One of my summer projects involved spending a weekend participating in a writing marathon with 39 other writers. In addition to being an inspirational burst of writing time for me, it was for a great cause – adult literacy in my local community.

During my weekend of writing I focused on a new manuscript which explores the varied pathways different remote and virtual workers find themselves working across.

As an increasing number of people find themselves working in the remote space, we find that many different people are attracted to the work.

From start-ups, to remote workers attached to organizations, from those who want to Work From Home (WFH) to digital natives who want to Work From Anywhere.

There are many different pathways which bring us to, and along, the remote work landscape. Let’s look at some of the various pathways. Across the landscape of virtual today we find:

• Fully virtual businesses with no physical hub – Consider organizations like Zapier, Buffer and Articulate. Look at Zapier’s article highlighting different companies that are remote.
• Digital Nomads who work from anywhere. Marketing specialists, writers and other freelancers can embrace the freedom of the “road” and sky as they continue work while travelling. WFA – Work From Anywhere is becoming the GO TO phrase for those who work anywhere.
  
• WFH - Those who work from home, from customer service, to global team members, to freelancers. Working from home provides unique challenges as well as opportunities.
  
• Remote Solopreneurs - From graphic designers to coaches, many solopreneurs opt to establish a virtual business.
• Remote workers for larger companies - Whether they work remote once a week or every day, many companies are looking to provide the flexibility and convenience of remote work. It also can offset the footprint costs of large office space in big cities.
• Virtual Team leaders who work with team members across a region or country.
  

These are just some of the remote workers we see in today's virtual ecosystem. I'll be exploring the adventures and backstory to many of these in an upcoming podcast series I'll be hosting with my colleague Michelle Mullins.

What are the things you enjoy?

Benefits of remote work can include:

• Flexibility to work when and where you want
• Greater autonomy
• Fewer distractions
• Reduced commute time
  
• Smaller ecological footprint (yes, flying and driving and commuting does add up very quickly)

As I shared last month, there can be a number of pitfalls to remote work as well (LINK TO PITFALLS article) including unclear boundaries between work and the rest of your life, the challenge of matrix relationships, and the sense of isolation many remote workers feel.

If you work remote, what are the things you enjoy about remote work?

What do you find challenging?

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. ​

Getting organized and set up with the space and processes you require to work at peak performance is critical for those new to the remote space. It’s tempting to say “I’ll deal with it later”, and it’s likely that later may never arrive. Build in time at the start of your remote work to put into place these items at your new, dedicated work space:
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• A place with good lighting, privacy and space to work

• A place to close the door and have private conversations
• Place to secure files – physically and digitally
• Cloud based storage for when you need it
• Contact list you can access
• Back up - where are you saving your files?
  
• Super strong internet
• Clear boundaries with loved ones and family about when and when you are not available. What are your working hours? Break times?  Just because you are home it does not mean that you can walk the dog, take out the garbage, cook dinner etc. Developing a series of “go-to” phrases for when neighbors ask you to do things that will distract you from your focus can be useful.

What else do you think you will require to help you be at your best in the remote space?

Best,
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 month we are exploring a number of remote working myths including “Out of sight equals out of mind” as well as other remote work pitfalls.

Today’s post explores the myth that “Boundaries aren’t important” and that remote work is always flexible.

One of the main challenges of remote work is that we are usually pulled in a number of different directions by people who can’t see what we are working on. Not knowing the context can provide a lack of clarity around priorities and workflow. At the same time, we may also want to accommodate all requests and say yes, rather than discerning what is a priority.

On another level, boundaries can become blurred in our home/work life, especially if we are working from home and have not set up a dedicated area for work – be sure to check out my post from last month about “setting yourself up for success in the remote space” and making sure you have what you need.

Consider the different boundaries that are important in your work, this might include:

• Boundaries between different tasks and projects you are working on
• Boundaries between the different teams you are part of
• Boundaries between your working hours and non-working hours
• Boundaries between when you are ON and OFF
• Boundaries between priorities
• Boundaries between your work and home space

What do you notice as you explore these boundaries? What conversations do you want to have?

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. ​

Today is “back to work” day for many professionals. With Labor Day just behind us, it’s time to get back to the regular routine. For some of you, you may be doing more remote work. As someone who has run a virtual business for more than 15 years and supported virtual and remote teams for a decade-plus before than, remote work has been the backdrop of my career. It’s getting more attention these days as organizations are looking to reduce their footprint, and as employees are requesting more freedom.

So, how do we make remote work, work? There are of course some significant differences – including future immediate disruptions, less time spent with colleagues and the autonomy of working on projects.

This month here at the Teams365 blog, we’ll continue exploring different areas and parts of the remote work space. If this is a topic you are interested in, be sure to check out these other remote posts.

In today’s post I wanted to share four things to keep an eye on when you are working remote:

#1 – Create a dedicated work space. Having a dedicated work space, which doesn’t take over the entire house is critical. It’s often a fine balance between having space to focus, and a place to put away (or close the door). Be sure to make it effective, quiet and well lit. Dollar stores can be a great place to pick up the office supplies you need in order to get started, and bins and plastic boxes can keep things corralled. Is there a closet you can dedicate some space in for filing materials needed? What about noise and privacy? Security for your files? Does anything need to be updated in your homeowner’s insurance policy to reflect your new work space?

#2 – Make a point to establish routine that will get you moving and in connection with others. Isolation is one of the more common challenges for remote workers. This is where establishing a routine to “get you out of the office” on a regular basis can be of benefit. Maybe you want to take part in a lunchtime exercise class (I swim 3-4 times a week) or maybe you want to tap into breakfast meetings held in your community. Consider the things that will get you connecting with others – in the in person and virtual space.

#3 – Consider your rhythms. We each have a different rhythm for work. Recent studies are showing that remote workers can be more productive than their counterparts in offices. Some of this may be due to the flexibility of working WHEN you want. I also often recommend to organizations to consider a set of “core hours” where everyone (or a majority) of people are available. This allows for meetings to be called where most people can attend, and it also provides for additional windows for work to get done. Maybe core hours are 10 – 1 pm PT/1 – 4 pm ET every day or 10- 1 pm ET/7 – 10 am PT or some other time frame.

As a professional, when are you at your prime? What will help you get your best work done?

#4 – Create boundaries. As I wrote in last week’s post, boundaries are critical for remote work success. It’s easy to find yourself pulled in many directions, especially if you are part of multiple matrix teams. What are the boundaries what are important for you? (Consider time worked, time available outside or normal hours, etc.) Consider what you need to do to communicate these clearly to others you interface with.

Enjoy!
​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 month we have explored a variety of topics resonant for the mid-year rhythm:

• Digital Detox
• Work-life
• Focus
• Simplification
• Habits
• Creativity

What are you noticing about your work flow and energy right now?
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As we step into the month of August, the work routine may adjust once again, AND I hope that you will be able to return back to these posts once again.
 
Today is the last day of the month, signalling a time to pause and take stock on what the last month was like, and do some planning for the month ahead.
Here are a variety of questions you may want to explore:
Looking back to the month of July:

1. What are you pleased with achieving?
2. What didn’t get completed but is going to be carried forward?
3. What strengths did you leverage this month?
4. What got in the way of your plans/achievements?
5. What helped to MAGNIFY or AMPLIFY things?
6. What helped you FOCUS?
7. What helped you SIMPLIFY?
8. What else is important to note about your month? (metrics, lessons learned, other…)
9. What did you do to renew?
10. What habits did you lean into?

 
Looking ahead to the month ahead:

1. What are your major goals?
2. What do you want to focus on?
3. What do you want to let go of?
4. What will help you simplify?
5. What will help you MAGNIFY or AMPLIFY?
6. What habits do you want to focus on?
7. What relationships do you want to pay attention to?
8. What actions/projects do you want to complete, not matter what?
9. What else is important to note?

Enjoy your reflection!

​Best wishes,
Jennifer

This month many people are taking time off. Renewal is an important part of high performance. It is usually not possible to keep moving at full speed. Many professionals aren’t always able to get the holiday time off they want to renew, but here are some additional ways you may be able to renew at work:

• Explore summer working hours. Is there a way your workday hours can start a bit earlier or later?
• Explore a compressed work week. Is there a way to compress your work hours into 4 days instead of 6, or wrap up early on a Friday by spending an extra hour or so at work Monday through Thursday?
• Take advantage of longer days to explore your community
• Focus on completing a summer project at work. This may be one that helps you grow into new areas, synthesizes things you have learned, or leaves a legacy for your work.
• Make a summer list of things you wish you could do
• Schedule one day weekend trips away
• Move workouts outdoors into the early morning or evening

​Many workplaces do shift to a summer schedule over July and August. Inquire what’s possible and do consider taking advantage of it.

What are the different ways you want to renew?

Best,
Jennifer

Welcome to the month of July! This month is about simplification, and reconnecting to renewal and well being. As we know from high performance research, great teams and leaders need renewal in order to go hard.

With this in mind, this month’s posts are going to focus on items such as:

• Digital Detox
• Work-life
• Focus
• Simplification
• Habits
• Creativity

This month I work from my northern office. I crave these six or seven weeks a year where I get to work really remote. I practice many of the topics we are going to touch on today – from simplification, to digital detox. While I work most days, I’m off the line by 1 or 2 in the afternoon, creating space and a pause to reconnect with my creative passions, and renewing after a busy year. The digital detox is the part I enjoy the most - checking email strategically throughout the week. The most challenging part of it is managing other's expectations. I've found that clearly communicating to clients my "offline" summer availability has made it a realistic way of working - and many of them opt to pick up the phone rather than shoot off multiple emails.

What do you do at this time of year to renew?

Enjoy!
​Jennifer

The final mid-year check in post for the month is all about downshifting and renewal. It can be hard to switch off during the summer months, and yet it is imperative. We need time to renew and recharge. Teams today can’t function 100% of the time at full force. We know from the field of high performance sport, that athletes need phases to renew after a big race. What are you doing to renew in the next few months?
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For many businesses the next month or two involves a lot of time when people are offline for summer holidays. It may be an opportune time for downshifting and renewal.

In order to get the most out of your time off, consider these questions:

• What do I need to do to wrap up before I go on holidays?
• Who will be covering for me, when I am gone? How do I communicate this (internally/externally)? What do I need to make sure I have for them?
• What do I do to ensure coverage so I can go offline during my time off?

As you focus on your time off ask yourself:

• What is important to do during my time off?
• Who do I want to connect with?
• What, if anything, do I want to check off my summer project or bucket list?
• What’s a non-negotiable around my holiday time?

​Enjoy the reflection!
Jennifer

​Today’s blog post gets us thinking about values. Values serve as anchors or a compass, leading the way or anchoring us when we need to make decisions, prioritize and focus.
​
In an uncertain context, being clear about our behaviors as a team is critical. As we go to explore our values, we may first want to consider what our values are individually. To do this, we might explore the following questions:

• What is important to me?
• What are the things I will take a stand for?
• What’s absolutely essential to have in my work/life?
• What makes me angry/happy/at ease?

 
All of these questions will usually point to a value which is important.
​
Underneath the words of a value are the behaviors. What do the values look like in action? If I were to take my phone into the workplace and record behaviors, what would I see?

As a team, and especially a remote team, having a focus on values can help during periods of uncertainty. Even though the context may change, hopefully our values are not changing in the arena.

As a team, this week consider what your top 3 operating values are this year. What are you committed to, no matter what? Behaviorally, what do these values look like in action?

Best,
​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.

One of the areas I commonly hear about from leaders and other professionals is the impact of interruptions and other distractions in their work flow. As research has shown, it can take upwards of twenty or more minutes to refocus when you have been interrupted. What boundaries do you want to create in your work this fall?
As you consider what boundaries are appropriate, consider these questions:

• What’s important in your work right now?
• What’s important with your team’s work right now? Your bosses?
• With this in mind, what are the boundaries need to help you focus and run at full capacity?
• What do you need to defer – shift to a later date?
• What do you need to delegate?
• What items/tasks/projects do you need to say NO to?
• What negotiation might this entail?
• What habits will help you stay focused?
• What else?

Here are some great articles which give you more tips for setting boundaries at work, and why that’s important:

The Inc article by Dana Dionta and Dan Guerra,  “How Successful People Set Boundaries at Work” - https://www.inc.com/dana-gionta-dan-guerra/how-to-manage-boundaries-at-work.html
 
Check out Erin Bucklann’s article over at DailyWorth, “How to Set Work-Life Boundaries at Your New Job” - https://www.dailyworth.com/posts/2251-how-to-set-work-life-boundaries-at-your-new-job

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 Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner & Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) 
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326