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

It’s Sunday and time to shift our reading attention to video. This week I am pleased to take us back to a few of the past videos I have created around getting back to work which brings to life blog post #613: Creating Healthy Routines.

Here's another short video to watch with a pen or table in hand- Teams365 #1363:Fall planning and reflection. View it here.

Last year's #Flashback Friday which showcased several back to work routines to keep an eye on. Read Teams365 #1357 here.

What's important for you to notice as  you move forward right now?

Enjoy!
​Jennifer

In the next few weeks and month, many of us are getting back to our regular work routines. Whether our children are back to school, or our team at work is back to running at full speed, August and September often signal a “new working year”.

Earlier this month I launched a new business workbook and planner – the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner. While it’s geared for coaches, I am working on another edition for virtual and remote professionals in addition to leaders which should be out later this year.

As you step into your new routine this September there are five areas you may want to consider:

1. What are the key activities you need to direct attention around?

What are the core initiatives you need to keep your eyes on? Steven Covey made famous the phrase “big rocks” years ago. The notion is, if you fit these in first, there's more space to do what we now term "work in the margins". What are your "big rocks" this fall?

2. Keeping the home fires rolling.

Having stepped away from city life for a few months this past summer and working out of a much smaller cottage, I recognize the cost and time invested in some of the more mundane, but essential tasks, it requires to keep an almost 3,000 square foot home in order. From groceries, to meal prep, to home maintenance, what are the tasks that are needed to keep things rolling at home while you work at full-tilt? From online grocery ordering, to meals in a box, or one of our favorite – family meal prep at Supperworks – keeping the home fires burning is essential to many of us.

What are the core elements which are important to you?
 
3. Scheduling in time for your own self-care.

Whether it’s working out, or building in time to renew, we only have one body, and keeping it in top condition is essential. What are the key activities you want to leave time for this year?

4. Clearing the clutter.

While some say that a disheveled office is often seen as part of a creative mind, clearing the clutter can be essential for high performance. Can you take some time before September rolls around to do a purge of items, or clearing of an area which has been growing in size?
 
5. Reviewing, or making your plan, for the fall.

Earlier this week I hosted the first of a series of "back to fall" virtual planning workshops, in a condensed 45 minute hack format. i brought in several of the resources and planning tools from my latest book, Coaching Business Builder: Workbook and Planner.

An older project management adage asserts that 10 minutes of planning can save 20 minutes of unfocused effort. What are your plans for fall? Each month? Each week? Are you taking 5-10 minutes daily, or on a regular basis, to make a list of all the important items?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

​Taking time in this last full month of summer for renewal and mindfulness can go a long way. Whether you have an extended long weekend or a full week off, renewal and mindfulness are important.

What renewal opportunities have you taken this summer? Is there an opportunity to fit in one more renewal burst?

The topic of renewal means many different things to different people. In my work as a coach, this is typically an area we explore together. For some clients it might mean – digitally detoxing – intentionally taking time offline to renew. For others it may mean getting out of the city and spending time in the country or more rural areas. For yet others it can include taking time to purge their own resources.

In today’s hyper-connected world, there may be some initial backlash and discomfort from slowing down…until you get a chance to ease into it. This is what I call the “Decompression” phase, something I experience every summer as I shift my office, and work, from Toronto to the beauty, and more laid-back pace, of Muskoka. This year I’ve been very conscious of the layers of decompression which have occurred. Sometimes uncomfortable, I have found myself more focused, relaxed and productive than I have been for years.

What does renewal mean for you?

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 Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) 
Coaches - check out my new Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner. Now available.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com
(416)996-8326

As I wrap up my fourth week of working remote from my summer office up in Muskoka I think about how working from this location over the last month has been instrumental in slowing things down, resting and renewing. It’s also been key in moving some significant projects ahead , including the launch of a new book and planner which comes out in a few days (the Coaching Business Builder: Workbook and Planner), and spending time on edits for a book for virtual leaders an team members (stay tuned for a 2019 launch on this one!)
 
As we move into the heart of the summer it’s a great time to build in time for family, friends and renewal for yourself. Here’s what I wrote back in Teams365 #157 in June of 2014:

“Renewal is such an important process for us as leaders. Without regular attention to renewal it is very easy to move towards burnout, and depletion (mental, physical).

What do you do to renew? What energizes you and allows you to "turn off" even for a short while.

Digital detoxing is becoming more mainstream, with companies encouraging leaders to "turn off" during holiday time. Many studies over the past few years have shown that upwards of 50% of people don't shut off during holidays and continue to work through their vacation.

As you think about the upcoming summer months (for those in the northern hemisphere), what are your plans for renewal?

Given that the pace of change and information is not slowing down, what can you do to digitally detox this summer as well as renew?
 
Best wishes,
Jennifer

​This week’s Weekly Journaling Prompt gets you to think about the question – Renewal means…

For those in the northern hemisphere we are in the heart of summer. For some professionals this may be the one time a year when you can get away from the office, unplug and really renew. I hope that this week you’ll take a few minutes to journal on the statement Renewal means…..
 
Consider what you have done so far this summer (or winter) to renew, as well as take down the pace so you can renew.
 
What do you notice about your energy levels? What do you notice about the quiet of your mind?
 
Enjoy your writing this weekend!
Jennifer

It is Saturday and time for another quote. Today I have chosen the theme of simplicity and am sharing a quote and question from myself:

​This past week I savored a few days of holidays and time with family away from our every day routine. While our vacation was not a restful one (we walked more than 12 miles each day), there was real value in disconnecting from technology and "being on", while simplifying. From paring down what we had with us, to simplifying our decisions, the restorative power of simplicity was profound!

​What can you and your team do this week to "pare things down", create more of a break, or be present with each other? 

​How can simplification create more focus and results?

Enjoy your weekend,
​Jennifer

Our Wednesday post brings us to the 16th in the series of the 20 different activities for remote and virtual teams. Today's posts brings us to work-life issues, a topic near and dear to many remote worker's heart. With timezones stretching across teams, and the potential for working very long hours, having dialogue around what is the balance between work and life is critical. Focusing on creating systems to track and support team members with enhanced boundaries is key. A starting point is to figure out what, and how, each person is working on the team.

Work-life issues for virtual teams can be very important, especially when your team is global and the potential to be working round the clock is real. We are increasingly hearing more about the business case for rest and renewal, and sadly over the course of the last decade since the annual vacation deprivation study began.

Here’s what I wrote back in 2006 based on the new annual Workplace Vacation Study: (link to http://biztoolkit.blogspot.ca/search?q=vacation+deprivation) :
Every year Expedia undertakes an International Vacation Deprivation (TM) Survey, looking at vacation habits of employed workers in the US, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, France and Australia.

This year's (2006) results included:

• 33% of employed adults in the US usually don't take all their vacation, with the average worker surveyed giving back an average of 4 days to their employer. This translates to 574 Million Vacation days/year worth, $75.72 Billion.
• 24% of employed adults in Canada usually don't take all their vacation, with the average employed person giving back an average of 2 vacation days to their employer. This translates to $5.1 Billion dollars per year.

The results of the whole 2006 Expedia survey can be found at www.vacationdeprivation.com.
I was interviewed last week by Kavita Gosyne of the Metro News here in Toronto. She was looking at the importance of vacation for all Canadian workers, and particularly for young professionals. As I mention in her article, vacations are important for workers of all ages. As I stated, "Not only is vacation time good for the employee, but it is good for the company. "A lot of it comes down to the difference between working and working productively. Are they(the employees) working at optimal productivity? Work-life balance impacts company productivity and profitability. It makes (good) business sense.".
What is the state of work-life balance for you? For your company? Are you fully recharged and working at optimal productivity levels? If you would like more information and resources I would invite you to visit my sister blog, Your Balanced Life!

Here’s a quick activity you can undertake as a virtual team – Time Tracker
Time needed 1 week plus 10 -15 minutes:
Materials needed: Pen and paper

Have team members track where their time is going over the course of a week. They may choose to do this by noting their day in 15-minute blocks. It might include: Start of day, projects (take a look at my own mapping from a few days).
Once the team has completed this, come back together and share your insights around key components like:
Meetings
Collaboration with others
Project Focus
Administrative tasks – report
Reading
Personal Development – Training/Coaching/Mentoring
 
It may also be interesting to share your individual and group start and end times.
What does work-life look like for each of you? What does it mean? Depending on your own team this may be a very eye-opening conversation as it may also point to some significant differences in the team – i.e. who embraces a work-to-life mindset (i.e. I work so that I can have money to meet my needs and do what I want) or a live-to-work mindset (I work because of the joy, and benefits of work).
As you have these discussions and undertake this work, what do you notice? What changes if any are needed?

Enjoy your Wednesday,
Jennifer

This weekend's Teams365 video is all about Creating Healthy Back to Work Routines. It's likely been a busy, and possibly, challenging week for many readers as many of us have returned to our regular back to work routines. Take a look at the short video which brings to light some of the tips I included a few years ago on Creating Healthy Routines in your back to work schedule. You can read the original post at Teams365 #613. The video runs for approximately two minutes.

For many, this is the first week back to work, post-summer holidays. Here's a quick checklist to take the pulse on the types of habits you want to cultivate post-summer holiday. I hope that you'll take 5-10 minutes today to think about what habits you want to create in each of these areas until the end of the year, or into 2018. As we've said for decades in the area of project management - 10 minutes of planning a day, saves 1 hour of unfocused effort. Here are 10 areas to think about in terms of your back to work routines:

1. Meetings - There's an opportunity this fall to get more strategic with our meetings. Saying yes to more productive meetings, and being selective with ones that may not be as efficient. In my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations, I cover 8 Essential Questions to Ask Before Your next Virtual Meeting. I put them into a bookmark which you can download here, just so they are always top of mind. Want a hard copy? Email me with your mailing address and I will pop one in the mail to you! (First 100 who do!)

2. Staying on top of email - While it may take a little more time that just one day, this week survey the types of emails you receive. Are you on a number of mailing lists that you can unsubscribe from? How many times are you touching email? More than once? Consider what's going to help you stay on top of email and not let it leak all over. I heard a recent statistic that most workers are receiving 150 emails a day - I have to fact check this but I'm sure if you are like me you will see the value in potentially corralling your inbox.

3. Managing Interruptions - there are dozens of interruptions we face every day - from the ding of an email to someone dropping by. What's going to help keep you focused? Some work time spent out of the office (whether at home or a library?). One study found that it takes 23 minutes to recover from an interruption.

4. One-on-ones - If you are a leader, one on one time with each staff pays off in spades. What is the routine you want to adopt in this area this fall? How will you track it? What type of one-on-ones do people prefer (face to face, phone time, length, structure?). Take a few minutes to take the pulse on your one-on-ones. You may also want to check out some of the past posts I have written on this topic as well.

5. Getting away from your desk at lunch - a recent CBC poll here in Canada found that 39% of employees surveyed eat their lunch at their desk. You can read it here. 
Stepping away from our desks at regular intervals is good to let our brains relax as well as enabling our body to move. While some might advocate that it gets you out the door earlier at night, what's going to be realistic around taking lunch away from your desk each week?

6. Clearing the clutter - Whether it's clutter on the desk, in the car, briefcase of home, clutter can weigh us down over time. What's the regular routine you want to get into this fall around clearing the clutter. Perhaps it is dedicating 10 minutes a day or several times a week to clearing clutter in a different place. Set your timer and see how much of an impact it makes!

7. Leaving time for exercise - Exercise provides us with a recharge to our body as well as our mind. What routine do you want to adopt for exercise this fall. Is there a class you have always wanted to take? Exercise is one of those things we may not do unless we schedule it in. Take a few minutes today to schedule in your exercise routine.

8. Taking time to cultivate important relationships - Another area that often gets short changed is spending time fostering peer relationships. Whether it's connecting with your boss, your peers, or other stakeholders, what needs attention this fall? Take a few minutes today to note this, and schedule it in. As Peter Drucker said, "What doesn't get scheduled, doesn't get done!"


9. Tackling that one project that's been hanging over your head, or finally saying no to it. Most of us have one project that's been on the back burner, or side burner or front burner and just isn't going anywhere. What can you do to finally finish this or say no to it. Take a few minutes this week to get this one moving to completion, or deletion.

10. Spending time on your development - In today's VUCA world (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambigous), our continued development is paramount. Business changes in an instance. What professional, and personal, development will keep you growing and learning? Take a few minutes to note and schedule what you want to do for yourself this fall.

And of course, spending time with loved ones. At the end of the day, does anyone remember how much time at work or do they remember us for the time we have spent with them.

I hope that you'll take a few minutes today, or this week, to reflect on these areas as you get back to work.