020 has been a year of growth, change and ongoing pivots. It’s fitting that this week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt is “I’ve stretched by…”.

With today’s journaling prompt consider how you have stretched and grown this year, as well as how you have stretched when things haven’t worked either.

Enjoy the reflection!
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 #2496 - Flashback Friday – #1533: Empathy and Building Connection in Virtual Teams

10/30/2020

It’s Friday which means it’s time to take a look back at an older blog post. Today’s post brings us back to a post from 2018 - #1533: Empathy and Building Connection in Virtual Teams. I think it’s just as relevant today as it was when it was first published. What do you think?

One of the skills which is important to develop in the virtual world today is empathy. One of the challenges is that we don't get to see beyond the screen. What are some ways we can be building more empathy and understanding with other virtual team members?

What comes to mind in terms of ways you can boost more connection and understanding amongst team members?

Empathy is a skill set critical for teamwork and leadership. In fact, I probably could do a series of post on this topic. In today's post I want to zoom into the question of "what are some practical ways to build more empathy across virtual teams, while also boosting connection?".

There have been some great writings by others on the topic of empathy. Consider these articles -Empathy in Leadership - 10 Reasons Why It Matters by Tanveer Naseer. Read it here.
Matthew Taylor's Empathy in Leadership: Coaching Leaders to Manage Their Stories. Read it here.
Center for Creative Leadership: Empathy in the Workplace. Find this here.

As virtual teams, what are some ways we can build our skills in empathy while building connection:

1. Provide opportunities for team members to get to know each other - online and offline. While some virtual teams will never meet, building in time for "getting to know" each other is critical. This could entail dedicating some time to sharing "What's outside your window?" or "…on your desk" as I describe in Chapter 7 of my new book Effective Virtual Conversations.

2. Create formal learning partnerships with others on the team. Many virtual teams benefit from having peer partners to meet with on a regular basis. This helps us to learn more about each other, what projects we are working on. As we listen and learn more trust, connection and understanding is created.

3. Be present and listen. We continue to see how important the ability to focus on virtual conversations is. Nothing will destroy trust and connection faster than hearing other person on the end of the phone or streaming typing away, writing an email while you are speaking together. What will it take to be present, focus, and deeply listen in your virtual conversations?

4. Listen for the deeper layers - Typically in listening we may be staying at the surface. Hearing with one ear and thinking about what we are going to say back to the other person. In the deeper listening needed by virtual teams today, listen to what the person is saying. Notice the pace, pitch of the conversation. Notice what is the emotion behind the words? What is being said?

5. Take time to share more about your world, your work, your priorities. An important part of empathy is understanding. It's a two-way street - being open to share, and being receptive to listening. how much are you sharing about your world, your work and your priorities?

There are multiple ways be can be focusing on the skills of empathy as we build connection on teams. What are some approaches you as a team want to focus on?

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

TEAMS365 #2487 - Hosting Virtual Events: 4 Things to Keep in Mind

10/21/2020

While social distancing has put in-person events on hold, there’s a plethora of amazing things you can do virtually. From online conferences, to taking an entire post-secondary course, to virtual coaching groups and speed networking on Zoom, there is a wide variety of different options of what you can be doing virtually.

Today’s post gets you to think about three things when organizing or hosting virtual events, both large and small. You may want to read today’s post in conjunction with yesterday’s Teams365 blog post – 3 Ways to Stand Out Virtually.

When hosting our own virtual event, keep the following in mind:

Be clear about expectations. There are so many different types of virtual events, that it is important to clarify what your event is going to be like and what level of interactivity people can expect at your virtual event.

Clarify the small details – verbally and in writing. This might include email copy, a welcome video and a welcome email. Remember that not everyone is likely to read their email so if there is any pre-work required before people get in the room, note that you’ll want to reinforce key details in multiple ways.

Consider a balance of learning, reflection and dialogue. It’s likely that since the beginning of the pandemic you have been part of multiple learning events. Consider which ones allowed you to be an active learner, or whether you were being “talked at” during the session.

As someone who started off her career as an experiential educator, I value the three-part cycle of learning and action, reflection, and then dialogue. What that can look like in the virtual space is a mix of learning something (i.e. a lecture), then a reflection piece of focusing of doing some individual work/worksheets and then dialogue- talking it out virtually with one or more people.

Get people “in the room” before the event to get them thinking about the experience. In cognitive science we call this “priming”.

Depending on the type of event you are hosting getting people in the room might include:

A pre-call with each person to learn more about them, cover key logistics and answer any questions they have – this is ideal for small groups.
For medium sized or larger groups, it might include a pre-call concierge experience. This could entail welcoming people into your “room” or platform for some pre-event networking, so they can meet others, and also “road test” the technology. This provides the benefit of providing a focus, connection point and networking experience for people.

Leave time to take action on WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? Critical for virtual events, where running from one Zoom room to the next is the norm, is leaving time to take action, or at least schedule, the next step. Be sure to leave time in your programming to focus in on what’s the next step – for them, and for your next touchpoint.

Let us know which of these three areas are most resonant for you. I look forward to hearing from you.

Jennifer

PS – Don’t forget that this week I’m kicking off the Stand Out Virtually Fall 2020 program. Join us live on either Mondays from 1:00 – 2:30 or Fridays from 1:30 – 3 pm ET for the next 7 weeks. We’ll be exploring these tips and many more, geared to support you in creating your most powerful virtual programming. Check it out here.

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 #2472 - Another 5 Day Stand Out Virtually Challenge

10/6/2020

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

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

Join us September 17th for the one-day Stand Out Virtually! STtdio Day Masterclass - Learn more about creating exceptional virtual presentations, meetings and programs, and leave the day with your next one sketched out!

TEAMS365 #2467 – Welcome to October!

10/1/2020

As we step into October, what are the things you want to get done this month? Innovation continues to be a theme for many businesses, as does simply getting things done, and not only surviving, but thriving. As of today, here are 91 more days left in the year. What do you want to make sure you complete? Focus on? Put aside?

This month we are continuing our focus on thriving in the digital space as a professional or team.

If you didn’t do yesterday’s Q3 Review and Q4 planning, take a moment to review that.

Today we’re going to do our monthly planning review and goal setting for the month ahead. So, chunk it down a bit and let’s look at it:

Here are some questions to consider:

As you reflect on September, what were your successes and accomplishments?
What are you most proud of?
What habits helped you? What routines?
What were key learnings during the month?
What key relationships have helped you so far this year? Which ones need more attention?
What helped you? What hindered you?
What do you need to say YES to this month? What do you need to stop doing, or say NO to this month?
What does your team need to be acknowledged for?

As you look to October, consider these questions:

What are your key priorities for October? Quarter 4?
What are the key goals?
What are the major priorities?
What will you need to place attention on?
What changes do you want to make?
What resources do you want to tap into?
What relationships are important?
What habits are essential?

Enjoy your review!
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

Join us September 17th for the one-day Stand Out Virtually! STtdio Day Masterclass - Learn more about creating exceptional virtual presentations, meetings and programs, and leave the day with your next one sketched out!

TEAMS365 #2464 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #169: Social Learning

9/28/2020

A key part of learning can occur when we learn with others. Consider the impact of peer learning in workshops, group coaching, masterminds and other collaborative learning experiences. Collaborative social learning experiences are something many are hungry for, especially in times of social distancing. What can that look like in your work, virtually?

One of the theories that have influenced social learning was Arthur Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. This has implications for how we design and lead learning conversations.

Bandura’s Social Learning theory is grounded in four main areas:

Observation (environmental) – Observing and learning from the context in which we operate?
Retention (cognitive) – How do I remember this?
Reproduction (cognitive) – How do I reproduce this? Use this?
And motivation (both cognitive and environmental) – Noticing what is motivational and not

(https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/basics/social-learning-theory)

What can that look like when we are working with people virtually?

Environmental – When you are working with groups, what is the context the client is operating in? What is the culture the team is creating? What adjustments need to be made?

Linked to the discussions we’ve been having at the LLDS, this might include work around “Enshrining the team agreements and values” in something that is tangible.

A focus on retention gets us to focus in on the question of “HOW DO I REMEMBER THIS?” What are you doing to create different engagement touchpoints and adjust the pace?
This might include:

Breakouts so peers can connect together
Using annotation
Having group members verbally articulate “what I’ve learned and what I am going to do”
As well as writing it down
Selecting a card/image/icon around next steps

A focus on reproduction is HOW DO I DO THIS AGAIN? It may involve peer teaching and sharing as well as thinking about application in other areas.

Finally, a focus on MOTIVATION could lead to many conversations across the group or team, with a focus on intrinsic and extrinsic motivators for the team, group and/or individual members. Consider what are the motivating factors for each person.

What is important for you to take note on?

All the best,
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

Join us September 17th for the one-day Stand Out Virtually! STtdio Day Masterclass - Learn more about creating exceptional virtual presentations, meetings and programs, and leave the day with your next one sketched out!

TEAMS365 #2457 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 168: Follow Up

9/21/2020

It’s Monday and time for another Effective Virtual Conversations tip. This week’s tip is about follow-up. While virtual learning is often seen as a one-off event, reinforcing the learning with follow-up can support integration of knowledge to become learning.

Follow-up in the virtual space can take many forms including:

Focus
Framing
Exponential growth

Are you taking the time to follow up? How has this impacted your learning?

All the best,
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

Join us September 17th for the one-day Stand Out Virtually! STtdio Day Masterclass - Learn more about creating exceptional virtual presentations, meetings and programs, and leave the day with your next one sketched out!