Teams365 Blog - Potentials Realized

#TEAMS365 #1869 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #81

2/11/2019

o There are many, many different types of conversations we can be having in the virtual space today – from virtual team meetings, to mentoring conversations, to coaching conversations.

In Effective Virtual Conversations I introduce 9 different parts of the virtual eco-system. These include:

Educational Events - Instructor/Facilitator led synchronous or asynchronous training through webinars, e-learning, webcasts
Peer to Peer Learning – Masterminds, Breakouts
Goal Setting
Informal Learning: Coaching/Training/Facilitating/Mentoring
Micro-Learning
Virtual Team Development
Video-Based Learning

Check out chapter 4 of Effective Virtual Conversations for more information about each of these different modalities.

What are the different types of conversations you are having? What makes them different from each other. As I write in EVC there can be a variety of individual versus peer-led conversations, formal approaches versus informal approaches.

It’s important to consider the right type of conversation which will be most impactful for the situation. For example, if someone wants to learn how to do something – i.e. replace a fan belt, a short video-based learning series might be most effective in demonstrating the replacement in action. This may be even more effective than pairing them with a mentor.

In contrast, if a team is looking to boost their connection and strengthen their goals, consider a live virtual facilitated team development session where they are meeting face to face, rather than putting them through a series of micro-learning modules delivered via your Learning Management System.

What are the best vehicles for upcoming conversations you have planned?
Also check out the Community Call I hosted on the different platforms for Effective Virtual Conversations. View it here.

Next week’s EVC tip will explore the related question of What’s the Best Platform for my conversation? Stay Tuned!

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
Join the conversation at our Conversation Sparker Zone - a community where you can connect and explore topics related to virtual conversations, virtual team issues, coaching and more!

#TEAMS365 #1862 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #80: one Platform

2/4/2019

It’s Monday and time for another Effective Virtual Conversations Tip. This week’s tip explores the tip of bringing everyone onto one virtual platform if possible.

With firewalls and varying connection from different locations, it can be common for virtual teams to have different team members connecting from different locations on different platforms. One person may only be able to call in while others may only be able to stream in.

While some of the barriers to connection may be out of our control, we want to try to bring everyone onto one virtual platform if possible.

There may be resistance on the part of team members to upgrade or try things different out, if there is too much of a learning curve, so you will want to make it worth everyone’s while.

At the same time, it is probable that you will have people connecting from different platforms due to their connection options, make sure you consider the needs of those that may be able to see, and those that may only be able to hear. Design for this. Also, be sure to consider if you can do some smaller group work, using breakouts bringing people of the same platform together. Check out this call for more!

Best wishes,
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

#TEAMS365 #1858 – Team Building tip 221

1/31/2019

This week’s Team Building Tip #221 is “To Magnify things 10x we can….”.

Magnifying things that are currently working well, and augmenting them, is a great way to accelerate business, and/or augment what you are already doing. When things are working well, it can be important to continue doing what you are doing but doing more of it or magnifying it in different ways. This can be particularly important as it relates to marketing and/or getting your message out.

What can magnifying something 10x look like?

Increase the frequency of doing something – if you do it monthly – consider offering it/posting it 3 x a week.
Team up with someone else to expand your reach, or partner with a whole collection of people.
Consider what other platforms you can leverage to expand your reach. If something only goes out to your mailing list, could this be posted on your other social feeds – FB, LinkedIn. Does your mailing list sign up have a call to action?
Apply the pareto principle to determine what is really important and is giving you value and then to strategically focus on that area only.

Linked with this week’s post around the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, magnification may only mean small tweaks, building onto what you already have so that you are not starting from scratch.

What can you do to magnify things?

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

#TEAMS365 #1855 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 79

1/28/2019

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversation Tip is number 79 in the series.

The tip is a reminder of the importance of pacing and interactivity in virtual conversations. Whether it’s keeping the pace moving and making changes every 2 - 5 minutes as in a webinar, or whether it’s mixing things up and making it more interactive in your next team meeting, by structuring in at least 2 or 3 engagement opportunities for everyone, a rule of thumb which may be useful to aim towards is an engagement touchpoint every 5-7 minutes, especially when groups are not as connected or content is heavy.
Engagement touchpoints in these calls might look like:

Asking a question and having people comment via chat
Getting people to annotate on the screen where they are calling in from, or which of the shown items is their favorite
Using polling to capture insights and ideas from the group

If you are working with a virtual or remote team, you might use a variety of engagement strategies to create alignment and/or connection, or more awareness of who the team is. This might include:

Breakouts so different team members with similar or divergent areas share with each other for 5-10 minutes
Using the whiteboard to do real-time planning – for example, if you have a new project which has come on board, can you map it out together using annotation?
Use screenshots to capture key agreements and next steps – rather than going away to type up notes, can you be more strategic about capturing agreements and notes as part of your agreements. Circulate the screenshot (which is often saved as part of the recording) to everyone as the visual reminder.

What can you do to create more engagement in the virtual conversations you are facilitating?

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

#TEAMS365 #1854 – Sunday January 27 – Video Montage PlanDoTRack Week 7

1/27/2019

This weekend we’re going to go through the video montage of the 7 questions that made up week 7 of the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series. Take a few minutes to note the questions I explored over at the CoachingBizBuilder Instagram page and consider jotting down your responses to each question. Just like posts on Saturday, these questions are meant to get you thinking about, and into action, around your work or business.

If you enjoyed these questions, you may want to pick up the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner. Two hundred eighty five pages in length, the first 125 pages are a workbook for virtual and remote professionals. Exploring topics including virtual and remote business foundations, your own internal ecosystem, and marketing/positioning, plus success tips, virtual and remote professionals of all kinds – entrepreneurs, leaders and team members - will find it of interest and value. Pick up a copy for yourself, or your team, and bring it in as a resource for your team meetings and team development this year.
Pick up your copy here.

Note the last 160 pages are a series of undated planning pages. With valuable annual, quarterly and monthly resources, the planning pages provide an opportunity for desk-based analog planning.

What’s your favorite question this week?

What's going to move your work and focus forward?

Enjoy!

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

#TEAMS365 #1848 – Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 78

1/21/2019

This week’s Effective Virtual Conversations Tip # 78 is around video streaming. As I write “Streaming Matters”.
In today’s workplace, streaming where we can see those we are talking to has become more of the norm (although there are still many workplaces not equipped with webcams and other technology which allow streaming).
There are multiple benefits to enabling streaming for workplaces including for virtual and remote teams:

The ability to see each other helps to create an almost exact experience as the face-to-face environment.
We accrue much of our meaning through visual channels, and this helps with creating more aligned communication. We can see when people might not be in alignment with what they are saying, or we may be more attuned to the struggles or excitement they are feeling. Note that in the face to face communication world, we accrue more than 50 % of our message through body language. When we lose the visual stimuli, unless people’s skills in virtual communication are well honed, much of the intended message may get lost, or misconstrued.
We lean into visual cues to create trust. If I can see you, I may be more apt to trust you, agree with you or collaborate with you.
With better and closer relationships marked by higher levels of trust, more crucial conversations may be had in the virtual space. If people disagree, you may see this earlier, or people may feel more confident to share disagreements or alternative points of view, since they can see how the other person is interpreting it.

With technology continuing to improve, it’s much easier and budget friendly to use the technologies available. I continue to share the benefits of using technology such as Zoom for team meetings etc. Free accounts can benefit from 40-minute meetings.

What have you noticed about the benefits of shifting what conversations you can to the streaming or video-rich virtual environment? Please use the comments to share with us!

Best wishes,
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

#TEAMS365 #1828 – Happy New Year!

1/1/2019

As we step into the new year, what’s your intention? What do you want to achieve in this last year of the decade?
365 days from now what are you looking forward to:

Doing every day (or at least several times a week)?
Investing in?
Financing?
Spending time with?

If you haven’t done so already, I hope you’ll take a few minutes today to capture your goals and intentions for the year.

Goal setting is just one part of the equation of success. Ongoing action and accountability are two other important elements for success.
What are you doing to build in time in your schedule for an ongoing focus on planning, and action?

As I write in PlanDoTrack, a reminder of what Peter Drucker wrote - “what doesn’t get scheduled, doesn’t get done”.

What time have you built into your schedule for ongoing focus on larger projects and tasks?

If you haven’t got it in your schedule already, block it out right now! Productivity experts often point to 90 minute to 3 hour blocks being good amounts of time to get things done. Can you schedule in 2 x 90 minute blocks right now into your schedule on a weekly basis?

As we move into 2019, I am pleased to step into the sixth year of daily posts for the Teams365 blog. Topics we’ll be exploring this year are:

January - Last year, we started the 19 for 2019 – a series included on Tuesday and Wednesday for December and January which will provide you with tips and ideas for boosting your personal and professional productivity.
February – Relationships and Collaboration
March - Building Your Team

Beyond these we will also look at topics including Virtual Team work, Mentoring, Feedback, Virtual Facilitation, Creating powerful learning environments, planning and project management.

If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to pick up a copy of the new PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner for Virtual and Remote Professionals. It’s an analog desk-sized planner you can start using at any time – packed with annual, quarterly, and monthly tools, PLUS resources to support you with your content creation and also creative planning! Pick up a copy here.

For now, we’re circling back to the 19 for 2019. Let’s get started with January’s posts – 19 for 2019. We’ll be heading back to Tip 7 tomorrow.

Check out the past Teams365 19 for 2019 Productivity Tips here.

I’ll be back with our next one #7 in the series tomorrow!

Best wishes,
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

#TEAMS365 #1813 - Effective Virtual ConverSations Tip #75 #LetsTalkVirtual

12/17/2018

We are at Effective Virtual Conversations Tip #75 which is entitled “Size Matters”. In the virtual space, size has a significant impact on engagement, interactivity and how much the conversation is conversation.
I like to say that in the virtual space numbers become exponential. Adding one person is not just adding one person on, it’s adding on a whole set of layers – different styles, different perspectives, different priorities and different contexts. This can make larger groups especially challenging in the virtual space.
Here’s what I wrote in Effective Virtual Conversations,

“Size Matters!
Less is more. Small is beautiful. Whichever cliché appeals to you, the fact is that group size in the virtual realm does not always have to be large. Again, think back to the level of engagement and interaction you want to foster. In developing trust and connection, smaller is definitely better—so if you are a coach reading this book, aim to create your virtual groups on the smaller side. As I mentioned previously, optimum group size from my experience has been around 4-8 members for virtual groups. While we can support more than that on a call, the more voices we have in the room, the more exponential the differences. We’re not just adding one person—we’re adding a whole new web of relationships.

This has been reinforced by research done by Richard Hackman—mentioned by Keith Ferrazzi in his article “Getting Virtual Teams Right.” Hackman found that it only takes 10 conversations for every person on a team of five to touch base with everyone else, but when the number of team members increases to 13, the number of conversations necessary jumps to 78![i]”
(Excerpt: Effective Virtual Conversations, 2017, Jennifer Britton, All Rights Reserved)

What do you know about size in the groups and teams you work in? What is the optimum size for the teams you work with?

What happens when you add in one more team member, or lose a team member?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

[i] http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a136398.pdf

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
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
Coming December 14, 2018 – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner - Pre-order a copy today on Amazon
Join us for a year-end virtual planning retreat!

#TEAMS365 #1805 – Announcing the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner for Virtual And Remote Professionals

12/9/2018

I’m really pleased to announce my latest publication, geared specifically for virtual and remote team members. On December 14th the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner for Remote and Virtual Professionals will be available for sale on Amazon.

Part workbook, part planner, it’s geared for virtual and remote team members, leaders and virtual businesses. Based on the success of the release of the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner in July, I’ve adjusted the workbook for the virtual and remote team space.

It’s an analog, desk sized calendar, to reflect the importance of having one “Go to” resource to place your “To Dos”, project ideas, content plans and monthly reflections.

Divided into four sections, the workbook covers:

Virtual and Remote Business Foundations – for teams and also businesses. This includes a series of skill checks and some of the latest stats on virtual and remote work.
The Primer – Success tips and focus areas which you can integrate into your business, or further refine for a great prime.
Marketing Essentials – Whether we are sharing what our virtual team is doing, positioning our services, or going out to promote on social media, the marketing essentials.
The Ecosystem – At the heart of a successful virtual team, business or leader is ourselves. The Ecosystem section focuses on who YOU are as a leader – your strengths, values and opportunities. This section has evolved out of the Inner Business leader Virtual Retreats I have hosted for years.

The planner section covers Annual, Quarterly and Monthly planning resources, along with a robust content planning section. Including more than 28 resources you’ll find :

Monthly Trackers – to track different elements for your business
Annual project planners
Quarterly Reviews
Monthly In Focus
Monthly

The planner pages are undated so you will benefit from starting the resource at any time.

In addition to the workbook and planner, I also host regular virtual events around planning. Each month end I host a virtual reflection hour, and
The workbook is more than 285 pages and costs $29.95. You can pick up a copy on Amazon.

If this is a topic you are interested in (and most people are at this time of year), do consider joining me for the 14 days of PlanDoTrack series, which includes a mix of live virtual calls (open to everyone), blog posts and some other special events. Check out the daily schedule here and download a copy.

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
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
Coming December 14, 2018 – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner - Pre-order a copy today on Amazon
Join us for a year-end virtual planning retreat!

#TEAMS365 1799 - Effective Virtual Conversations Tip 73

12/3/2018

As we move into the 73rd Effective Virtual Conversations tip, we’re looking at another success factor for high performing teams. This week brings us to number two of six in the ingredients which make up high performance – Shared Performance Goals.
In a virtual team it is really important to be clear on what the performance goals are, so everyone knows what they are aiming for, how things fit together, and what success looks like.
The danger in a virtual team when these things are not clear are:

Lack of alignment
Lack of understanding of how one goal fits with another
Competing Priorities
Differences in terms of quality of output, if end results are not clear
Spending time clarifying goals, and what success measures are, are critical when team members do not see each other, and may be reporting to multiple matrix teams at any given time.

Goals are the heart of any team, and it is important to spend time with the team in discussion around this. You may want to dedicate an upcoming team meeting to this and have discussion around:

What are your key goals?
How do goals fit together?
What does success look like around each one?
What are the standards for work on this team?
What are the minimums in terms of response time?
What needs to be communicated, when?
What are the best channels/appropriate ways to keep everyone updated with respect to their goals?

Enjoy your conversations!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Effective Virtual Conversations | Coaching Team Leaders
Join Jennifer for a year-end virtual planning retreat in the PlanDoTrack Series!
Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder
YouTube – Teams365 Leadership Channel
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326
Pre-order a copy of the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner for Virtual and Remote Professionals on Amazon (Available December 14). Check it out here.