Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

TEAMS365 #2429 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 164

8/24/2020

It’s Monday which means that it’s another Effective Virtual Conversations Tip day. This week the invitation is for you to build your toolkit. If you joined me last week for the Stand Out Virtually 5 day Challenge, it’s likely that you spent time building your toolkit.

We covered visuals (and you got to built up some of your visual library). We also talked about backgrounds, along with engagement toolkits.

A quick note that I’ll be hosting the next one-day Virtual Facilitation Essentials program tomorrow, Tuesday August 25th from 9-4:30pm ET. The day is geared to get you building out your toolkit.

What do you notice about your toolkit for exceptional virtual conversations?

Whether you are an individual leading calls or an organization, it’s important that we build out our tools and practices. Consider building tools in these areas:

Planning
Opening a Program
Decision Making
Problem Solving
Consensus Generation

I’ve been spending even more time this year than usual working with organizations to build out their repertoire of virtual tools and practices. If you, or your organization, could benefit from some support and focus in this area, give me a call.

Be sure to take a look at the 163 Effective Virtual Conversations Tips I’ve written here at the blog.

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 #2236 – Team Building Tip 274: Calibration

2/13/2020

This week’s Team Building Tip gets you thinking about the notion of CALIBRATE.

The Oxford Dictionary defines calibrate as “adjust (experimental results) to take external factors into account or to allow comparison with other data.”

As you look across your team, work or processes right now, what are the things that might need to be calibrated or adjusted, given changes in the context?

What are the things you need to dial up and dial down?

Doing a regular scan of the context in which you operate is a key skill set. This is all part of strategic thinking, which is an important skill set for leaders today. As the University of Florida’s Training writes, “To think strategically means to see and understand the bigger picture of what the organization is, where it needs to go, and how it will get there. It means anticipating opportunities and challenges and utilizing that knowledge to guide the organization.” (http://training.hr.ufl.edu/resources/LeadershipToolkit/job_aids/strategic_thinking.pdf)

What is important about developing strategic thinking skills as a team?

What are the things you want to pay attention to as a team?

For more on the topic of strategic thinking, please check out these posts:

4 Ways to Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills
5 Areas CMOE Suggests You Focus On To Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills
Check out the questions you might use as part of the reflective cycle of strategic thinking in this article from Terina Allen here.

As you think strategically, you may start to notice those items you need to CALIBRATE. What needs an adjustment?

Have a great day!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

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.
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

#TEAMS365 #2006 Flashback Friday: Tools for your Toolkit – Leaders and Business Owners

6/28/2019

This week as part of the Flashback Friday we are getting into the landscape of tools for business owners and leaders. Whether we lead a team, or run our own show, honing certain skills can help to accelerate our success.

I wanted to take us back to Teams365 #1540: Tools for Your Toolkit – Leaders and Business owners.

Here’s what I wrote:

Much of my work as a coach and consultant with leaders and teams revolves around support to leaders and business owners. One area we regularly return to is our toolbox or those resources we have at our disposal. Many of these we acquire from our own experiences, as well as the valuable networks of mentors and peers we belong to. This week we'll be focusing on several of the different tools which can be useful in our toolkit. Some of the tools you will want to make sure you have on hand are:

#1 - Tools for Virtual Conversations - Check out yesterday's Effective Virtual Conversations tip #36 (Teams365 #1539) where I mention five different tools you'll want to make sure you master for more engaged, memorable conversations in the virtual space.

#2 - Tools for Decision Making - Check out this audio post #Teams365 #495 where I cover two tools for decision making

#3 - Tools for Delegation - Delegation is one of the most challenging areas for team leaders and business owners. As our work evolves it can often feel difficult to pass projects off to others. Check out my past post #391 on The Dreaded D Word - Delegation, where I share with you a quick activity to undertake to identify some of the areas you could delegate

#4 - Problem Solving Tools - Check out this short audio posts on 3 tools for problem solving in Teams365 #488 here.

#5 - Planning Tools - Without a clear vision, and a plan to execute, our efforts may become unfocused. Drucker wrote "what doesn't get measured, doesn't get done". What are the planning tools you refer to regularly? Whether we are undertaking a SWOT, or a strategic Issues mapping activity, or building in regular pause points to take stock of where we are, planning is critical for success. Check out the multiple posts on planning here.

#6 - Conflict Resolution Tools - Conflict is inevitable in teams, especially given that most teams which excel are highly diverse. Learning to work across differences, and adjust our styles is part and parcel of collaboration and conflict resolution. Check out Teams365 #1196 for my post on Navigating Conflict in Teams.

#7 - Collaboration Tools - Going hand in hand with conflict is collaboration. Having a toolkit of resources to help you incorporate different ideas and perspectives, unearth assumptions, and leverage the best of a team is critical for teams and businesses today. I've written multiple posts on collaboration in the past, from partnering to ingredients for collaboration

#8 - Coaching Tools - The final tool-set I would add is that of coaching tools. Coaching encompasses listening, questioning and helping others create their own solutions. In today's ever changing VUCA world, coaching is playing an even more important role. This is a focus of the bulk of my work with clients. What can you do to boost your peer coaching skills, or developing these skills in your team? Check out past posts on coaching here.

I hope that you will take a few minutes today to take note of the tools you are already have in your toolkit, and those you want to develop this year. What are the skills which will help you take your business or your team to the next level?

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.

#TEAMS365 #1984 - Team Building Tip #239:What's Taboo?

6/6/2019

This week’s Team Building Tip gets your team to consider the question – “What is taboo?”.

Once teams feel safe to put issues on the table, and that they will not face any retribution for speaking their mind, getting the team to identify what is TABOO or off-limits can be key to moving a team forward. It is important to look into the dusty corners, and shine the light on the things that don’t want to be seen or discussed. This is particularly important when the pace of business speeds up, and things become more urgent. It’s the things that are taboo that can grow in size or come out of nowhere, taking a team down.

What are the things that are TABOO for you and your team to:

Discuss
Do
Put into Practice

Is it time for a change?

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.

#TEAMS365 #1977 – Team Building Tip #238 – Perspectives

5/30/2019

Welcome back to another Thursday Teams365 blog post. This week’s question to explore is “What’s another way of looking at that?”

In today’s world of doing more with less, and ongoing change, it can be invaluable to reframe and adjust perspectives around our biggest challenges, and opportunities.

As you and your team consider what your biggest challenge is right now, ask the question – "What’s another way of looking at that?”. To get your ideas flowing around reframing consider these areas which might shift things:

Resourcing
Supports
Collaboration
What would you do if you knew you would not fail?
What is the flip side of this issue?
What would saying NO to ____ look like?
If we added ____ what would happen?

Exploring multiple perspectives around a challenge, or opportunity, often generates new ideas and insights.

Enjoy the 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.

#TEAMS365 #1968 – Teamwork in Uncertainty – Pivot

5/21/2019

As a writer, one of my favorite past times is heading to the library for some focused writing. I often try to fit it in on Tuesdays. When I am there, I usually check out the business book selection. Two titles, both named Pivot, recently caught my attention. Jenny Blake’s Pivot explores the shifts and turns we can make in our career. The 2nd Pivot book is by Adam Markel. Pivot: The Art and Science of Reinventing Your Career and Life.

Both are great reads for those looking at ongoing performance and change. Whether we work for others or ourselves, we can all benefit from the tools and tips in both books.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines pivot as:

a fixed point supporting something that turns or balances;
the central or most important person or thing in a situation.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/pivot

As you consider your biggest opportunity or challenge right now, consider:

What is creating balance in the situation right now?
What is the fulcrum around what things are turning?
What is the important person/issue in this situation?
What is the most central item?
With this information in mind, what’ s possible? What are the options for next steps?

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 an digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

#TEAMS365 #1955 – Teamwork in Uncertainty: Cultivating Curiosity

5/8/2019

As we continue our exploration about teamwork in uncertainty, today’s post covers the ability to cultivate curiosity. Curiosity is a key skill helping us become comfortable with learning and not knowing. When we are stuck in an expert mindset, we may feel we “know everything”. There is a danger in this, specially when contexts change. Cultivating more curiosity for learning, exploration, trial and error, gives team members permission to try things out which may not work.

How do we cultivate curiosity?

Encourage people to ask questions like:

What else? This question helps us see alternative paths and solutions.
Why not? This question gives permission for us to explore another angle around things.

Encourage trial and error.

Get team members to explore what failure means and does not mean.

Provide opportunities for growing skills in new areas through job shadowing, mentoring and/or special projects.

Next week I’m going to turn my attention to what the research says about curiosity and teamwork, and why it is important to cultivate more curiosity in our staff right now.

All the 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 an digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

#TEAMS365 #1927 - Creating a Strong Team Identity

4/10/2019

Team identity and culture is something that we all shape. Team identity is critical in the context of virtual and remote teams. It helps us understand who we are and how we do things. A strong team identity helps me know that as a member of this team, I am expected to:

Raise issues quickly
Rather than complain, seek for solutions
Support others and provide information to others on a regular basis about the work I am undertaking, opportunities I see for collaboration

Ways we can start to form a strong team identity include:

Having the team identity key values. For example, innovation or respect.
For each one of these values, have the team identify the behaviors which illustrate that value. For example, for respect – Consider impact before speaking; take ownership of mistakes; reply to requests in a timely manner (and as a team identify what timely means); when raising issues also offer possible solutions.
Having the team own “How we do things here. What’s acceptable and what’s not”. In owning it, we call out behaviors which are not aligned with our agreements.
Identifying logos, icons or metaphors of what the team is. For example, a team that is about creating a WOW experience might embrace “The Orange Bird” as their mascot.
Creating a drawing or tableaux of what the team is aspiring to. Several years ago, vision boards were very popular. Teams too can have their own team vision board which they can situate in an area of high traffic. If its’ a virtual team, take a photo and include in it any sides you are sharing with your virtual meetings. Review it regularly.

Bad behavior doesn’t just happen. It’s permitted. What are you doing to call it out?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2018) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
Now available – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner - Order a copy today on Amazon
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development).
Check out the new 19 Tips for Productivity On-Demand Course. If this is your year to get things moving, check it out now. Join Jenn for bi-weekly live group calls until July. $129 US. Learn more and enroll here.

#TEams365 #1606: #FlashBackFriday:

5/25/2018

It's time for another FlashBack Friday. This month we've been exploring teamwork skills required during times of complexity. A key theme has been to equip all team members with skills so they can do their best work. Earlier thsi week, I focused on skills for problem solving. If you have not checked out an older audio post #Teams365 #488, I invite you to do that now. Likewise, decision making skills are also important. Check out Teams365 #495 for another audio post on 2 Decision Making Skills.

If you enjoyed these two posts, and are looking for more facilitation tools and processes to share with your team, do check out some of my past series including these posts on Facilitation. The posts range from virtual conversations to in person events. Check them out here.

With best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326

You can grab a copy of my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations, at Amazon. You can also purchase a copy direct from our site, signed by me!

Looking to schedule some team development this fall? Contact me to discuss whether the Everything DiSC or the Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team may be a great starting point.

#Teams365 #1285: 3 Audios for your Weekend Enjoyment - Collaboration, Virtual Meetings and Problem Solving

7/8/2017

Today's Saturday post takes us back to some of the many short audios I've covered over the past few years on a range of leadership and teamwork topics. I wanted to highlight 3 different ones today which I hope you might click on over to listen to:

#Teams365 #1152: 5 Ingredients for Successful Collaboration (5 min). Listen to it here

#Teams365 #390: Hosting Effective Virtual Meetings (10 min) Listen to it here. This is a pre-cursor to the topic of virtual meetings and other virtual conversations I will be highlighting in my upcoming book, Effective Virtual Conversations.

#Teams365 #488: Three Problem Solving Tools (9 min). Three essential tools for project teams, agile teams or other teams who need quick identification of issues and subsequent action. Listen to it here.

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Everything DiSC® Authorized Partner
Contact us and let us know how we can support you in helping your team reach its' full potential: (416)996-TEAM (8326)