Teams365 Blog - POTENTIALS REALIZED

Teams365 #3311: Flashback Friday: Team Culture #2368 - Building a vibrant Remote Team culture

1/27/2023

Welcome to another Friday Flashback. This week we are exploring TEAM CULTURE, with more posts coming next week, so do return back!

I have been writing about, and working around team culture for many years. It’s a critical topic today, especially when team membership can be ever-changing. Culture creates stability in an uncertain environment. This is part of what I share in my most recent TEDx talk, which I gave here to a live audience in Toronto in early December. Link to the recording should be live soon.

Here’s what I shared in Teams365 #2368:

Team culture is all about HOW WE DO things here. Remote Team culture and fostering a sense of connection and identity is critical in a space where we may be members of multiple matrix teams. Take a look at yesterday’s Teams365 post - #2366 on roles in the remote space.

Our team culture consists of many different components – consider how you are building these out:

Our beliefs – What are the things we hold true? What do we believe in?
Our sayings – Consider the impact of a mantra of “better done than perfect” versus “review until all the t’s are crossed, and i’s dotted”.
What we value – How do our values show up in WHAT we do? What do our values look like in action? For example, is it speed or perfection?
Sense of identity – Who we are. What are the adjectives which describe us as a team?
Our practices and commitments – What will we ensure we always do, no matter what? Examples might include ALWAYS having a Friday afternoon status update no matter what OR ensuring that someone is available to serve customers (virtually or physically) within working hours (even if we have a meeting).

What areas of your culture could benefit from being intentional around?

Take a look at this past post #1526 here.

Check out the audio I did as part of one of the Team Leader Breakfast Café Series back in 2014 here.

What do you want to be more intentional about communicating? A strong team culture is important as it fosters a sense of identity and also signals to our team members and others, HOW we do things and what we value.

Enjoy your conversations!
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

TEAMS365 #3310:TEAMS ON THURSDAY – TEAM CULTURE FOCUS AREA #1 – WHO WE ARE

1/26/2023

As I shared in yesterday’s blog post, Team Culture is a key focus areas for teams today. It consists of 3 areas – the WHO, HOW and WHAT. These are some of the areas I explore more fully in my most recent TEDx talk – Coaching Teams Through Chaos.

Today, we are going to explore Team Culture Focus area #! – WHO We Are.
Who we are. Teams which excel know each other. They have strong relationships across the team, which allows them to call on others, and “have each other’s backs.”

To strengthen your connection, consider these activities:

Have the team brainstorm a list of words/adjectives which describe who you are as a team.
Shape these into a word cloud which can be shared and used as a screensaver or logo.
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.

Enjoy the conversations,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #3309: In Focus: Team Culture - Day 35 of the 90-day Guide for success

1/25/2023

Developing a robust team culture is a key element for high performance in any space – whether you are working in-person, hybrid or virtually. Having a robust team culture is also critical in times of change (i.e. NOW!).

Take a look at this short 1 minute video and also consider the questions asked. These can be valuable as a conversation point for your next team meeting:

As I share in the video, there are 3 elements which make up team culture:

Who We Are – Consider Strengths, our Roles
How We Do Things – Our team practices and agreements as well as team norms
What is Important to Us – Think Values etc

These three areas are at the heart of the work we do with teams. Book a 15 minute call with me to discuss how my team and I could support you and your team, or organization, in building more robust culture. You will find my calendar at https://calendly.com/jennbritton.

Enjoy the video!
Jennifer

I’ll be exploring part 1 – WHO WE ARE in tomorrow’s blog post.

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #3808: In Focus: 90 Day Guide for Success - Decision Making and the Decision Tree

1/24/2023

On Tuesdays I will be sharing a different day from the 90-Day Guide for Success. One of the areas many are struggling with at the moment, whether they are back in the office, or still working hybrid is Decision Making.

A useful tool you may want to incorporate is that of a decision making tree. A decision tree helps all of us understand the WHAT IF…, especially if we are hitting a roadblock in our work.

Troubleshooting may involve working through a decision-making tree of what do you need to do and when.

Questions to ask:

What’s the issue?
What are the factors contributing to it?
What are some possible solutions?
Which one do I start with?

NEXT STEPS—CHOICES AND THE DECISION TREE
Given that we are often on our own in the hybrid space, it can be challenging to make choices. What do we do to make choices? Where do we activate others?

Decision trees are also useful in helping the team think through and make decisions. Follow the decision tree from the following example.

Decision trees prompt remote or hybrid teams to think through the questions in a similar fashion.

What is important for you to note?

Choices and checklists you need to make:

What are the choice points for remote workers?
What are the inflection points in business? (For a remote worker—who do you surround yourself with?)

FIELD WORK—NOW WHAT?
Work though the Decision Tree for a current challenge you are facing. Read this in tandem with Day 34.

Consider these things as you work through the Decision Tree:

Identify the main challenges you think you may face in your work.
Identify what the decision tree is.
Who do you go to at different times?
What might you take to your boss rather than to your mentor?
What might you reach out to your peers around first

(Source: 90-DAY GUIDE FOR SUCCESS | DAY 32 | pages 221-222, © Jennifer Britton, All Rights Reserved)

Enjoy the conversations,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #3207: Day 23 of the 23 for 23- Wrapping up the 23 for 23

1/23/2023

Over the last 23 days I’ve shared a variety of blog posts to support you with a pause and focus on what you want to create and explore this year. I hope that you have enjoyed it!

Our motto here at Potentials Realized via PlanDoTrack, our planning system, and name of my 2019 book (INSERT AMAZON LINK), is DAILY STEPS + Consistent Action = Momentum.

What are you wanting to create momentum around in your work?
During the month of January I like to get a kickstart into great routines. That is at the heart of this year’s 23 for 23. Today, as we go to warp up the series, I thought I would share some of my favorites. What did you enjoy and find valuable?

Some of my favorite posts in sharing the 23 for 23 have been:

Day 3 – Around Goals

Day 10 – Consistency. Consistency is the one area that I think trumps almost everything else. You can have the clearest goals, but without consistent focus and attention, it can be difficult to be successful with your plans.

Day 17 – Boundaries and Parkinson’s Rule - Time is a non-renewable resource, and setting boundaries around your tasks (personal and professional) can make a big difference in getting things done. Did you take me up on the invite to experiment with this?

And finally, Day 9 – Your Running Task List – What is on your running task list and are you checking things off?

Enjoy your focus and thanks for joining us for the 23 for 23.

Now back to some of our regular weekly bi-lines including Teams on Thursday, Friday Flashbacks, Saturday Weekly Journaling Prompts, and of course our Sunday in Review. Thanks for visiting and let us know what you enjoy the most!

Best,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #3306: Day 22 of the 23 for 23 - Week in Review

1/22/2023

Thanks for a great week. We have one more day to go with the 23 for 23. I hope that there are elements which you have been able to put into practice right away over the last 22 days!

This week, here is what we covered:

Saturday – Weekly Journaling Prompt – What’s Going to Create Flow?

Friday Flashback - Get the Important Stuff Out of the Way

Teams on Thursday - Building Trust in Teams

Wednesday - What’s Going to Create Flow

Tuesday – Boundaries and Parkinson’s Rule

Monday - Daily Steps Plus Consistent Action = Momentum

Enjoy the rest of the weekend,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #3305: Day 21 of the 23 for 23 - Weekly Journaling Prompt - What's Going to Create Flow?

1/21/2023

This week your weekly journaling prompt is “What’s going to create flow?”. What’s the one thing that is really important to build into your work, and world, that will create flow? We know that flow is important for ongoing wellbeing and development. This week we’ve explored the topic of flow here at the Teams 365 blog. Take a look at Wednesday’s post around flow.

This week, consider what are the ways you are going to create flow in your week?

Enjoy,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #3304: Day 20 of the 23 for 23 - Flashback Friday - Getting The Important Stuff out of the Way

1/20/2023

“A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence.”— Jim Watkins

It is likely that even with the best planning, finding time to execute and get things done can be a challenge. Today’s business context of ongoing change and disruption, means that things can change on a regular basis, requiring ongoing learning and iteration.

Against this backdrop, it can also be important to focus in on items that are moving you, and the business, forward.

With this in mind, what are the windows you have available (or can create) to get the important things out of the way? This might mean starting your day early, or working late into the night, to focus on projects that require quiet workspaces.

Activity

Review your monthly or quarterly goals.
Review your Top 3 or 5 Goals.
What activities are not getting completed in a regular way?
What needs to be focused on more?
When will you schedule this in? For example, is this the first thing you want to do every day? Is it worth arriving at work 30 minutes earlier to make sure it gets completed? Could certain activities be delegated to someone else?
Break larger tasks down to smaller chunks if you have not done so already. Consider what smaller milestones exist and put these in your schedule.
What are the regular action steps you will undertake to make it happen? Work backwards noting additional mini-milestones.

Conversation Sparkers

What are the most important tasks that are going to move your work or business forward?
When are you scheduling in these?
What habits are going to help you get the most important things done?

(Originally published as: https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/stand-out-virtually-21-for-2021-day-19-of-21-days-get-the-important-stuff-out-of-the-way-teams365-2577)

Enjoy the conversations,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #3303: Day 19 of the 23 for the 23 - Teams on Thursday - Building Trust in Teams

1/19/2023

As we start to wind down the 23 for 23 Day 19 focuses on Building Trust in Teams. Here’s a revisit of an earlier Teams365 blog post on the topic of Building Trust in Teams:

Trust and connection is important in virtual teams, just as in in-person teams. Many times team leaders struggle or question how they can more effectively build trust within their teams. Today's post looks at five specific activities you might consider doing in building trust within your virtual team. While virtual and remote team members may not be as interdependent in their work as some intact teams are, trust leads to connection and engagement.
Here are five ways to build more trust in a virtual team:

Get to know each other – As I've mentioned in past posts such as Teams365 #1126: 3 Activities to Connect Your Virtual Team, taking some time to help people connect at a deeper and more personal level can be important for virtual teams. Check out #Teams365 post #1126 for three quick activities you could use as a warm up in your work: What's at your desk, what's in my lunch bag or what's outside my window.

Build in formal touch points regularly - Being more intentional and scheduled with your team meetings and processes can also benefit virtual teams. Consider how you can build in meaningful touch points throughout this next quarter.

Help people see the connection between their roles - If we are not clear on the bigger picture, or how our roles intersect with others, it is very easy to think that we work in isolation. Help people on the team connect through dialogue or even physically mapping out how roles intersect.

Follow through - Accountability and follow through are critical in virtual teams. Just because it's out of sight, doesn't mean it's out of mind. Consider how follow through is happening as it should. Here's a great article from Nan Richards on "In the New Workplace - Trust Begets Trust"

Peer partners - As I have mentioned recently, assigning partners across the team can also lead to stronger relationships and deeper understanding of what others do. Check out Teams365 #1149 for a post on leveraging peer coaching skills which may be an area for development within the team.

This post also connects to a post from last week on Four Ways to Create Connection in your Virtual Team (Teams365 #1162). Check that post out here.

What do you notice about trust in your virtual team right now? What could use more attention?

Enjoy the reflections,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.

Teams365 #3202: Day 18 of the 23 for 23 - What's Going to Create Flow

1/18/2023

I was first introduced to the concept of flow as a young psychology student back in 1990, just after the book FLOW came out. I was intrigued by this notion that there could be an intentional way for us to support high performance.

As it is has been seen, and researched, “The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times . . . The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile”
(Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).

It is often said that FLOW is Created by 8 elements.

In this article at Positive Psychology they note that , “Csikszentmihalyi describes eight characteristics of flow:

Complete concentration on the task;
Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;
Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
The experience is intrinsically rewarding;
Effortlessness and ease;
There is a balance between challenge and skills;
Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination;
There is a feeling of control over the task.” (Source: 8 Traits of Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - positivepsychology.com)

Enjoy the reflections,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized |Reconnecting Workspaces | Group Coaching Essentials
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Follow us on Instagram @ReconnectingWorkspaces
Phone: (416)996-8326

Check out my TEDx talk

Looking to bring your workplaces back together, whether you are remote, hybrid, or face-to-face? Pick up a copy of my new book, Reconnecting Workspaces, at Amazon.