Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

TEAMS365 #2368 –Building a Vibrant Remote Team Culture

6/24/2020

Team culture is all about HOW WE DO things here. Remote Team culture and fostering a sense of connection and identity is critical in a space where we may be members of multiple matrix teams. Take a look at yesterday’s Teams365 post - #2366 on roles in the remote space.

Our team culture consists of many different components – consider how you are building these out:

Our beliefs – What are the things we hold true? What do we believe in?
Our sayings – Consider the impact of a mantra of “better done than perfect” versus “review until all the t’s are crossed, and i’s dotted”.
What we value – How do our values show up in WHAT we do? What do our values look like in action? For example, is it speed or perfection?
Sense of identity – Who we are. What are the adjectives which describe us as a team?
Our practices and commitments – What will we ensure we always do, no matter what? Examples might include ALWAYS having a Friday afternoon status update no matter what OR ensuring that someone is available to serve customers (virtually or physically) within working hours (even if we have a meeting).

What areas of your culture could benefit from being intentional around?

Take a look at this past post #1526 here.

Check out the audio I did as part of one of the Team Leader Breakfast Café Series back in 2014 here.

What do you want to be more intentional about communicating? A strong team culture is important as it fosters a sense of identity and also signals to our team members and others, HOW we do things and what we value.

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

Check out our Digital Resources to support you in your work and conversations

TEAMS365 #2366 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 151: Team Feedback and the REVET Model

6/22/2020

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip, which you can usually find under the hashtag #letstalkvirtual, is all about Team Feedback. With many teams opting to stay Working From Home for the foreseeable future, team feedback is an important loop to help teams excel.

What are the processes you have in place to keep team feedback moving?

We know that feedback is best when it’s specific (detailed about what the person did well or not well, behaviorally – via things that we can see or tangible outputs). Feedback is best when it’s regular, and as close to the event as possible. The longer between feedback and activity, the less valuable it is.

Feedback can be useful when we receive it from those around us – our bosses, our peers and those we interface with on projects, or stakeholders. Who are you receiving feedback from?

For many years I have written about, and talked about, the REVET™ model of feedback. We want to make sure that feedback is:

R – What are the roles the person inhabits; what projects are they involved with? What are their goals?
- Considering these questions helps us to make sure that feedback is relevant for the person.
E – Reflect on performance expectations
- What have been the expectations set about performance? What are the key issues they are focusing on, and most likely value feedback around?
V - What do they value?
- Some people value feedback delivered frequently and off the cuff. Other team members may prefer to have feedback offered in a structured fashion, or by writing, with some time between receiving the feedback and then having the performance conversation.
E – Specific examples. Providing specific examples is absolutely essential for an effective performance conversation.
- Always make sure you have specific examples which you have personally witnessed. If not, you may not be the person to provide feedback in that manner. You could facilitate the discussion with the person and those who seem them every day 1-1.
T – Timing. What is the most appropriate time for the conversation? Is it a mid-morning? Evening? Lunchtime conversation?

(Copyright 2020 – Jennifer Britton, VRTWL)

If you have a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations, you’ll also want to check out what I write about Appreciations and Acknowledgements on pages 257 – 258. It’s important to take time to pause and share appreciations with each other. This serves to boost trust, and connection, across the team. I recently have included this activity in my latest mini-course for teams – the Remote Team Builders. You can find it here.

What are the things you are doing to create a team feedback loop?

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

Check out our Digital Resources to support you in your work and conversations

TEAMS365 #2329 – Weekly Journaling Prompt 99

5/16/2020

“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest (people) of the past centuries.” – Descartes

Welcome back to another Weekly Journaling Prompt. This week’s post is all about getting you to think about your favorite saying, book or song. When was the last time you took a look at that book, or listened to that music?

Spending time enjoying the things we love can be an important part of life, especially if we are more isolated, or needing to remain at home. What are the things you haven’t picked up in a while?

As you think about that work of art, what’s important? What is the message behind it? How do you integrate it into your work and life?

I hope that you find these weekly Journaling Prompts useful to explore. Given that we are almost at #100, if you have been taking notes as we go, what do you notice about some of the themes which have emerged? Over time? Over the last few months? I hope that you will grab 15 to 30 minutes today to review your journaling notes and see what you have captured.

Enjoy your reflections and have a great Saturday,
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

PDF copies of PlanDoTrack now available! Get yours here.

TEAMS365 #2322 – Weekly Journaling Prompt 98: What’s Your Mantra?

5/9/2020

This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt is MY MANTRA is….

What are the words you live, and work by?

Starting early in my career, when I was based in South America and the Caribbean, I found myself embracing the notion of a Mantra as both a leader and an individual.

While my leadership mantra was often “embrace the chaos” (in other words, don’t try to fight the effects of crisis, fluctuation and crisis, but roll with it and use the energy more proactively to see patterns, and options). I also held another mantra of “I’m only one person, I can only do so much”. This was an important acknowledgement and reminder or myself that as a leader I NEEDED to lean into my team, and the people around me to effect change and make a difference. I still return to these on a regular basis (and probably could benefit from revisiting more regularly), especially as a business owner.

My personal mantra during those years was often “Carpe Diem” or “Seize the Day”. This was really important as my life abroad was very dynamic, and I never really knew where they next day would take me. My work took me regularly to the highs and lows of life and living.

Both of these mantras were something I reminded myself of often and were visible in different ways – from a Carpe Diem token on my table to a photo one of my mentors had given me signifying what reminded me of “embrace the chaos”.

In this week’s journaling, you are invited to consider what your mantra or mantras are.

What are they?

How do they shape what you do? Where you put attention? What you choose to invest your time, focus and energy around?

How can these be enshrined or made more visible?

Enjoy your journaling!
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

PDF copies of PlanDoTrack now available! Get yours here.

TEAMS365 #2319 – Remote Team Builder: Vision Mapping

5/6/2020

While some people are starting to go back to work face to face, many of us are still working in the remote space for a while longer. Today’s post shares with you one quick remote team builder. We know that teams excel when they have a clear focus on what results are needed, as well as who they are (their relationships).

One of the elements which is critical for success is that of having a clear vision that everyone can connect to, and keep in mind. Your vision as a team may be like a horizon – pulling you forward and getting more in focus the closer you get to it. For some teams it may be important to focus on creating a vision to the end of the year, for others, to the end of 2021.

So, what can we do to create this?

At your next team meeting, dedicate 15-20 minutes to working around vision. This may be the start of a multi-session conversation.

Make a whiteboard available and be sure to set annotation as “on” with your platform.

You might start by asking people to consider the current corporate goals and direction to do a series of sharing and writing around different questions such as:

Looking ahead to end of 2020 (or 2021), what are we known for? (think accomplishments)
Who have we served?
What have been our greatest accomplishments?
What’s important to us?
What are the things we do not waver on?
What do we go to bat for? (i.e. address until it’s right)
What else makes us unique?

To spark some ideas, you might even show some photographs and get people to choose from them. Today’s graphic incorporates an activity I recently shared at one of our Remote Pathways calls.

Doing an activity like this will also clarify your culture as a team. I like to define culture as WHO WE ARE and HOW WE DO THINGS.

Save screenshots of the different questions as you go so you have something to refer back to and bring forward to your next conversation.

Enjoy the conversations!
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

PDF copies of PlanDoTrack now available! Get yours here.

TEAMS365 #2292 – Team Building Tip 282: What needs more alignment?

4/9/2020

Alignment on teams helps ensure that the team is harnessing their best, and therefore maximizing their flow towards results. Teams hopefully are aligned around many different areas including:

Values
Vision
Processes
Communication

Let’s look at each one of these briefly in turn:

Values – Teams, especially remote teams need to be aligned around values, and also be clear on where their individual values may be different than their collective values. This is imperative on a remote team given that our values shape our behaviors. So, for example, if we as a team value customer service, I am going to prioritize a phone call before spending time on an internal report. If we value quality, we may have a process where someone else (even virtually) reviews our content before it goes out. As a team, what are the three or four values which are important to focus on? What are the values which need to anchor everyone’s behaviors?

Vision is another piece which is important to bring the team back to, particularly in times of disruption. What is the horizon you are moving towards? What are the things which are going to anchor your work? Vision helps us to prioritize.

Processes – Our processes also need to be aligned. These include things such as how we do things, what the process flow is, who passes to who, when does it need to be done.

Communication – Finally our communication needs to be aligned. What are the ways we commit to keeping conversations flowing? What is the minimum in terms of content and time?

What can you do to support alignment as a team?

Best,
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

TEAMS365 #2288 –The Week in Review

4/5/2020

This week’s focus has continued to be on remote work and helping you and your teamwork in the virtual space.

If you haven’t had the chance, check out this week’s posts:

Have a great weekend,
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

TEAMS365 #2284 – Celebrating 16 Years Here at Potentials Realized

4/1/2020

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

TEAMS365 #2266 – Weekly Journaling Prompt 90

3/14/2020

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…"

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!

TEAMS365 #2259 – Weekly Journaling Prompt 89 – LOVE

3/7/2020

“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!