​Happy April Fools Day! I always love April 1st as it marks the day I came back to live and re-establish myself in Canada. Back in 2004, I made the transition from my former world of global work with the United Nations and the international humanitarian sector and came back home. Six days later on April 7th, I registered my new business, Potentials Realized, and haven’t looked back.

A lot of people often ask me what led me to start this company. There were a number of factors which led me to establish Potentials Realized.

First, I had spent several years prior being asked by my employers to take on special projects and/or take on internal consulting roles. It validated at into the second decade of my career I was building a series of skills and areas of expertise that could be useful outside of my regular role.

A second major factor for me had also been the impact to my vision due to an eye infection I had sustained in 2003. That led to an effect on one of my eyes which still exists today. It’s one of the reasons why I established Potentials Realized as a virtual business – so I wouldn’t have to travel like I used to. Today so many of us are having to live and work virtually, especially with social isolation measures in place. I hope that you have been seeing some of the more creative ways we can continue to work and meet in the virtual space.

A final factor in terms of moving to being an entrepreneur was the belief that it was time to go out on my own and create the programming I had dreamed about. During the years I was flying around the world leading organizational retreats for groups large and small, I hoped that I would be able to create something similar under my own umbrella. One of the greatest things I have enjoyed is not having had to do the travel I used to – of how I can bring dozens of people together for great conversation and work in the remote space.

What is your beginning story?
 
As we step into the new month, what are your goals? What’s important to be focusing on?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

Get your Q2 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, or join me for the Virtual Facilitation Essentials program
Contact us to discuss how we can support you and your teams and organization with remote work.
Check out upcoming virtual programs on our calendar

Who are you? How do people see you?

This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets you to think in terms of how you are unique.

What are the six words you would use to describe yourself? What’s important about who you are?

One of the assessments I like to use in my work as a coach is the StrengthsFinder from Gallup. As they indicate, the chances of two people having the same Top 5 strengths is one in 33.4 million. Read this article about this from Gallup.

In a world in which things can seem commoditized, AND people are worried about Artificial Intelligence, we might take heart to recognize that we are all unique.

This weekend I hope you will enjoy reflecting on the question – "6 Words to Describe Me Are…"
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Maybe you outreach to others and also ask them what they think.
 
Enjoy the reflection!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

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.
Contact us to discuss how we can support you and your teams and organization with remote work.
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!
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“Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is a quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through the good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.” -Ann Landers

Welcome back to another Saturday weekly journaling prompt. This week’s prompt is simply the word LOVE.

Like past weeks, I hope that this week’s prompt provides you with the space to explore ideas such as:

• WHAT do you LOVE right now?
• What are your passions?
• If you were to create a top 10 list of the thins you LOVE this year, what would it include?
• WHO do you LOVE?
• How do you demonstrate LOVE?
• What do you LOVE about your business and what you do every day?
• If you run a business or lead a team, what do you LOVE?

I hope that you enjoy your reflections!
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

Contact us to discuss how we can support you and your teams and organization with remote work.
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.
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” - Winston Churchill

Happy Saturday! I hope that you are finding these weekly journaling prompts to be a valuable resource and reflection point for you.

Each Saturday I share a short prompt and invite you to take 10-15 minutes to write and reflect on them.

This week’s prompt gets you to reflect and write on the question: “I take a stand for….”

What are the things you take a stand for? Go to bat for? Speak up around?

These can be signals for things that are important for you. If you are a business owner, they may be a signal that these are part of what makes you unique as a business.

For more on this topic, check out these articles:

• Marcia Reynold’s Article on How to Speak up and Take a Stand 
• 6 Opportunities Where You Can Take a Stand as a Leader by Avery Blank

Enjoy your reflections,
Jennifer

​Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Everything DiSC
Phone (416)996-8326

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.
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip takes us into the domain of the matrix team. If you are working remote, it’s probable that you are part of a matrix team. In the matrix work environment where we may have two more or more leaders and sets of teams we are working with, it’s really important that we create strong team culture.

Our team culture (as I have written in other Teams365 posts), is WHO we are and HOW we do things. It consists of our norms (our Team Charter or agreements on how we do things. What’s acceptable and what’s not).

Our team culture is also shaped by our values. If we value quality, we will always make a point to review key pieces of communication before they go out the door. If we value experimentation, we may be very open as a team to things that don’t work as planned (note that I’m not even using the term failure).

Team culture also includes the visual and other elements which make us, us. This might be HOW we hold meetings, or the fact that we provide both positive and constructive feedback around new projects and initiatives. Visual elements might include a mascot or metaphors which help them team identify themselves. For example, a team may associate itself with a firecracker (being bold and making an impact) or a fire pit (bringing people together for collaboration and problem solving). What are the elements of your team culture which you want to make more pronounced or visible?

In a virtual or remote team, it can be key to focus in on being more explicit in taking time to articulate and share our team culture given that we may not be able to see it every day. It may be captured in our slides or stickers that are put on computers or notebooks. What structures do you want to use to make it visible?

For more on the topic of team culture check out these Teams365 blog posts.

Best, 
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.

Metaphorically, there are a number of elements “under the waterline” in our work that aren’t seen but contribute to both our behaviors and our results. In my 2019 work, PlanDoTrack, I encourage remote workers to think about what are the things that are shaping their behaviors, results and impact. This could include – habits, beliefs, assumptions, mindsets and values.

These become a rich focus area for the work I do with teams in Team Days and in extended coaching conversations.

Habits – the things we do regularly and often subconsciously. Our habits shape what we put attention on, what we do. What do you notice about your habits? What are the habits which are helping the team? Getting in the way of team results?

Our beliefs and philosophies also have tremendous influence on what we pay attention to, what we prioritize and how we approach our work. This is an area which warrants much greater exploration for teams and individuals. Our beliefs may be deeply entrenched. Our philosophies may not be made explicit. What is the work for you to explore in this area?

Our mindsets – Authors such as Carol Dweck have dedicated their work to exploring the field of mindsets. What mindset do you embrace around your work and elements of your work? Are you an active learner with years of experience under your belt, or are you an expert? Do you embrace experimentation or do things have to be perfect? If you haven’t explored the realm of mindset and the work of authors such as Dweck, this may be of interest to you.

Again, our mindset will influence the activities we undertake and what we do.

Our values – What we value and what we take a stand for also influences our values. What are the values you hold as a team? An organization? An individual? If I hold a value of experimentation, I may be willing to try a lot of things that don’t work. This would be in contrast to (and potential conflict with) a team that values quality and would never let something go out the door before it was vetted multiple times. Our values will have a significant influence on our behaviors and therefore results. They may influence speed etc.

I hope that you will take a few minutes to map out your iceberg. If you are interested in exploring this more, contact us to discuss working 1-1 via coaching, or by bringing this into a team day session.

All the best, 
​Jennifer

Knowing what makes us happy can be important for quality of life and work. Many times, we can get so in the flow of life and busyness that we don’t stop to pause and think about what makes us happy. Before we get too far into the year, this weekend’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets you to think about, and write about, what makes you happy.

What can you be doing to bring more of these happy moments and activities into your work and life? One way to do this might be by creating rituals. As Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr write in the Power of Full Engagement, “Building rituals requires defining very precise behaviors and performing them at very specific times – motivated by deeply held values.”

Perhaps getting outside on the weekends makes you happy, or fitting in a podcast over lunchtime. What are the habits and rituals that are going to support you around this?

I hope that you will enjoy thinking about not only what makes you happy this weekend, but what you can also do to cultivate more of that through habits and rituals.
​
Enjoy!
Jennifer

This week’s WJP brings us to the question – “What do you want to invest in?” Whether it’s investing your MONEY, TIME or ATTENTION, what are the things you want to invest in? What’s the purpose?

As we step into the weekend, what are the things that are going to help you in terms of focus?

Enjoy your reflections and the remaining holiday time!
​
With 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 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 - What's possible if you were take 60 days of focused action on your business? Join us starting January 1st for this experiment in 60 days of focused action at the 60 Day Coaching Business Builder Accelerator. Join us.

As many of us wind down for the next few days or weeks, it’s gotten me to think about tradition. Traditions were always important in my family – from weekend road-trips to the cottage and seasonal openings and closings, as well as making a point of celebrating with friends and loved ones at key seasonal holidays. It’s always created an anchor of certainty even in a changing world of work, and locations. In continuing these traditions with my own family, I can see how important it’s been.

On a business level, I’ve also aimed to maintain certain traditions including an annual year end call taking a look back at the landscape of group and team programming. This year was my 15th annual call. That’s a lot of calls and conversations, AND I know that it’s an important milestone marker for my community as well as myself.

What are the traditions you engage with on a personal level? As a leader? As a business?

What are the milestones you want to celebrate? What’s important to note for yourself?

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 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.