Category: Team Work

#TEAMS365 #1872 – Team Building Tip 223

2/14/2019

This week’s Team Building Tip #223 gets you to explore the question “Together we can…”

What are you able to do together better than doing as individual contributors?
What is possible when you collaborate?
What is feasible when you partner with others?
What are you able to magnify?

Best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Coaching Business Builder (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

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#TEAMS365 #1860 – Weekly Journaling Prompt #35

2/2/2019

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Happy Groundhog Day!

This week’s weekly journaling prompt #35 is “The team needs….” As a leader it can be very important to take time to take stock of where you are at – individually as a leader and also as a team.
This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets you thinking about “THE TEAM NEEDS”…
Take some time this weekend to:
Take note of needs around:

Resourcing
Information
Support – from you, from peers, from others, from _______
Connection
Collaboration
Projects
Elements

What are the things you want to note as a leader or team member?
What’s important to put in place?
What’s important to share?

Best,
Jennifer

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#TEAMS365 #1852 – FlashbackFriday – Harnessing the Capability of Your Team: 12 Activities for Team Development

1/25/2019

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One of the resolutions I commonly hear from Team Leaders is to spend more time working with their team on developing and doing their best work. As a team leader, you may not necessarily bring past experience or a vast repertoire in leading team development initiatives. That was certainly the case for the dozen plus years I led teams. As a writer and coach, team development is a significant area of focus and support for teams.

With that in mind, I wanted to take us back to a post from January 2017 where I shared a listing of 12 different team development activities which were the part of the Team Development a-z series. Given that we have the weekend coming up, I hope that you might take some time to check out these various options you could bring into your next team meeting.

Here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #1125 – 26 Team Development Activities Part 1:

Over the past few months a key focus here at the Teams365 has been our posts on different team development activities you can incorporate with your team. Whether you are an intact team, project team or virtual team, these 26 quick activities can support you on a range of topics from boosting connection, to clarifying goals, to leveraging your strengths. If you missed any of the blog posts here are the first 13 of the full 26. I'll create links to the next set in an upcoming blog post this week, or feel free to view the whole series here.

Teams365 #1063 A is for Assumptions. View it here.
Teams365 #1064. B is for Boundaries - View It Here
Teams365 #1065 C is for Conversation. Read it here.
Teams365 #1067 D is for Delegation. Read it here.
Teams365 #1070 - E is for Exceptional. View it here
Teams365 #1071: - F is for Foil Modelling. Read it here.
Teams365 #1072 - G is for Goals. Read it here
Teams365 #1074 H is for Habits. View it here
Teams365 # 1077 I is for Innovation. Read it here.
Teams365 #1078: J is for Jeopardy - Read it here.
Teams365 #1079: K is for Knots. Read it here
Teams365 #1080: L is for Life-cycle of teams and groups . Read and view it here

As you consider these options, what is important to foster a focus and conversation around as a team?

Enjoy!
Jennifer

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#TEAMS365 #1662 – #FlashbackFRiday: 4 Tips for Virtual Teaming

7/20/2018

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I’m reaching back to Teams365 #140 – 4 Tips for Virtual Teaming back in 2014 where I wrote the following:

Teams 365 #140: Four Tips for Virtual Team management

For most of the last twenty plus years of my career I have worked in virtual environments, leading teams and working on projects with people who sometimes I have never met face to face. This is increasingly becoming the norm for most people.

Today's post is about four tips for virtual teaming:

1. Know your people - it is really important to get to know your people in the virtual environment, just as it is in the face to face environment. One on ones - as showcased in the Teams365 comic yesterday illustrates how a quick five minute touch base with each team member is key in building connection. What projects do people have on the go? What support do they need? What space do they need to brainstorm/strategize/talk things through? This last question is often very relevant in the virtual environment especially if team members are working in geographic isolation.

2. Stay Connected in Ways that Work - With today's multi-generational workforce, different workers will have different preferences for connection - a quick phone call, a skype chat, Face time, regular emails or even texts. What are ways that you can stay connected.
What's preferred by each of your team members?

3. Know what your team members appreciate - it is really important to actively solicit feedback from your team member to find out what is working, and what is not with your support. What do your team members appreciate? A quick, unexpected call? Regularly scheduled meetings on skype? What type of feedback do they want? What type of support do they expect?

4. Rotate - Rotating is so important, particularly if you have a geographically dispersed team over distance or timezones. Is one person always having to compromise in terms of meeting early/late, or having to travel the longest distance. What could rotation look like for your team?

Best wishes,
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

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#TEams365 #1604: Team Skills in Complexity - Problem Solving

5/23/2018

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Part of the workplace today is the ongoing change and complexity. This not only impacts leaders but many of the team members we work with as well. Given this, it's important to take time to equip our team members with skills in a variety of areas including today's focus, problem solving. Given that team members may be working remote, or may be working more autonomously, equipping team members with skills in this area is key.

Earlier this month we've looked at other kills such as curiosity and open-mindedness as well as experimentation. What other skills do you think your team could benefit from?

Problems can take a number of forms - from not having enough resources, to not having the information we need. Equipping team members in this area could involve using problem solving skills like:

Lewin's Force Field Analysis - this process helps us explore the forces that will both enable us in change, as well as hold us back.

The Fishbone - Originating out of Toyota, the fishbone helps us explore the varying factors around an issue. For example, if poor customer service is occurring, what are the issues feeding into this from a people, process, environmental standpoint. Identifying each of these factors helps us explore what is at play.

Is/Is Not - As I wrote a short while ago, the is/is not tool, allows us to get clearer on parameters. Part of problem solving also involves this. Think about the problem or challenge you are facing, and make a list of what "it is" and what "it is not".

Five Whys - The Five Whys tool gets us to unlayer an issue by asking WHY around each of the layers. If customer service is poor ask WHY? If that points to lack of training - ask again WHY? With that response - explore the next layer with WHY. Many coaching models also encourage this unpacking or unlayering of issues to root cause.

What tools will help your team thrive?

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..

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#Teams365 #1548: In Review - March posts on Teams and Team Resources

3/28/2018

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This month we've been focusing on team development and different supports for team members. Over the past month some of the more popular posts were:

Monday's post on making things memorable. Read it here.

Teams365 #1540: Tools for Your Toolkit - Check out the eight different areas of tools you will want to equip yourself with. Read it here.

TEams365 #1536: The Five Mistakes Virtual Team Leaders can make. Read it here.

Empathy and Building Connection in Virtual Teams - Teams365 #1533. Read it here.

My intention this month was to continue to add onto, and point to, the varied ideas virtual and intact teams and their leaders may want to connect with as it relates to building their own relationships, and focusing on results.

What is the one most important thing that could support your team in moving the needle on its most important tasks and responsibilities, before the end of the month and quarter? You still have a couple of days....

Have a great Wednesday,
Jennifer

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

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Teams365 Blog

#TEAMS365 #1872 – Team Building Tip 223

#TEAMS365 #1860 – Weekly Journaling Prompt #35

#TEAMS365 #1852 – FlashbackFriday – Harnessing the Capability of Your Team: 12 Activities for Team Development

#TEAMS365 #1662 – #FlashbackFRiday: 4 Tips for Virtual Teaming

#TEams365 #1604: Team Skills in Complexity - Problem Solving

#Teams365 #1548: In Review - March posts on Teams and Team Resources

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