​This week’s FlashbackFriday post takes us to the territory of two past posts which explored the teamwork skills of Listening and Working Across Differences. If I had to categorize the different areas teams prioritize as wanting to get better in, or develop, it’s often in these two areas.
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Let us take a look back at two posts I’ve written – one on Listening, and one on Working Across Differences.
 
First, here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #1103  on Listening. Read it here or below.

“Exceptional teams don't usually emerge as exceptional. They develop over time skills in different areas.

​The first area we are going to look at is Listening. In a team context listening is of utmost importance - it's listening on multiple levels. Listening to what the other team member is saying, and also listening for how it connects with your work. Listening is also hearing the emotional and requests behind the words. When teams are in conflict, there is usually a request behind each complaint that exists.

​In listening we want to listen on multiple levels:

​1. To the words that are being shared. This in fact only comprises about 8% of the message.
​2. To the tone, pace and pitch of the statement - what do you notice about the energy and impact of how the words are being spoken? This comprises more than 30% of the message.
​3. To the body language. What do you notice about the person's gestures? How they are standing? What does their body language say about how open or closed they are? Body language comprises about 55% of the message when we are in face to face settings.

​One of the challenges with team communication today is that so much is done by instant messaging or text in which we have no tone or body language to help make sense of what the words really mean. The impact of this means that words and the way they are interpreted are heavily influenced by the levels of trust and connection that exist within the team. You may be interested in checking out these two posts for boosting trust and connection in your virtual teams:

​Teams365 #258: Create Connection within Your Virtual Team. Read it here.

​Teams365 #610: Four Ways to Build trust in your team.

​There are some past posts I've written on listening, which is also a paramount skill in coaching. Take a look at these past posts related to listening:

​Teams365 #914: The Foundations of TeamWork - Listening - Read it here

​Teams365 #192: Listening And Coaching as A Leader. Read it here”
 
Working across differences is another challenging area for many teams today. The differences which exist on a team are often the greatest strength. However, how do we become more effective at working across differences? Consider what I wrote in this post – Teams365 #1110 – Working Across Differences.
 
“Today's teamwork skill in focus is the ability to work across differences. In today's world of ongoing collaboration and teamwork, this skill set is essential.

​Some tips for working across differences include:
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​* Knowing each member's unique strengths and what they bring to the table. StrengthsFinder 2.0 is a wonderful tool to help people understand more about their unique strengths. Click here to read what I have written in the past about the benefits of leading from strengths, and supporting the team in understanding their strengths.

* Creating an environment where differences are celebrated and encouraged

​* Understanding the different styles which exist on a team. I usually use the Everything DiSC with the clients I work with. This helps to provide insights around people's natural working style, to support individuals in learning more about their "go to" approaches, especially when under stress. Understanding this also helps to adapt their style for working with others.

​What other ways do you want to support individuals on the team in working across differences?”

As you step into the weekend, what’s one concrete thing you can do to support your team in enhancing their skills in either listening or working across differences this month?

Best,
​Jennifer

This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt is a fun one. This week consider using “If I were to describe myself as a superpower, it would be….”
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Everyone is unique, and being aware of what you are “GREAT” at, and what gives you a competitive edge is critical. With a quickly evolving business context, being able to articulate what values, skills and strengths you bring to the table, helps you, and helps others that you team with.
Here are a few prompting questions to help you think about your superpowers:

• What are you great at?
• What are your strengths?
• As you look back to your accomplishments this year, what skills have you honed or developed?
• How do others you work with describe your top 3-5 skills and strengths?
• What is the “kryptonite” to your superpower (in other words, what has the potential to decimate it?)?

This is one of those weekly journaling prompts that may inspire you to draw or look for some inspiration visually or graphically.
Let us know by using the comments below what you see as your superpower.

Enjoy your weekend,
Jennifer

Team Building Question #196 asks you to consider the questions “What’s the culture you have evolved as a team? Is that what’s going to take it to the next level?”.
Culture is something that evolves over time. It’s how we do things. It’s shaped by our stories, our icons, or experiences. What’s the culture that you have evolved as a team over the years?
As you consider where you are heading, how can the culture support you in taking things to the next level.
What values can help to support you?
Which ones do you want to focus on?
What are the specific way you do things which can help?
What are the past experiences you can leverage or springboard off of?
What do you know is your core strength?
What is your “super power” as a team?

If you haven’t had a chance to explore the topic of team culture before, here’s an opportunity to start the discussion. How do you uniquely do things? What makes you unique as a team.
 
Enjoy the conversation,
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 Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) 
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets you to write about: Habits that are helping me are….
 
Taking an appreciative stance, focusing on what is working, and strengths, can be powerful in today’s ever-changing context. While it is not to minimize or gloss over what’s not working, leading from strengths and an appreciation of what is working, can be a powerful booster in today’s sea of complex change.
 
Check out this Success.com article from Dr. Travis Bradberry on 12 Simple Habits that Set Ultra Successful People Apart.
 
Enjoy your weekend,
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 Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) 
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

Yesterday we looked at part 1 of styles and strengths in teams. Part of the greatest challenge and opportunity in teams is their diversity. Research continues to show that well balanced teams excel, not necessarily teams which are all the same. Today's complex and uncertain environment requires that we look at things in different ways, leveraging different skill sets and being able to work with, and foster, diverse perspectives.

A recent HBR article by Alison Reynolds and David Lewis, "The Two Traits of the Best Problem-Solving Teams" delve into this topic.

Amy Edmonston's newest book, with Jean-Francois Harvey, Extreme Teaming: Lessons in Complex, Cross-Sector Leadership, also feeds into this conversation with teams (and leaders)

In today's post I wanted to get you thinking about what are some of the questions you as a team may want to consider as you start to explore the work this spring (or fall)/quarter:

1. What are the challenges and opportunities we are facing this quarter?
2. How will they necessitate that we look at things in a different way?
3. What diverse skill sets can we leverage across our team?
4. What diverse vantage points can we leverage across our team?
5. What aren't we thinking about, or considering?
6. What else?
7. If we were to look at things in a totally different way, what would that be?

I hope that you enjoy these questions and the conversation that flows out of it. If you didn't see yesterday's Part 1 of the Post -be sure to check out Teams #365 #1569. Enjoy!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

One of the most exciting parts of being on a team, and also one of the most challenging, is working with others who have a different style and different preferences. As someone who has led teams, or worked with teams, globally for the better part of the last three decades, I see this as one of the biggest challenges for teams.
Past posts here at the Teams365 blog
Key to becoming more effective in working with different styles in a team is:

#1 - Know Your Own Style and Strengths
We each have a unique style, and there are many great assessments on the market place today - MBTI, DisC, or the series of strengths based work through assessments such as VIA Character Strengths, or StrengthsFinder2.0. 
What do you know about your style and strengths?
How does that help you? Hinder you in  your work?


# 2 -Understand the limitations of your own style
With strengths come limitations, particularly if we are over utilizing or focusing on those. When others have to work with you as a details oriented person, what is that like? If you are constantly driving for results, how is that for others who have to work with you?

How does your strengths and styles help you? Help the team?
Where do your strengths and styles get in the way?

#3 - Understand what happens to your style when you are under pressure. Pressure in today's context is a daily occurrence for many. Whether it's working with limited resources or getting a project done in half the time it needs, pressure is constant. What typically happens when we are under pressure - time, resource pressure or stress - is that o ur styles can get magnified. Our strengths become  a blindspot. So, our attention to detail becomes over magnified, or our penchant for strategy becomes over utilized without a focus on the practicality of what can, and needs to get one.

What happens to your style, when you are under pressure?

The focus on ourselves is one part of the equation. The other part is to explore what happens across the team and how strengths and styles overlap and connect. There may also be gaps.

Have you as a team created space to talk about strengths/styles?
Where are you aligned?
Where are you in contradiction or opposition to each other?
What gaps exist?

Finally, with these ideas in mind, we also need to think about how we "dial up" and "dial down" our strengths. When do they become over magnified? When are they not enough? When do we become entrenched with them?

I hope that this post sparks some conversation for you as a team around your unique styles and how that is supporting or hindering you this quarter. For those interested in learning more about how I could support you and your team in this discussion, please reach out and set up a phone call.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

In today’s post, we’re exploring strategic planning for virtual teams. How do you make it happen?

Helping team members understand their strengths helps teams leverage their skills and harness their capabilities. Gallup has also found very compelling results when team members are able to bring their strengths to work every day.

In addition to the StrengthsFinder, teams may also want to investigate another strengths assessment that being VIA Strengths – Values in Action.
The following is a short warm-up activity to more detailed discussion as a team around your assessments

When I’ve seen you at your best….

Time: 15 minutes
Materials Needed: None

Instructions:
Virtual team members need acknowledgement as well, particularly as they may receive less feedback that teams who can see each other face-to-face.
This is a short activity which would be part of a
Ask team members to think about one person on the team who they have liaised with, or worked closely with (virtually) in the last quarter. At one of your team meetings you will give people the opportunity to share with that colleague responses to the following questions:

1. I see one of your strengths as….
2. I appreciate …..
3. Going forward, as we work together I’d like to ask you to ______
   
4. You bring ….. to our team.

This is an activity which will cultivate positive emotion and will bring team members closer together. Teams need positive reinforcement, as well as constructive feedback. For more on the concept of constructive feedback, check out the Foundations of Feedback series I did. It will be of interest to teams of all kinds who are hoping to build more of a feedback culture.

Enjoy your Wednesday,
Jennifer


 

One of my favorite coaching questions for teams and groups is "What do you bring that's unique?". Once teams and groups have found to common ground to create safety and belonging, this is a great question to start exploring strengths and what unique skills, talents and experiences each team or group member brings.
We know that teams that excel usually bring complimentary skills. Asking team members to share what they bring which is unique to the team can help identify synergies, opportunities for collaboration, and what skills and strengths you can leverage in the future.

What do you notice about the responses to this question on your team this week?

With best wishes,
Jennifer

This week's team building tip gets you thinking about what you are truly passionate about in your work (and life!) and how that shows up in your actions and results.

As leaders knowing what we will go to "bat" for becomes an important part of our value system, and knowing ourselves (or self-awareness) helps to differentiate between good and great leaders.

Being able to feed our passions and lead with strengths boosts engagement and productivity (see past posts on strengths). Helping to foster an environment where our team members also get to foster their strengths and passions is also important.

What have you done this month to feed what  you are passionate about? How has that helped you and your team? What might need some more attention?

Have a great Thursday,
Jennifer