This month’s focus is on building relationships. One type of team which often does not get attention is virtual teams. Today’s post goes into 5 ideas you might incorporate around boosting your virtual team. This could include some of the following activities:

1. Creating a set of peer partners who you are paired with for the course of a year. Peer partners may be invited to connect on a regular basis – i.e. quarterly to share information and resources and generally share best practices.
2. Hosting co-working sessions.
3. Providing the opportunity for part of a quarterly or regular team meeting to focus in on having each person share what they are working on and/or what their portfolio is all about.
4. Hosting a weekly or bi-weekly team huddle to update each other on what you are focusing on. Huddles are generally short and quick in nature (15-30 minutes). Done regularly they benefit from bringing the team together on a regular basis to share their focus, build connection and notice interplay.
5. Another option is to have people share a photo or resource with each other every month via the team’s communication channel – this could include a series of threads in Slack or part of your Leaning Management System or a Community Portal like Mighty Networks.

What are the activities and events which will benefit your team right now?

You might also be interested in checking out the January 2019 Effective Virtual Conversations call I hosted where I cover 5 Virtual Team Builders.

Wishing you the best,
​Jennifer

The business context today is increasingly calling for collaboration – many times across time, distance and culture. What can get in the way of great collaboration? I thought it would be interesting to go back to Teams365 #1135 to explore six factors that can get in the way of collaboration. Let’s take a look at what I wrote back in this 2017 post. 


"Politeness is the poison of collaboration." - Edwin Land

“Let’s collaborate more” is commonly heard in organizations, and it may be easier said than done. As part of our February posts around collaboration, today’s post explores six barriers to collaboration, along with some possible ways to address these topics:

The six barriers we are going to explore in today’s blog post are:

1. Ego
2. Power
3. Lack of Candor
4. Inability to work across differences
5. Different End Goals
6. Lack of Trust

 
Barrier #1 – Ego – One of the biggest barriers which can get in the way of collaboration is our ego. In collaboration it is important to “park our ego” as much as possible so that we can truly be listening and hearing for what is needed to really synergize. Another commonly used term for parking our ego is “becoming unattached”. When we become too attached to our end result we may not hear or see possibilities which will actually end with a greater end result.

Barrier #2 -  Power – When power differentials are too different it can be very difficult to collaborate. In those instances where one group/person may have more “power”  whether due to resourcing, or information, it is important to design the boundaries of collaboration and be clear with intent.

Barrier #3 – Lack of candor – Candor is defined as “the quality of being open and honest in expression; frankness” in the Oxford Dictionary. Candor is a critical ingredient for collaboration. Without it there will be  a lot of wasted effort, and the true essence of collaboration will not be possible. Being able to share ideas without concern for judgement, the ability to be frank and open with feedback are all essential ingredients for collaboration

Barrier #4 – Inability to work across differences. In collaboration synergies, and differences, are usually harnessed. The ability to work across differences, making changes with one’s own style, is another essential ingredient for collaboration.

Barrier #5 – Different End Goals – When end goals are too different it can be very difficult to have collaboration. For example, if one member is aiming for an end result that is about quality and the other solely on speed, it may be more challenging to find the middle ground amongst the two. In these instances the end result needs to become an AND rather than an OR. So A AND B, rather than A OR B.

Barrier #6 – Lack of Trust. The one essential which will usually arrest collaboration before it starts is lack of trust. When trust is low, or non-existent, it is difficult to collaborate. Collaboration requires honesty, feedback, listening, candor, and bringing your best work to the table, in service to something greater. When trust is low or non-existent, these skills are usually not present.
As you consider your upcoming collaboration, how are you doing with these ingredients?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Tip #16 – Build Relationships
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“No person is an island.” – Old Adage (in more gender inclusive language!)

As solopreneurs (one-person businesses), it can feel like we are always on our own. Relationships play a critical role in growing and maintaining a successful coaching business. Whether we are building relationships with new clients or alumni, peers, joint venture partners or coaches we can co-coach with, and partner organizations, relationship building is critical for success.

This tip gets you to think about building relationships – who you interface with regularly, who you’d like to connect with, and who are your connectors. [Connectors are individuals who are connected with those you want to reach. They can be a valuable link to your target market and/or other partners).

A first step in building relationships is to consider what you have to offer to others.

What are the skills, strengths and talents you bring to the table? What do you have to offer others?

As a second step, consider who you want to connect with and who is in your network.

How can you support others in their work? How can you support others to achieve their mandate and vision?

An ongoing focus on building solid relationships with a variety of others is important across the entire life cycle of a business. 

Activity

• Map out 20 people in your network. Write out their names. Consider how you interface. What do you offer them? What do they offer you?
• What other people would be useful to have in your network? Consider financial, legal and administrative support. Collaborators.
• How do you support their work?
• How can others support you?
• What could collaboration look like?

Conversation Sparkers

• What key relationships are you able to lean into with your work?
• What do you have to offer others in terms of your skills, talents and strengths? How can you help them magnify what they do, and who they serve?

Best,
Jennifer

This week’s team building tip gets you to explore the question “One change which is needed….”

Not every team may be comfortable asking this question as it might surface things that are “out of focus”.

By not asking questions like this we may erode trust and loyalty in the team. How is that you ask?

The skill of “constructive interaction” or debating alternative view points, has been found to be a critical skill for teams today.
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Author of Teaming – Amy Edmonston – calls it “speaking up”. The ability to question and instill provocative conversation is key for strong relationships and also problem solving for teams (and individuals) in today’s business context.

In building a culture where questioning is fostered, it may necessitate a change in the way a team operates, and the level of comfort the team leader has. It may also involve the creation of shared agreements of how debate and discourse will operate, how it may or will feed into any changes and/or what next steps are from any discussion (i.e. will it feed into decision making, or will it influence decisions?
What’s needed on your team in order to have constructive dialogue?
 
This is #220 in the series which started back in 2014. You are invited to check out the new digital licensing option to bring 52 of the first series of tips into your current team meetings. You can purchase a set of 52 of the first of the 2015 series of cards in digital format over at our Potentials Realized Store. Once purchased, you’ll receive a link to access each of the weekly question in JPG format.  You can incorporate these into your slide deck (as is) for your weekly team meeting or send it out as a “conversation sparker” for the team throughout the week.

Over the years I have had teams use the questions in many different ways. Check out the series of 52 questions here. You can purchase a digital license for $35 US -that’s just a little more than 50c a question.

The backstory to this product takes me back to my former role as a virtual team leader. While it would be great to have the time and creativity to do this on my own, I was always looking for great questions to prompt conversation. Unfortunately, I did not find many. When I started my own performance improvement business in 2004, many of my clients started commenting that they really liked having a focusing question of the week. Flash forward to 2014, when I started to “systematize” these through the weekly Teams365 Team Building Tip. Check out series one (which incorporates 52 tips from the 2014/2015 season). We’ll be adding additional ones throughout the year!

Best,
​Jennifer

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip # 78 is around video streaming. As I write “Streaming Matters”.
In today’s workplace, streaming where we can see those we are talking to has become more of the norm (although there are still many workplaces not equipped with webcams and other technology which allow streaming).
There are multiple benefits to enabling streaming for workplaces including for virtual and remote teams:

1. The ability to see each other helps to create an almost exact experience as the face-to-face environment.
2. We accrue much of our meaning through visual channels, and this helps with creating more aligned communication. We can see when people might not be in alignment with what they are saying, or we may be more attuned to the struggles or excitement they are feeling. Note that in the face to face communication world, we accrue more than 50 % of our message through body language. When we lose the visual stimuli, unless people’s skills in virtual communication are well honed, much of the intended message may get lost, or misconstrued.
3. We lean into visual cues to create trust. If I can see you, I may be more apt to trust you, agree with you or collaborate with you.
4. With better and closer relationships marked by higher levels of trust, more crucial conversations may be had in the virtual space. If people disagree, you may see this earlier, or people may feel more confident to share disagreements or alternative points of view, since they can see how the other person is interpreting it.

With technology continuing to improve, it’s much easier and budget friendly to use the technologies available. I continue to share the benefits of using technology such as Zoom for team meetings etc. Free accounts can benefit from 40-minute meetings.

What have you noticed about the benefits of shifting what conversations you can to the streaming or video-rich virtual environment? Please use the comments to share with us!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

​This week’s Team Building Tip gets you to think about the question “Key relationships for the year are….”.

In today’s matrix and virtual world, relationships are still a foundational part of business success. One of the challenges  however is that it’s not as easy to “get to know” our partners who might be several time-zones or thousands of miles away.

It is important to be proactive and build in time building relationships with our partners. Where possible, try to stream, so you can see each other, and like face-to-face meetings, spend time listening and learning about their work, their priorities and preferences around how they like to work.

This week as a team, make a list of relationships which are key for the year. Think about your biggest projects and also what relationships can help you move ahead in the longer term. Building in time for yourselves as a team to get to know each other better as well.

Enjoy the conversations,
Jennifer

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip brings us to #74 in the series. Take a look back at other EVC tips here.

Teams which excel have strong relationships and are clear on what is important to them as a team. They are clear on their results.

An important part of building both relationships and strengthening results is that they have shared team practices or experiences which bring them together.

These will vary from team to team but could include:

• A Monday morning huddle
• An annual team picnic
• The year end holiday party or service activity
• The quarterly team booster shots.

What are the things you do consistently together as a team? What helps to boost your relationships and results?
Are there any additional activities you want to fit in?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

The final team skill we are going to explore is the skill of influence. This is a core skill for remote professionals of all kinds today. Given that we are working across a web of relationships – upwards, downwards, and sideways – team members will need to develop skills in this area.
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When thinking about the skill of influence, it can be useful to consider:

• What are the relationships I am in that require I use the skill of influence? (This may be where you do not have a direct reporting relationship – think peers, other technical experts, other team members)
• What is the end result I am aiming for around the specific project/initiative?
• What is the common ground you are exploring?
• What is important about the end result for the other person?
• What could a win-win look like?
• What are the key areas you are considering?
• The skill of influence is critical for remote workers today. What would help you acquire further skills in this area?

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Best wishes,
Jennifer

This week’s team skill is in the area of Emotional Intelligence. For years, leaders at all levels have been exposed to developing more skills. In today’s remote work place, the skill sets encapsulated within the EI framework of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and social management are key to employees of all types.
Emotional Intelligence skills incorporate skills such as:

• Collaboration
• Influence
• Working through relationships

Given that remote workers do not work within their  own bubbles, and do need to reach out with others, developing more skills in these areas can be important. Be sure to check out some of these resources:

• The EQ Leader – Steven J. Stein 
• Emotional Intelligence 2.0  - this is a useful self-assessment which individuals can complete
• The EQ Edge – Steven J. Stein

As you consider the skills which make up the bundle of EI skills, what do you notice? What are the things that enable you to do your best work?

Best,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations |  Coaching Team Leaders  
We provide team and leadership development support through coaching, consulting and training services
Author of several books including the 2018 Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner & Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) 
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

An increasing number of leaders are now supporting virtual and remote teams. While many organizations feel that a step into remote leadership is just like managing people in the bull pen or down the hall, virtual team leadership requires super-strong skills in relationship management, influence and working across differences.
Creating alignment across a virtual team can be a big challenge. Goals often create the anchors for team members who may be assigned to different projects, be managed in matrix fashion, as well as have a different context in which they operate.
 
Today’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip comes from page 350 of the book, which poses several questions for virtual team leaders to consider when working with teams virtually. These are all questions a leader can pose in individual one-on-one conversations with a team member, or during an entire team meeting.
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Consider these question to help create clarity, alignment and accountability around goals:

1. How do our team’s and department goals fit into this? This question helps team members understand the bigger picture and connection amongst goals.

2. Do people understand how their individual effort impacts the organizational goals? This question also helps people connect their individual contribution to the bigger picture. It helps to reduce a sense of operating in a vacuum, and lower motivation when virtual team members do not see where they efforts make an impact.

3. Do individuals on the team understand how their work interfaces and supports others, leading into other goals focused on by other team members?Even is a team does not connect physically, helping team members understand how their work connects with others, helps not only with motivation but also in getting things done. If I know that Sujit’s work is contingent on a specific piece of work I need to complete, I may prioritize things more and/or be sure to get things done on time, or in a certain fashion.

4. How do we measure goals and is there clarity around it? Understanding what success looks like it critical for success, and this needs to be shared across a team. Is there clarity around what success looks like and how it is measured? This may include indicators of success, timelines and other factors.
 
As you think about your team and their goals for the rest of the year, what’s important to explore?
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More on this in the last few chapters of Effective Virtual Conversations where I take a deeper dive into virtual team leadership and virtual teamwork. 
 
Best wishes,
Jennifer