Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

teams 365 #3359: Setting Your Virtual, Remote or Hybrid New Hire Up For Success! Part 2

3/16/2023

Continuing from the previous article, here are the last 5 of the 9 key success factors to consider when planning your new team member’s induction into your virtual or remote team:

5. Show up, be visible and present - Discuss what it looks like to be fully present when working remotely and ensure the team continues to display this as a consistent behaviour.

6. Follow-through - is a strong signal of reliability. Make all the notes and reminders you need to ensure that your new hire is well taken care of and loose items are addressed.

7. Find the common ground - Build the relationship! Take some time to relate to the new hire as a person and cement those items that arise in conversation where common ground exist.

8. Leverage your strengths - and theirs! Have your new hire identify their key strengths and discuss how they will compliment the team, especially when working from a distance. Share your strengths and have the team share theirs!

9. What's beyond the screen? Share a little about yourself, your context and your priorities when building new virtual relationships. When new hires see that you're a real person, the distance factor will fade a bit and a new relationship will form.

Source: 90 Day Guide for Success, Jennifer Britton, Pages 29-30.

By taking some extra time to discuss, plan and account for the items above, your new hire will feel more confident about starting something new, especially from a distance! A little planning goes a long way, so if you anticipate a new hire, keep your calendar open and prioritize them, even if you're super busy that week. It'll be worth it in the long run.

-----------

Need support with your onboarding or re-boarding programs? We are always happy to help! Set up a free 15-minute consultation with Jennifer Britton at Potentials Realized via Calendly at a time that works for you, and she would be happy to answer your questions!

GET SOCIAL WITH US!
Instagram: @ReconnectingWorkspaces
LinkedIn: Connect with Jennifer Britton and Potentials Realized
Podcast: Remote Pathways (@RemotePathways, on your favorite podcast player)
Facebook Group: Virtual and Remote Visionaries Hub

Potentials Realized website: www.potentialsrealized.com

Calendly –

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

#TEams365 #3106 - 5 Productivity tips for Remote and Hybrid Teams

7/7/2022

As indicated at the start of Chapter 18 in Reconnecting Workspaces, everyone on virtual teams will benefit from enhanced skills and practices in the areas of time management and personal productivity. It is not only for leaders or business owners, but for everyone.
Here are five things which support accelerated work in the virtual space.
1. Helping team members learn to leverage their own work: Help team members become better with prioritization. Embrace tools such as sprints (working in shorter periods), time trackers, task lists, and Learning to Say No. It may also involve identifying collaborative partners.

These tips should be read in line with tips around etiquette and systems in Chapter 7 which balance off the personal and technical side of time management.

2. Circadian rhythms: Know when you are at your best. Also known as the science of time, chronobiology studies the circadian rhythms of a person.
At what time of your day are you at your prime?
When is it important to downshift?

3. Knowing where people are spending their time: For many years I have supported individuals, teams, and groups exploring their time through an activity called the time tracker. It gives people a sense of how much time people really are spending on tasks. Many of us get surprised when we find out where our time actually goes. One of the first steps in time management is getting a sense of where you actually spend your time.

In 15- to 30-minute blocks every day, note down what you are doing. This might include commuting, in meetings, taking the kids to tennis, meals, recreation, strategic work, one-on[1]ones with team members, etc. At the end of the week, tally up where your time has been spent.

Questions to consider:
• What do you notice about where your time is being spent?
• Any surprises?
• What’s significant?
• What needs to be changed?
• How does this week differ from other weeks?
• What would be one change you’d like to commit to for the next week? What impact could this have?

There are a number of different ways you can now track your time: old school using paper and pen, as well as apps. If you have a copy of PlanDoTrack or Coaching Business Builder, be sure to work through your trackers in the workbook/planners.

4. Systematize: There are many things we do in any given work day. Some tasks which are fraught with repetition could be automated (think bills), while others we do one way because we always have.

What are the systems which could benefit the team? Areas you can explore which might need attention:
• Planning times
• Meeting times
• Deep work times
• Commute times
• Reporting times
• Times during which you are having to overwork for team meetings and team events
• Email management—what really needs copying in
• Translation times

Check out Chapter 3 of Coaching Business Builder or PlanDoTrack for more on this topic.

5. Getting active, and not always being chained to the desk. It’s commonly asserted in remote work that “sitting is the new smoking.” A sedentary lifestyle can have many impacts.

Regular movement for virtual team members is important. Make things active—our brains flourish when they are hydrated. We need to move as well.

As Thoreau wrote, “Methinks that the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow.”

Studies on movement and the brain have seen that walking helps to boost brain connections and boosts memory and attention.

Exposure to nature also has been seen to have a boost, particularly in the first five minutes.

The same article links to many global studies which have found that time spent in nature helps with focus, creativity, and longevity.

Enjoy the flow!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk - Virtual, Remote and Hybrid Checklist

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

TEAMS365 #2557 – The Year in Review – Key Themes for 2020 at the Teams365 Blog

12/30/2020

As we go to wrap up the year, I wanted to take a look back at the many different focus areas here at the blog during 2020. Some of you may know that this blog started as an experiment for me back on January 1st, 2014. I wanted to see what would happen if I dedicated time every day to writing. More than 2500 blog posts later, and several other books which were borne through this writing, the Teams365 blog continues to go strong.

As someone who has written about remote work for many years, 2020 brought it in, in volume. If you didn’t take a look at yesterday’s post around the Top 10 podcast episodes from the Remote Pathways for 2020, please take a look.

Some of the key themes we touched on this year included:

Team Effectiveness in the Remote Space
Virtual Productivity
Leading in Disruption
Leadership
Standing Out Virtually in the Remote Space
Remote Work Foundations
Team Essentials

I also continued with the regular weekly series as well, including:

Monday’s Effective Virtual Conversations tips AND the more recent Stand Out Virtually Ideas
Thursday’s Team Building Tips – Questions to incorporate into your work
Friday’s Flashback – dipping into more than 52 past posts
Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompts – what have you enjoyed about these?

I look forward to continuing to provide blogs and posts into 2021!

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 #2556 – Top 10 Remote Pathways Podcast Episodes for 2020

12/29/2020

One of my favorite creative projects this past 18 months has been the creation and launch of the Remote Pathways podcast. It’s been warmly embraced by listeners globally. The Remote Pathways Podcast explores the PEOPLE, PLACES and PROCESSES to REMOTE WORK.

I thought it would be interesting to share with you our top 10 episodes for 2020. Here’s what we, and our listeners, LOVED listening to:

Enjoy!
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 #2552 – Happy Holidays!

12/25/2020

Wishing you and your loved ones a very wonderful holiday season!

Thank you for joining us throughout the year for the focus on all things virtual and remote leadership, teamwork and conversations.

We look forward to continuing to serve as a resource for you.

Enjoy your day!
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 #2550 – 10 Posts You Will Want to Check Out from 2020 on Remote Teams and Leadership

12/23/2020

Yesterday I spotlighted posts on effective virtual conversations. Today I wanted to share ten posts from 2020 about remote work, teams and leadership. These were definitely popular posts from 2020:

Check out these three articles I published over on Thrive Global as well:

What are you going to continue to focus on as you move forward with your work?

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 #2540 Weekly Review

12/13/2020

Where did the week go!? This week we covered a wide range of different posts including:

Enjoy the rest of the weekend!
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 #2519 Weekly Review

11/22/2020

What a week it’s been! We’ve covered the terrain of Saturday’s Weekly Journaling Prompt of which elements are important, to Friday’s post on 10 things to fit in before the end of the year.

Other posts this week have included:

Enjoy the reflection and catching up!
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 #2515 - Celebrating our first season of the Remote Pathways podcast

11/18/2020

Next week signals of our first year of the Remote Pathways podcast. When my co-host Michelle Mullins and I started this journey a year ago of exploring the people, pathways and processes to remote work, we would have had no idea how the year would be placing such an emphasis on remote wok.

We’ve released 24 great episodes exploring the terrain of the remote workspace. From entrepreneurial pursuits to project managers, sales professionals, to virtual facilitators, the landscape of remote work is vast. We have also focused on helping people explore some of the key areas that help people thrive, for example, our episodes with:

Check out some of my other favorite episodes:

We are looking forward to having you join us for season 2!
Enjoy your conversations,

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 #2514 – Building Connection in Your Remote Team

11/17/2020

One of the challenges of today’s remote team is that of connection which has implications for results and relationships. When people don’t feel connected it has impact on productivity, teamwork and also results.

What are the ways you are connecting your team?

Many teams these days are incorporating some, or all, of these:

Weekly or daily huddles (as time zones permit)
Virtual Co-Working Sessions (Check out The Remote Pathways podcast episode on Co-working
Peer partners who meet around key accountability measures

What are the things you are doing to help people feel connected and aligned with your purpose?

What are the best vehicles for you as a team to stay connected?

For more on the topic of building trust and connection, check out these other Teams365 blog posts:

Enjoy your conversations!
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