This week’s Flashback Friday takes us back to a post which kicked off a series on remote team or virtual team builders. With an increasing number of teams moving to the remote space, there is likely to be the need for more support and resourcing in these areas. I hope that you will consider turning to our services here at Potentials Realized, given our experience and grounding in these areas.
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Let’s look at #TEAMS365 #1892 – Virtual Team Builders #1 – Creating Connection – Part 1 – Through Images

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing a variety of Virtual Team Builders to support you with quick activities that are going to support virtual and remote teams in focusing in on results and/or relationships.

Virtual teams benefit from time spent in getting to know each other – who is who, who does what, and what priorities they are working on. Virtual team building activities don’t need to take a lot of time.
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Something most teams will want to build in across time are quick warm-up exercises to create connection.

The first exercise I wanted to share (which will be followed next week by 2 more), is by creating connection through Icons.
 
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, creating trust and connection across a group is critical. If it’s a virtual and remote team you are working with, you might be working across geographic locations. You may have a team member calling in from Asia, one from Australia, one from Africa, one from New York, one from Europe.

Part of creating connection and team success is ensuring that people get comfortable and feel confident on the call, especially if they might be using a working language that is not their first language.

In my work over the last several decades, I’ve liked to incorporate photos and icons as “door openers” and metaphors for conversation.

Before I started Potentials Realized, one of my last roles was as a sub- regional manager. I had staff in 10 countries and, out of our team of about 30 at one point, there were 20+ different nationalities.
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In creating connection across a virtual team, we want to give the team an opportunity to:

• Get to know each other,
• Understand who we are as a team,
• Explore what's important to us,
• And understand how we are similar and how we are different.

These questions and the exploration of these questions is a really critical component of the virtual team leader's role.

Back to the Icon exercise, using your access to stock photography find a photo that offers a selection of icons. Have each person select an icon that they connect with, which represents what they bring to the team.

As you go around the table, this is a fun way to share a little bit about yourself in a way that hopefully is not too threatening. Select a graphic that has enough icons which provide enough variety to invite people into the conversation. 

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development.
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in a digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.
For those looking for tips, tools and ideas about remote work and support for your remote teams, be sure to check out these tags and resources. ​

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations tip gets you to think about how you can “prime” people for success BEFORE a virtual call. Is there something you can have people watch, read or do, so that they are ready to have the conversation?

Several ideas for pre-work could include:

• Having people take a self-assessment such as StrengthsFinder if you are working on a topic such as strengths. Have them complete the assessment prior to the conversation so you can start the conversation there.
• Have them review a reading on strengths
• Create a video around strengths

What are the things which will set people up for a good conversation?

Enjoy!
​Jennifer

One of the themes this week has been about building team culture in your remote or virtual team. As part of this week’s FlashBack Friday, let’s look back to a post from this March.

Here’s what I wrote in March:
 
Yesterday’s Teams365 post #1905 focused on virtual team culture. Be sure to check it out if you haven't done so.

Today I wanted to explore three different ways you might support your team in identifying their own virtual team culture.

As a reminder, team culture usually points to three things - who we are, how do we do things and what is important to us.

Here’s a quick listing of different activities you might consider incorporating:

Who we are:
Virtual teams which excel know each other. They have strong relationships across the team, which allows them to call on others, and “have each others’ backs”. To strengthen your connection, consider these activities:

Have the team create a list of words/adjectives which describe who you are. Shape these into a word cloud which can be visible to the team.
Discuss the question “Who are we when we are at our best?”. Again, use the words to create a graphic about who you are.

At your next team meeting, have each person share one thing others may not know about them.

At your next team meeting, have each person share something that is unique to their location (this works especially well if you have a global team).

In your next meeting, share your screen which includes a variety of photos or icons. Have each person select the photo or icon which represents what they bring to the team.

How we do things:
Each team will have its own unique practices and ways of doing things. This will vary from team to team. Spending time discussing how you do things, and what the expectations are, creates clarity and builds trust, boosting both performance and results.

To explore this topic further consider:
Discussing “how we do things” (communicate, make decisions, work across differences, address conflict) can be a series of different discussions and activities. It might include a Rules of the Road which everyone has signed off on.

What makes you unique and distinct in terms of how you do things?

Another tool is to look at the IS/IS NOT table. This can include it is, it is not…
 
What is important to us:
Clarity around priorities and goals for the entire team helps with alignment, prioritization and decision making. Spending time on a regular basis discussing what is important to us may also involve:
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A list visible to the entire team (ie. Think Intranet or other post on)

• Top 5 Goals for the month
• Top 5 Priorities for the week
• Top 5 Priorities for the quarter
• Enshrining your Team Agreements or Ways of Working into something that is visible. Some teams have enshrined this into a plaque, a screen saver or other.

For more on these topics, and a demonstration of what some of these can look like (photos), take a look at my January 2019 Virtual Team Builders call which I did as part of the Effective Virtual Conversations series. You can check it out here.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

As someone who has led a variety of virtual calls for the better part of the last 15 years, I often get questions around quick techniques we can use to “jazz things up” with hearing from different people on the call.

While some people will attend a virtual session thinking they can multi-task, if you really want to create a powerful learning context create agreements around engagement and how you are going to call on group members during your time together.

Last week I shared the tip of calling on people from A-Z. This week consider using an East to West (or West to East strategy). This provides a little more interest and mental power in keeping the call moving.

To support this process, during one of your call kick offs as an energizer you may want to get people to share their location (or where they are calling in from – city, state or country) by dotting themselves on a map.

These approaches are yet another quick way we can “Avoid the Death by Conference Call”, creating more engagement for our group members.

Best wishes,
​Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of multiple books including Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), PlanDoTrack (2019) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development).
Pick up a copy of Volume 1 of the Weekly Journaling Prompts in an digital format. Print it out and take it with you for some inspiration and writing on the go! Available at the Potentials Realized Store.

Welcome back to another Effective Virtual Conversations tip. As many of you may recall, my 2017 book of the same name explores multiple tips around virtual facilitation. Whether you are leading a conference call, webinar or virtual team meeting, having a variety of "GO TO" tips and tools in your back pocket can shift your virtual event from a "snoozer" to something more engaging.
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One thing that you’ll want to have in your back pocket is a variety of A – Z tools. For ideas on this, check out the A-Z of virtual and remote digital download OR the new 20 Activities for Your Virtual and Remote Teams.
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There are many other ways we can incorporate an A-Z in our virtual work including:

• “Going around the room” in an A-Z order by first name or location or job responsibility. Calls are more interesting when we do get to hear different voices. Is there a way to call on everyone to include their ideas or thoughts at a part of the call?
• Using an A-Z warm-up by going around the room and having everyone share alphabetically a success the team has had already this year. For example:
  • A – New client named ABC company
  • B – Boundaries of our geographic location expanded
  • C – Compensation changes etc...
• Incorporating an “Eye Spy” activity where everyone has to share an item from their office which starts with that letter.

The intent of an activity like this is to jazz things up a little bit, in a quick way, so that people are not as apt to multi-task.
 
What A-Z activities might you undertake in your work?

For more ideas, check out the past Monday Teams365 blog posts which usually include an Effective Virtual Conversations Tip. 

Enjoy the start to your week,
Jennifer

This weekend I wanted to share links to one of my sister blogs, the PlanDoTrack blog which is focused on personal productivity and time management issues, particularly for virtual and remote team members, entrepreneurs and leaders.

For several months now I have hosted a weekly Wednesday series on short productivity hacks - things that you might keep in mind to get more leverage with your time, focus and work. They are posted at the PlanDoTrack blog, and then I also do a quick Facebook Live around them as well.

Here’s what I’ve covered since the start of this series:

1. Pomodoro Technique
2. Color Coding
   
3. Master Minds
4. Accountability
5. Write it down
6. Weekly Journal Prompts
7. Month End Planning Sessions
8. Top 5
9. Themes - monthly, quarterly, annual
10. Relationships

Read more about these here. 

Each Wednesday I post a short blog which often includes a quick activity you might consider undertaking t support your own planning and productivity. Just as the name implies, these are short things you can action right away.

Check out some of the past 3-5 minute Facebook Live posts which include more detail about that week’s hack. If you are on Facebook, do consider liking PlanDoTrack so you can be alerted to the weekly videos.

Wishing you the best,
Jennifer

Over the last few years I have written about a number of virtual team resources I think you will find interesting and valuable.

Also, if you haven’t taken a look at my latest book, PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner for Remote and Virtual Professionals, be sure to check out the related blog which includes posts related to virtual teams, working remote and virtual productivity. You can find the blog here.

Recently I have been posting 2-3 times a week with unique posts geared to these topics, including a new Friday series which is running throughout 2019 geared for virtual business development.

If you are on Facebook, join us at the PlanDoTrack Facebook page, with resources geared to productivity and also virtual professionals. You can connect here.

I have set up a virtual communication group over at Mighty Networks called the Conversation Sparker Zone. You can connect around topics related to virtual teams, productivity, business development and/or group and team coaching issues. I hope that you will join us and drop in for some conversation. Click here to join the conversation. Once there you can select which threads you want to follow.

Finally, I am continuing to host regular calls related to Effective Virtual Conversations (my 2017 book). The latest call was held earlier this week. Check past calls at my YouTube Channel. Calls are usually held on Mondays from 11 – 11:30 am ET on the first and second week of the month.

What resources do you want to explore for your virtual team?

Warm regards,
​Jennifer

Teams excel when they have a clear focus on results, and the resources and tools to accomplish them, and when they are also focused on relationships.
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This month I have been sharing different activities virtual and remote teams may consider integrating into their work. If you didn’t take a look at last week’s post on Creating Virtual Team Culture, take a look at it now.
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Today’s post invites you to consider integrating appreciations in your work as a virtual team. What are the pauses you have created so people can thank others and acknowledge them for their strengths?

Peer feedback is often found to be more valuable and impactful that feedback from a superior or other.

To facilitate this activity, make sure you have adequate time. It may take 15 minutes or more. If you have a larger team (8 or more) have people work in triads (use breakouts for this if you are virtual – which is likely).

One at a time, have someone in the “appreciation seat”. Their colleagues are asked to share:

1. What is an example when I have seen you at your best this week/this month/this quarter?
2. I see one of your strengths as….
3. I appreciate….

This should then be rotated so each person gets a chance to receive feedback.
This exercise can also be added onto by discussion around additional questions such as:

• One thing I wish you would do more of is….
• I can rely on you for…
• One request I have for you is….

This can provide space for more support and difficult conversations.

Enjoy!
​Jennifer

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations tips #87 asks you to consider the question “What connection between calls work best?”.
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In the virtual space there may be things that you want to focus on before the conversation and after. If you are working with groups are longer term, consider what connection between calls will work best for them. This could include:

• Emails between calls
• A daily focus question for people to explore
• A message board where people can post – this could be hosted in a Facebook community, or another private network like Mighty Networks
• Peer assignments where peers meet for short 15-minute calls to discuss a question, or talk about action towards their goals
• A one-on-one call with you to go deeper into the areas that are most important

What are the things that will help you as a group keep the focus on what’s important for the group – whether this is learning more, having ongoing dialogue, or taking ongoing action? Be sure to schedule time for these activities as they are often the first things that come off the list.
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Enjoy!
Jennifer

Yesterday’s Teams365 post #1905 focused on virtual team culture. Be sure to check it out if you haven't done so.

Today I wanted to explore three different ways you might support your team in identifying their own virtual team culture.

As a reminder, team culture usually points to three things - who we are, how do we do things and what is important to us.

Here’s a quick listing of different activities you might consider incorporating:

Who we are:
Virtual teams which excel know each other. They have strong relationships across the team, which allows them to call on others, and “have each others’ backs”. To strengthen your connection, consider these activities:

Have the team create a list of words/adjectives which describe who you are. Shape these into a word cloud which can be visible to the team.
Discuss the question “Who are we when we are at our best?”. Again, use the words to create a graphic about who you are.

At your next team meeting, have each person share one thing others may not know about them.

At your next team meeting, have each person share something that is unique to their location (this works especially well if you have a global team).

In your next meeting, share your screen which includes a variety of photos or icons. Have each person select the photo or icon which represents what they bring to the team.

How we do things:
Each team will have its own unique practices and ways of doing things. This will vary from team to team. Spending time discussing how you do things, and what the expectations are, creates clarity and builds trust, boosting both performance and results.

To explore this topic further consider:
Discussing “how we do things” (communicate, make decisions, work across differences, address conflict) can be a series of different discussions and activities. It might include a Rules of the Road which everyone has signed off on.

What makes you unique and distinct in terms of how you do things?

Another tool is to look at the IS/IS NOT table. This can include it is, it is not…
 
What is important to us:
Clarity around priorities and goals for the entire team helps with alignment, prioritization and decision making. Spending time on a regular basis discussing what is important to us may also involve:
​
A list visible to the entire team (ie. Think Intranet or other post on)

• Top 5 Goals for the month
• Top 5 Priorities for the week
• Top 5 Priorities for the quarter
• Enshrining your Team Agreements or Ways of Working into something that is visible. Some teams have enshrined this into a plaque, a screen saver or other.

For more on these topics, and a demonstration of what some of these can look like (photos), take a look at my January 2019 Virtual Team Builders call which I did as part of the Effective Virtual Conversations series. You can check it out here.

Best wishes,
Jennifer