It’s Sunday which means that it’s time to look back at the week. In case you missed some of the blog posts, today is your day to catch up. Take a look at:

• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt – “My favorite trip this year has been...”
• Friday’s Flashback Friday of Working with Strengths
• Thursday’s Team Building Tip
• Wednesday’s 4 Focus Areas for Remote Teams
• Tuesday’s What’s Below the Waterline
• Monday’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip around Building Team Culture

​Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Today’s Team Building Tip gets you to think about and be in dialogue around “What you are aiming for” as a team? Having a clear line of sight around your goals and targets is key, particularly when you are a remote team.

Have you, as a team, clearly identified the goals you are working towards? Have you identified HOW you want to work on them? Have you clearly articulated who on the team connects in with each goal? Have you identified what “success” will look like from each team member’s perspectives and how their contribution is needed for another?

Working with goals should be done in tandem with your vision. Vision helps us connect in with aspirations around a task. Our vision usually is grounded in emotion and other aspirational energy. With that, it can help to keep us motivated around goals, even when things aren’t working as planned. Connecting our goals into the bigger picture helps when things get bumpy, in terms of smoothing things out.

Goals, and Vision, are two topics we’ve covered recently at the Remote Pathways Podcast. Do check out Episodes 3 and 4 for more on goals and vision for remote teams. You will also want to download the associated episode resources which include a One Page Plan and a Vision Worksheet. You could use both of these resources at the team level.

Enjoy the conversation!
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.

​This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip explores the topic of building team culture. Creating a strong team culture as a remote team is of benefit in many ways. First, it helps boost a sense of identify and belonging. Many remote workers today feel isolated or disconnected. A strong team culture can be one element in helping people feel connected to others and to a bigger purpose.
Team culture consists of several elements including HOW we do things. Our team culture includes our agreements, our norms – what’s acceptable and what’s not, our values (which help with decision making, prioritizing, as well as the more visible elements of culture – the way we sign our emails, how we hold meetings, plus any other team differentiators.

In addition to boosting a sense of belonging, team culture is critical when remote team members may be part of multiple teams. For example, if I am part of a Central North America Team, as well as being part of the learning team. The learning team may have values around communication, expedience, learning and experimentation. This may translate to agreements around how fast we communicate, how we share alternative points of view, and how much autonomy we have in getting things done. A strong team culture will help us understand these elements as well.

Given that my learning team culture is distinct from the North American team culture, I can differentiate in the different relationships, meetings and tasks what’s important. In contrast, the NA team may value metrics, efficiency (different than expedience), business cases, and brevity. What is prioritized and what is expected will be different.

Culture in a remote space can be invisible unless we make a point of making it visible and tangible. It can be seen in our processes, our communication, our language and even branding. Making it as explicit as possible, and naming it is also an important part of remote team success.

What can you be doing to make your remote team or organizational culture more visible and intentional?
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For more on culture, check out the past posts I have written on Team Culture.

Enjoy!
​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.

It’s Friday which means that it’s time for a Flashback Friday. Today I wanted to reach back to a 2017 post on Things New Remote Teams Need. Whether you are new to remote work, or are supporting others who are, this week’s post can also serve as a good checkpoint at the start of the year to see how we are all doing in each of the areas explored.

Check out the original 2017 post here.

Here’s what I wrote:
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In today's business context many teams are moving to a mobile, distributed or remote work force. Whether it's because the talent pool is dispersed, or commute times are pressurizing employees, remote work can be as effective or more so, when virtual teams are set up for success. Today's post explores six things new virtual teams need in order to thrive. These elements include:

1. Clarity regarding reporting relationships. Who are they to report to on what issues? When is reporting required? If matrix reporting relationships exist, what do they report to whom? What issues need to be co-reported?
2. Clarity regarding expectations regarding working – hours, approaches, breaks, how to log and share work etc.
3. The technology and ability to connect with others in the team and across the organization. Working remote can be a lonely endeavor and just as social time is important for face-to -ace teams, so is face-to-face for virtual team.
4. Regular check ins and feedback. Regular check-ins and feedback may revolve around the questions:
   1. How’s it going?
   2. What’s working? What’s not?
   3. What support do you need?
   4. What are your current priorities?
   5. What resources do you need in order to get the results you need?
5. Platforms so they can see each other and connect with their team. This could include regular virtual potlucks where the team actually connects for a meal from each of their locations. It could also include face-to-face time – quarterly or on a regular basis.
6. Clarity regarding how to flag issues - what issues to raise and when. Who should they be flagging issues to? When is the team leader available and how?

What other elements do you see as essential for new virtual teams to hit the ground running?

What’s important for your team to focus on, or take action on right now?

Have a great weekend,
Jennifer

​It’s Monday which means that we are back to the Effective Virtual Conversations tip day. It’s 126 in the series, and today’s tip is “Learn about each other”.
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Successful teams aren’t simply CLEAR about the results they need, they are also knowledgeable about, and connected with, each other. This week’s Remote Team Tip is all about taking some time in your upcoming meetings to learn about each other.

While some teams will choose to make a strategic investment in structured team development activities throughout the year, many teams may choose to incorporate something into their weekly meetings. Either approach can work well, if it’s done consistently.

As someone who is often brought in to facilitate Team Days, I know how valued the connection piece is by other team members. Feelings of isolation and working alone are prevalent in the remote working space, and helping team members learn about WHO is WHO, and what people do, is an essential component to team development.

In the 20 Activities for Remote Teams, there are a number of structured activities you can facilitate with your team.

Some other ideas include:

• Dedicating time each team meeting to having one person’s role “in the spotlight”. They may have the floor for 5-15 minutes during a meeting to share what they do, their priorities and possibly a little bit about what’s unique about their context.
• Having team members work together in smaller pairs around team building activities or real-time team problem solving.
• Having people share what’s outside their screen or window – see chapter 7 of Effective Virtual Conversations around this.

Also check out Teams365 2097 – Remote Team Activities – for more info.

Want to learn more about how a team day could support your team’s results and relationships? Let’s talk. Email me to set up a conversation to learn more about the Team Days I facilitate (virtually of course!).

All the 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 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.

Welcome back to Sunday’s post! This week we’ve explored a number of different posts including:

• Saturday’s Weekly Journaling prompt getting you to do a review of this last year and think about what your favorite memories have been. Read it here.
• Friday’s Flashback Friday focusing on expectations. Read it here.
• Thursday’s Team Building Tip getting you to explore or revisit communication. Read it here.
• Wednesday’s post with 4 Areas of Team Focus for 2020. Read it here.
  
• Tuesday’s focus for key topics and conversations for teams this year. Read it here.
  
• Monday’s post on Team Practices for the remote space. Read it here.
  

Have a great rest of the 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.

In my work as a coach, I am privileged to work with leaders (both seasoned and new), as well as teams. At this time of year, I like to pause and take stock of some of the themes I’ve seen and have been working around with clients. It’s been a varied year, but some of the key conversations I’ve been hearing about are:

How do we work most effectively knowing we are a diverse team? This often has involved a deeper dive into helping people understand not only their strengths or styles, but also the flip side of it – what happens when their strengths or styles become over-magnified.

What can we do to focus? Discernment and focus are two areas many teams have been building their muscle in. While the range of what this looks like can be vast, some of the questions teams like to engage with are:

• Where are we paying attention?
• What do we need to say no to (these may be things that are not adding value, are serving as a distraction rather than an important piece of work or….)
• What areas do we need to become more discerning in?

What else is important to note as a team?

What can we do to become more effective as a virtual team? With an increasing number of people going remote, it’s important to think about what is going to make you most effective when working across distance and boundaries. I’m exploring this topic, and several others, in my new podcast series – Remote Pathways Podcast which I am co-hosting with Michelle Mullins. Check it out at https://www.RemotePathways.com
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How do we become better at prioritization? Becoming better at prioritization may be an antidote for some teams, and one way to start dialing back on the pressures they experience. What do you notice about priorities on your team? How do you balance out the varying weight of each?

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.

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip brings us to #122 in the series. You can read others here.

This week’s tip also takes us into a Remote Team Tip. As someone who has spent the majority of my career working either leading remote teams, or supporting remote teams, I always know the importance of connecting people. As I often say in the remote space “Remote does not equal disconnected”. While it may seem that people are far away, business is still done via relationships and we need to take time to proactively build relationships. Trust and connection are still key in this work.

Remote team practices are at the heart of communication and relationships. Team practices might mean a consistent Monday morning huddle or a virtual working session every last Thursday afternoon of the month.

What are the practices you have evolved as a team?

What helps you be successful?
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What else do you think is important to take note of?
 
Enjoy your conversations,
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.