The focus this month here at the blog is on GOALS, a critical topic for all professionals, particularly those on virtual and remote teams. Today's blog post looks at goals and what can be important for three groups of virtual workers - leaders, virtual and remote team members and those who run a virtual business.
As a leader, supporting team members through performance conversations which includes goal setting is a key skill set, and likely one that you are utilizing a lot at this time of year. This could involve:
As a virtual team member it is important to share your goals with others on a number of levels:
1. So that others know what you are working on and can consider the overlap/connections their work may have with yours (areas of potential collaboration, overlap or even tasks that they are working on that feed into yours).
2. To share what projects you are working on. In virtual and remote teams where others can't see us regularly and know what's on our plate, being proactive in sharing highlights around our workload and priorities is important. It is a way we can keep others in the loop around what priorities we have, as well as how much space we have to take on other projects. Sometimes, "out of sight does equal out of mind" whereas other times, colleagues may think we have a lot of "bandwidth" when in fact we are overloaded.
3. Depending on your work relationships, it can be useful to create peer partners for motivation and/or connection. Working remote can be lonely and isolating, and having a partner or partners on the team (or outside of our team) who are there for us (to listen, to mentor, to coach) through the ups and downs we experience during the work experience is important. I would say that this is a cross cutting issue whether you are a leader, team member or run a virtual business.
If you run a virtual business, one of the key activities at this time of year is goal setting as well as making sure your goals are visible, actionable and structured in a way that you can take consistent action. If you are a solopreneur (someone working alone) visible, actionable goals which are moved towards consistently are all critical for business success.
As you consider goals in your work, from your role, what's important for you to keep in mind this week?
Have a great Wednesday,
Jennifer
As a leader, supporting team members through performance conversations which includes goal setting is a key skill set, and likely one that you are utilizing a lot at this time of year. This could involve:
- Helping team members connect with how their individual goals feed into/align with/contrast team goals;
- Working with team members to "chunk down" the goals so that they are manageable and actionable;
- Encouraging skill development for all team members in goal setting including frameworks like SMART goals (or what I usually write in my books as SMART-E goals - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time bound and, of course, Exciting)
- Support to team members with resourcing (i.e. what do they need in order to be successful?)
- Coaching team members around goals - this may involve supporting them into stretch goals which take them outside of their comfort zone, or being there to be a sounding board when motivational levels are lower.
- Being a feedback loop between the team and upper levels of leadership;
As a virtual team member it is important to share your goals with others on a number of levels:
1. So that others know what you are working on and can consider the overlap/connections their work may have with yours (areas of potential collaboration, overlap or even tasks that they are working on that feed into yours).
2. To share what projects you are working on. In virtual and remote teams where others can't see us regularly and know what's on our plate, being proactive in sharing highlights around our workload and priorities is important. It is a way we can keep others in the loop around what priorities we have, as well as how much space we have to take on other projects. Sometimes, "out of sight does equal out of mind" whereas other times, colleagues may think we have a lot of "bandwidth" when in fact we are overloaded.
3. Depending on your work relationships, it can be useful to create peer partners for motivation and/or connection. Working remote can be lonely and isolating, and having a partner or partners on the team (or outside of our team) who are there for us (to listen, to mentor, to coach) through the ups and downs we experience during the work experience is important. I would say that this is a cross cutting issue whether you are a leader, team member or run a virtual business.
If you run a virtual business, one of the key activities at this time of year is goal setting as well as making sure your goals are visible, actionable and structured in a way that you can take consistent action. If you are a solopreneur (someone working alone) visible, actionable goals which are moved towards consistently are all critical for business success.
As you consider goals in your work, from your role, what's important for you to keep in mind this week?
Have a great Wednesday,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations - Conference calls? Webinars? Virtual coaching work? Pick up a copy of my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations, at Amazon.
New in 2018 - The Teams365 Leadership Lab - an annual online group for leaders who are looking to grow their skills, knowledge and know-how around leadership. We'll be meeting twice a month on Friday mornings online throughout 2018.
Be sure to check out the 2018 Kickstart - 8 days of reflective questions to kick off 2018. Read them here.
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats.
Follow us on Twitter @Teams365
Phone: (416)996-8326
Looking to enhance your virtual conversations - Conference calls? Webinars? Virtual coaching work? Pick up a copy of my new book, Effective Virtual Conversations, at Amazon.
New in 2018 - The Teams365 Leadership Lab - an annual online group for leaders who are looking to grow their skills, knowledge and know-how around leadership. We'll be meeting twice a month on Friday mornings online throughout 2018.
Be sure to check out the 2018 Kickstart - 8 days of reflective questions to kick off 2018. Read them here.
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