Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

TEAMS365 #2186 – Season’s Greetings!

12/25/2019

It’s one of the few days of the year where most (but not all) people slow down and get to spend time with loved ones. If that’s what you are doing today, I hope that you will enjoy your time.

I’m very grateful that you’ve joined us here at the Teams365 blog this year. I look forward to continuing to bring you tips related to leadership, teamwork and remote work success!

Season’s Greetings!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing
Phone (416)996-8326

As we step into the end of the year, 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.

TEAMS365 #2185 – Traditions

12/24/2019

As many of us wind down for the next few days or weeks, it’s gotten me to think about tradition. Traditions were always important in my family – from weekend road-trips to the cottage and seasonal openings and closings, as well as making a point of celebrating with friends and loved ones at key seasonal holidays. It’s always created an anchor of certainty even in a changing world of work, and locations. In continuing these traditions with my own family, I can see how important it’s been.

On a business level, I’ve also aimed to maintain certain traditions including an annual year end call taking a look back at the landscape of group and team programming. This year was my 15th annual call. That’s a lot of calls and conversations, AND I know that it’s an important milestone marker for my community as well as myself.

What are the traditions you engage with on a personal level? As a leader? As a business?

What are the milestones you want to celebrate? What’s important to note for yourself?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders | Remote Pathways Podcast
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Writing
Phone (416)996-8326

As we step into the end of the year, 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.

#TEAMS365 #2102: Remote Work Pathways

10/2/2019

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.

#TEAMS365 #2095 – Remote Working Success Factor: What You Need

9/25/2019

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:

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.

#TEAMS365 #2087 – Remote Working Myth – Boundaries Aren’t Important

9/17/2019

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.

#TEAMS365 #2073 – Getting Yourself Organized for Fall - - Remote Work

9/3/2019

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.

#TEAMS365 #2039 – Monthly Round up and Month in Reflection

7/31/2019

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?

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:

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

Looking ahead to the month ahead:

What are your major goals?
What do you want to focus on?
What do you want to let go of?
What will help you simplify?
What will help you MAGNIFY or AMPLIFY?
What habits do you want to focus on?
What relationships do you want to pay attention to?
What actions/projects do you want to complete, not matter what?
What else is important to note?

Enjoy your reflection!

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.

#TEAMS365 #2018 more Renewal

7/10/2019

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

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.

#TEAMS365 #2010 - Renewal

7/2/2019

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

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.

#TEAMS365 #2004: Downshifting and Renewal

6/26/2019

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?

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

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.