In a couple of weeks I'm speaking at this year's HRPA Conference, co-leading a session entitled "Tips, Traps and Frameworks for Creating High Performing Teams". As a coach and consultant who works with teams who want to get better, I am often asked What are some of the key challenges a team can face in their life-cycle?
In today's post I am tackling three very common team challenges faced in almost every industry:
New Leadership - In this era of change, teams encounter new leadership, sometimes more frequently than they would wish. New leaders bring the possibility of new opportunities and certainly a new history for the team. It may take 90 days for a new person to feel comfortable in their role, AND it may take a team even longer to feel comfortable with a new leader.
Ask yourself:
What are your plans to really get to know your team? Discuss expectations?
How is leadership having an impact on your team?
As a new leader what is important to recognize and acknowledge within this team? What changes do you want to make?
Matrix Management - A majority of my career existed against the backdrop of matrix management often across global boundaries. As a Program Manager and Director, it was very common for my own team to have several supervisors. How do you create a sense of team identify when operating in a matrixed environment? It is possible, and requires strong relationship building and communication skills. This team challenge is a definitely a topic for several posts. I hope that you will check out what I have said about matrix teams under our tags.
Ask yourself:
What communication channels need to be opened in your matrix environment?
What information needs to be shared?
What roles need to be clarified?
Silos - Silos are a common challenge in so many workforces today. Even as organizational change is designed to "bring down the silos" many times, new ones emerge or old ones become even more entrenched.
Ask yourself:
What is your organization doing to foster communication between different parts of the organization?
How is your team impacted by silos?
If you are attending HRPA's conference this year, I look forward to meeting you!
Warm regards
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized Team Services
Team Coaching, Workshops, Retreats
Phone: 416.996.TEAM (8326)
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Showing posts with label Virtual Teams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virtual Teams. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Friday, November 27, 2009
What's your meeting style?
I'm sure that many readers here at the blog participate in virtual meetings. Prehaps maybe even too many! As a facilitator, I am always interested in seeing "who" participates in meetings, and what their style is.
There's a terrific article on The Top Ten Meeting Personalities which Jackie Yearney over at FastCompany.com has posted. Take a look. She's cut to the core archetyping some of the key personalities that show up on virtual meetings.
Which meeting personality matches yours?
Have a terrific week!
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Monday, October 05, 2009
Team Building Critical for Smaller, More Virtual, Teams
There was a great article last week by Marcia Heroux Pounds entitled, "Go team! Need for collaboration greater when there are fewer employees". Click here to read the entire article.
Whether it's conflict resolution, getting to know one another better, or learning to leverage new roles, this fall's focus really seems to have moved to the team environment. I must admit that the requests we've been getting for team retreats, team coaching, and team assessments has increased quite significantly this fall. I hope that you will enjoy reading through the Team on Thursday column from the last year and a bit.
How have the recent economic and workplace events shifted your organization's value on team work?
What's the most burning issue facing your team - virtual, or intact - right now?
How would an investment into your teamwork transform business issues you are facing right now?
Questions about what support might benefit your teams right now? Please give me a call or drop me an email.
Have a great week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Phone: (416) 996-TEAM (8326)
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com
Whether it's conflict resolution, getting to know one another better, or learning to leverage new roles, this fall's focus really seems to have moved to the team environment. I must admit that the requests we've been getting for team retreats, team coaching, and team assessments has increased quite significantly this fall. I hope that you will enjoy reading through the Team on Thursday column from the last year and a bit.
How have the recent economic and workplace events shifted your organization's value on team work?
What's the most burning issue facing your team - virtual, or intact - right now?
How would an investment into your teamwork transform business issues you are facing right now?
Questions about what support might benefit your teams right now? Please give me a call or drop me an email.
Have a great week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Phone: (416) 996-TEAM (8326)
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Virtual Team Leadership: Resource
As many of you know, Virtual Teams and Leadership are two ongoing themes for this blog, stemming out of my earlier work as a leader with virtual teams globally through my work in the international development sector. I continue to be amazed at how virtual team leadership skills, along with project management and global/cross-cultural management skills continue to be some of the most important skills for this decade, and unfortunately, skills that many organizations are really needing to improve.
There was a great article this month in CLO Magazine which addresses this increasingly important area of virtual team leadership:
Virtual Leadership for a Virtual Workforce by Jerry Fjermestad as featured in CLO Magainze, March 2009.
Jerry mentions that
Virtual Leadership for a Virtual Workforce by Jerry Fjermestad as featured in CLO Magainze, March 2009.
Jerry mentions that
"Leaders are responsible for the vision, planning, engaging the team, coaching, training, team learning, networking and promoting, among other skills".
He also mentions that
"The results are that virtual teams are at least as effective as face-to-face teams, and according to Powell, Piccoli and Ives, under some conditions, they are even more effective. Leader development leading to high-performance teams leads to successful organizations in this new virtual environment".
- How are you developing your leaders for the virtual realm? What's working? What's not?
- What are the challenges you are experiencing as you move forward with leadership development for these leaders?
- What else, beyond strong leadership, is needed to enable virtual teams to florish and really perform optimally?
Have a great week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com
Ph: (416) 996-TEAM (8326)
Thursday, January 08, 2009
10 Signs it's Time for a Team Tune Up
10 Signs It’s Time for a Team Tune Up:
Even in a downturn, teams - like cars - need a tune-up to keep running along at peak performance. For many organizations right now, with the changes that are happening, teams may be the most stable entity in a company.
Here are 10 indicators it's time for a team tune up:
Here are 10 indicators it's time for a team tune up:
1. The team needs a new vision/plan to achieve your business results (or needs to reconnect with your old ones)
2. The team has new leadership
3. The team is unclear about their roles (which often leads to conflict, things falling through the cracks or toes being stepped on)
4. Staff feel undervalued - and performance is going down the tube
5. Gossip is flourishing…as are the water cooler discussions!
6. Team is undergoing, or emerging from, a change management process or a merger and acquisition
7. The team is operating in silos (one part isn’t talking to the other)
8. It’s been a while since you’ve stopped to recognize and celebrate your achievements
9. You need to get from 0 – 100 given the current business climate
10. You want to be proactive!
What tune up does your team need?
Click here for some of our current team support programs (assessments, coaching, training, retreats) or download our Team Services brochure here. We bring 20 years experience of working with teams face to face, as well as virtually (to reduce costs - and the carbon footprint), with teams in 20 countries around the world.
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Team Services
Phone: (416)996-TEAM (416.491.8326)
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized.com
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Six Team Challenges for Project Management Teams
Six Team Challenges for Project Management Teams
by Jennifer Britton, Potentials Realized
Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved.
By their very nature, project management teams are unique, and face unique opportunities and challenges. This article examines six unique team challenges facing project management teams, along with some questions project managers may want to consider with respect to their team.
Challenge #1: The Team’s finite timeline
Project Management exist for a finite period of time, with a fixed beginning and end period. This may be days, weeks, months or sometimes years. Teams outside of the project world, theoretically are forever.
Questions:
What challenges does your team’s finite timeline pose? What do you notice about the team process and their needs as you move from kick-off to implementation and finish?
Challenge #2: Different roles and responsibilities of different Team Members
Project teams often involve a fluid mix of different team members coming in and out of the project.
Questions:
How much time have you spent clarifying the different roles and responsibilities of the different team members in your project. Where is the overlap? What are the gaps?
Challenge #3: Different team members belong to a series of different project teams:
It is quite common for staff members to belong to multiple project teams at one time.
Questions:
How strong is the association/membership to your team? What steps can you take to boost team members association to your team?
Challenge #4: Possible Virtual Nature of the Project Team:
A very common challenge within project teams is their virtual nature, where members of the team are either M-Workers, or actually located in different venues. Virtual teams can pose a wide range of challenges as they may operate across time zones, distance and cultures. To see what else I've said on virtual teams, click here.
Questions:
If we have a virtual component to our team, who is on it? What obstacles exist due to our nature of the virtual team? What steps can we take to ensure that those needed are involved in our team process and communication?
Challenge #5: Unclear Vision for the team
Unfortunately, it can be common for the vision of a project to held tightly by a few members of a project management team, and not widely shared by all.
Questions:
Who has contributed to the overall vision of the project? Who shares this vision? What steps can you take so that all team members share the vision?
Solution:
Spend time with the team creating a common vision of the end result
Challenge #6: Unclear on the strengths of the team
Given the often transient nature of project teams, it is quite common for the time together to be spent on action (which can often be unfocussed) rather than preparation and planning. Remember, every 10 minutes of planning can save 60 minutes of unfocused effort.
Questions?
What strengths does each team member bring to your team? What are the strengths of your team system as a whole?
Solution:
Look for an assessment such as the Team Diagnostic Assessment to measure the strengths of your team system, or StrengthsFinder 2.0 to look at the strengths of individual team members.
Jennifer J. Britton is the founder of Potentials Realized. Jennifer works with teams, organizations and business owners to achieve the success and impact they desire in teamwork, business, and performance issues, through the provision of coaching, consulting and training services. She regularly facilitates team building and team coaching sessions and retreats (virtual, on and offsite) with governmental, nonprofit and corporate clients. As a performance improvement specialist, she works with leading edge organizations across North America and the Caribbean. Visit Jennifer online at http://www.potentialsrealized.com/ . Jennifer worked as an international project manager from 1992-2004, managing projects across the Americas, Caribbean and Europe.
by Jennifer Britton, Potentials Realized
Copyright 2008. All Rights Reserved.
By their very nature, project management teams are unique, and face unique opportunities and challenges. This article examines six unique team challenges facing project management teams, along with some questions project managers may want to consider with respect to their team.
Challenge #1: The Team’s finite timeline
Project Management exist for a finite period of time, with a fixed beginning and end period. This may be days, weeks, months or sometimes years. Teams outside of the project world, theoretically are forever.
Questions:
What challenges does your team’s finite timeline pose? What do you notice about the team process and their needs as you move from kick-off to implementation and finish?
Challenge #2: Different roles and responsibilities of different Team Members
Project teams often involve a fluid mix of different team members coming in and out of the project.
Questions:
How much time have you spent clarifying the different roles and responsibilities of the different team members in your project. Where is the overlap? What are the gaps?
Challenge #3: Different team members belong to a series of different project teams:
It is quite common for staff members to belong to multiple project teams at one time.
Questions:
How strong is the association/membership to your team? What steps can you take to boost team members association to your team?
Challenge #4: Possible Virtual Nature of the Project Team:
A very common challenge within project teams is their virtual nature, where members of the team are either M-Workers, or actually located in different venues. Virtual teams can pose a wide range of challenges as they may operate across time zones, distance and cultures. To see what else I've said on virtual teams, click here.
Questions:
If we have a virtual component to our team, who is on it? What obstacles exist due to our nature of the virtual team? What steps can we take to ensure that those needed are involved in our team process and communication?
Challenge #5: Unclear Vision for the team
Unfortunately, it can be common for the vision of a project to held tightly by a few members of a project management team, and not widely shared by all.
Questions:
Who has contributed to the overall vision of the project? Who shares this vision? What steps can you take so that all team members share the vision?
Solution:
Spend time with the team creating a common vision of the end result
Challenge #6: Unclear on the strengths of the team
Given the often transient nature of project teams, it is quite common for the time together to be spent on action (which can often be unfocussed) rather than preparation and planning. Remember, every 10 minutes of planning can save 60 minutes of unfocused effort.
Questions?
What strengths does each team member bring to your team? What are the strengths of your team system as a whole?
Solution:
Look for an assessment such as the Team Diagnostic Assessment to measure the strengths of your team system, or StrengthsFinder 2.0 to look at the strengths of individual team members.
Jennifer J. Britton is the founder of Potentials Realized. Jennifer works with teams, organizations and business owners to achieve the success and impact they desire in teamwork, business, and performance issues, through the provision of coaching, consulting and training services. She regularly facilitates team building and team coaching sessions and retreats (virtual, on and offsite) with governmental, nonprofit and corporate clients. As a performance improvement specialist, she works with leading edge organizations across North America and the Caribbean. Visit Jennifer online at http://www.potentialsrealized.com/ . Jennifer worked as an international project manager from 1992-2004, managing projects across the Americas, Caribbean and Europe.
Monday, January 14, 2008
5 Tips for Effective Virtual Team Meetings
5 Tips for Effective Virtual Team Meetings
Copyright 2008 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved
Is one of your new years resolutions to ensure that your virtual team meetings are more effective? Today’s post includes 5 tips for Effective Virtual Team Meetings. Perhaps you work with in-person teams - not to worry, many of these ideas will apply to you as well.
Tip 1 – Establish Ground Rules or Ways of Working for the Group
This is an essential for any group process. Spend time at the start of your work together to develop common ground rules or ways of working to frame how you will work together. These should be written down and circulated to the group as a reminder.
Number one rule -- Don't assume! It's very dangerous to do when you are in a room together, and even more so for when you are working across time, geography and cultures!
Some examples of ways of working for a virtual team might include:
* Start and end calls on time
* Rotate call times to meet the needs of different team members in all time zones
* Respecting all team members ideas and perspectives (which does not mean agreeing with all of them, rather respecting them)
* 100% Focus on the meeting at hand (and not surfing the net, reading other materials, sending emails during the call)
What else would you include in your group’s groundrules?
Tips 2 and 3 – Be respectful of time
A major challenge, and opportunity, of holding team meetings across distance and timezones, is that participants may be calling in at different times of the work day (or even before or after work). Some team members may be gearing up for the work day, others may be winding down.
Virtual Team meeting management requires respect of time on two levels:
1. Start and End the meeting on time. If the meeting is set to 60 minutes, make sure that the meeting is 60 minutes
2. Set calls at times convenient to the group -- for example, setting a 10 am call Toronto time, would mean 7am for someone in LosAngeles, 4 pm in Germany, and midnight in Japan. Take a look at where your team members are located, and if necessary, rotate call times to make the convenience equal for all members. If a majority of members are based in a similar time zone, ensure that the call has enough leverage and substance to warrant different time zone team members calling in in their pyjamas.
Tip 4 – Have an agenda - and one that works!
A really common pitfall for most teams today is the Death by Meeting syndrome, so wonderfully captured in Patrick Lencioni's book of the same name.
Lack of an agenda or roadmap for in-person meetings can be deadly, and for virtual teams exponentially so!
Some quick tips for virtual team meeting agendas include:
* Circulate the agenda a day or two before the call (keeping in mind the impact of weekends in different time zones)
*Recap at the end of all calls: agreed action points, who will be accountable, next steps
* Time at the start of meetings for a short update from all callers
* Ensure that there is enough time for all essential items to be covered. If you find that meetings consistently go longer than 60 minutes and you just can't squeeze it all in, what about going to a 75 minute, or 90 minute format?
* Circulate the key meeting points or a recap next steps as close to the end of the meeting (within hours,not days of the meeting end). A simple template approach can be quickly used for this.
Tip 5 – Build connections outside of the meeting
Virtual Teams often start off with great gusto and energy. The lack of face to face meetings can make it difficult for some teams to sustain the inital energy over time.
Wherever possible, create opportunities for team members to build connections outside of the meeting. Whether it is holding formal face to face meetings on an annual basis (strongly recommended, and in great frequency than every year!), or creating informal virtual networking functions outside of the usual team meetings, time spent by the team outside of the formal meetings can help to support the team's development and sustained performance.
There's a lot more on building connections outside of the virtual environment, so please stay posted.
Hope that 08 has started off great for you and your teams! As always, I welcome your comments.
Warm regards
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC
GroupCoachingEssentials
email: jennifer{AT}potentialsrealized{com}
PS - What's your team's stretch going to be this year? What do you want to look back on in December of this year and say "Wow! We did it!". What support do you need to make that happen?
Copyright 2008 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved
Is one of your new years resolutions to ensure that your virtual team meetings are more effective? Today’s post includes 5 tips for Effective Virtual Team Meetings. Perhaps you work with in-person teams - not to worry, many of these ideas will apply to you as well.
Tip 1 – Establish Ground Rules or Ways of Working for the Group
This is an essential for any group process. Spend time at the start of your work together to develop common ground rules or ways of working to frame how you will work together. These should be written down and circulated to the group as a reminder.
Number one rule -- Don't assume! It's very dangerous to do when you are in a room together, and even more so for when you are working across time, geography and cultures!
Some examples of ways of working for a virtual team might include:
* Start and end calls on time
* Rotate call times to meet the needs of different team members in all time zones
* Respecting all team members ideas and perspectives (which does not mean agreeing with all of them, rather respecting them)
* 100% Focus on the meeting at hand (and not surfing the net, reading other materials, sending emails during the call)
What else would you include in your group’s groundrules?
Tips 2 and 3 – Be respectful of time
A major challenge, and opportunity, of holding team meetings across distance and timezones, is that participants may be calling in at different times of the work day (or even before or after work). Some team members may be gearing up for the work day, others may be winding down.
Virtual Team meeting management requires respect of time on two levels:
1. Start and End the meeting on time. If the meeting is set to 60 minutes, make sure that the meeting is 60 minutes
2. Set calls at times convenient to the group -- for example, setting a 10 am call Toronto time, would mean 7am for someone in LosAngeles, 4 pm in Germany, and midnight in Japan. Take a look at where your team members are located, and if necessary, rotate call times to make the convenience equal for all members. If a majority of members are based in a similar time zone, ensure that the call has enough leverage and substance to warrant different time zone team members calling in in their pyjamas.
Tip 4 – Have an agenda - and one that works!
A really common pitfall for most teams today is the Death by Meeting syndrome, so wonderfully captured in Patrick Lencioni's book of the same name.
Lack of an agenda or roadmap for in-person meetings can be deadly, and for virtual teams exponentially so!
Some quick tips for virtual team meeting agendas include:
* Circulate the agenda a day or two before the call (keeping in mind the impact of weekends in different time zones)
*Recap at the end of all calls: agreed action points, who will be accountable, next steps
* Time at the start of meetings for a short update from all callers
* Ensure that there is enough time for all essential items to be covered. If you find that meetings consistently go longer than 60 minutes and you just can't squeeze it all in, what about going to a 75 minute, or 90 minute format?
* Circulate the key meeting points or a recap next steps as close to the end of the meeting (within hours,not days of the meeting end). A simple template approach can be quickly used for this.
Tip 5 – Build connections outside of the meeting
Virtual Teams often start off with great gusto and energy. The lack of face to face meetings can make it difficult for some teams to sustain the inital energy over time.
Wherever possible, create opportunities for team members to build connections outside of the meeting. Whether it is holding formal face to face meetings on an annual basis (strongly recommended, and in great frequency than every year!), or creating informal virtual networking functions outside of the usual team meetings, time spent by the team outside of the formal meetings can help to support the team's development and sustained performance.
There's a lot more on building connections outside of the virtual environment, so please stay posted.
Hope that 08 has started off great for you and your teams! As always, I welcome your comments.
Warm regards
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC
GroupCoachingEssentials
email: jennifer{AT}potentialsrealized{com}
PS - What's your team's stretch going to be this year? What do you want to look back on in December of this year and say "Wow! We did it!". What support do you need to make that happen?
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Are you an M-Worker (Mobile Worker)?
Are you a mobile worker? IDC predicts that within the next two years one quarter of the global workforce will be mobile workers. Wow!
And what is a mobile worker?
“Mobile workers are those who work at least 10 hours per week away from home and from their main place of work, e.g. on business trips, in the field, traveling, or on customers’ premises, and use online computer connections when doing so”
– Electronic Commerce and Telework Trends, 2000
Cisco published an intriguing study earlier this year entitled, “Understanding and Managing the Mobile Workforce” (July 2007).
In it they found that some of the key competencies for mobile workers are:
* Adaptability
* Communication
* Planning
* Organizing and
* Relationship Building
Mobile Working is a trend that is expected to grow. The report also notes that M-Working can enhance productivity, motivation, flexibility and staff retention – key issues facing most organizations today.
How many mobile workers comprise your workforce? What changes in management style are required for managing mobile workers? How are their support needs different than office based employees? What impact do M-Workers have on your team enhancement strategies?
These are some of the issues I’ll be addressing in future blog posts. What are your thoughts on and experiences with M-Workers? As always, please feel free to comment below.
Have a great start to the week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: info{at} potentialsrealized{dot}com
And what is a mobile worker?
“Mobile workers are those who work at least 10 hours per week away from home and from their main place of work, e.g. on business trips, in the field, traveling, or on customers’ premises, and use online computer connections when doing so”
– Electronic Commerce and Telework Trends, 2000
Cisco published an intriguing study earlier this year entitled, “Understanding and Managing the Mobile Workforce” (July 2007).
In it they found that some of the key competencies for mobile workers are:
* Adaptability
* Communication
* Planning
* Organizing and
* Relationship Building
Mobile Working is a trend that is expected to grow. The report also notes that M-Working can enhance productivity, motivation, flexibility and staff retention – key issues facing most organizations today.
How many mobile workers comprise your workforce? What changes in management style are required for managing mobile workers? How are their support needs different than office based employees? What impact do M-Workers have on your team enhancement strategies?
These are some of the issues I’ll be addressing in future blog posts. What are your thoughts on and experiences with M-Workers? As always, please feel free to comment below.
Have a great start to the week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: info{at} potentialsrealized{dot}com
Friday, October 26, 2007
Looking for a tool to boost your virtual team collaboration?
Many of my clients often ask me what is a great software/platform for virtual teams. I’ve recently learned of a great solution which I really want to share with you – Mercury Grove’s Web Groups. It’s an amazing platform!
Originally launched in September of this year, Web Groups provides a collaborative platform for virtual team members to connect and collaborate. Members can share files, share calendars, create lists and create an internal discussion board. Thousands of users globally are taking advantage of this new tool, which you can try for free!
I met with Mercury Grove’s Scott Annan last week and had a delightful conversation about what the platform can do. There’s amazing customer service and support as well! I can’t recommend it enough.
The platform can be used by enterprises, small business and groups of professionals or consultants.
One company that is leveraging the platform is Team Floral.
Here’s an exerpt from a recent newsletter from Mercury Grove about how Team Floral is using the platform:
"TeamFloral is a network of the brightest minds in the floral industry who provide consulting services to flower shop owners. Their services include profit analysis, business coaching, benchmarking data, and business solutions. They provide a unique combination of consulting services and peer collaboration to make each flower shop a success.
Also unique is that TeamFloral delivers 100% of their services remotely through Mercury Grove Web Groups and group conference calls. Members collaborate on discussions and share files online - even their conference calls are recorded and made available through Web Groups. "Web Groups is fabulous." says Sherri Roberson, "Our members use it for the member directory, to post messages, check-in for meetings, and listen to the meetings they miss. We use it every single day."."
Click on over and take a free test drive of Mercury Grove Web Groups right now. What possibilities can you see for your virtual team?
Have a wonderful weekend,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Group Coaching Essentials
Email: jennifer(at) potentialsrealized.com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Originally launched in September of this year, Web Groups provides a collaborative platform for virtual team members to connect and collaborate. Members can share files, share calendars, create lists and create an internal discussion board. Thousands of users globally are taking advantage of this new tool, which you can try for free!
I met with Mercury Grove’s Scott Annan last week and had a delightful conversation about what the platform can do. There’s amazing customer service and support as well! I can’t recommend it enough.
The platform can be used by enterprises, small business and groups of professionals or consultants.
One company that is leveraging the platform is Team Floral.
Here’s an exerpt from a recent newsletter from Mercury Grove about how Team Floral is using the platform:
"TeamFloral is a network of the brightest minds in the floral industry who provide consulting services to flower shop owners. Their services include profit analysis, business coaching, benchmarking data, and business solutions. They provide a unique combination of consulting services and peer collaboration to make each flower shop a success.
Also unique is that TeamFloral delivers 100% of their services remotely through Mercury Grove Web Groups and group conference calls. Members collaborate on discussions and share files online - even their conference calls are recorded and made available through Web Groups. "Web Groups is fabulous." says Sherri Roberson, "Our members use it for the member directory, to post messages, check-in for meetings, and listen to the meetings they miss. We use it every single day."."
Click on over and take a free test drive of Mercury Grove Web Groups right now. What possibilities can you see for your virtual team?
Have a wonderful weekend,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Group Coaching Essentials
Email: jennifer(at) potentialsrealized.com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Thursday, October 11, 2007
BNet's How to Manage Employees in Remote Locations
I just came across a great article for any readers who are following my posts on virtual teams. Today's business environment is exploding with virtual teams, where employees are managed remotely. As a former virtual team manager myself, I am well aware of the challenges which virtual teams pose, as well as the new management skill sets it requires.
To get a handle on some great tips on how to manage employees in remote locations, or virtual teams, I urge (not just recommend) you to check out Kelly Pate Dwyer's article "How to Manage Employees in Remote Locations". You can find her article on BNET here.
It's a comprehensive article in which she shares a number of super tips including:
1. Build a Strong Team Starting with You
2. Gather the right people
3. Put technology to work
4 Master the Art of Communication
5. Build a Sense of “We”
6. Manage by Results
I really appreciate how the article has placed responsibility on the manager, and also organizational systems needed to enable a virtual team to succeed and thrive. What skills sets do you see as essential for virtual team management? I would welcome your comments.
If you don't read BNet already, it's a fantastic online resource! Check it out.
Have a wonderful week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer@potentialsrealized.com
To get a handle on some great tips on how to manage employees in remote locations, or virtual teams, I urge (not just recommend) you to check out Kelly Pate Dwyer's article "How to Manage Employees in Remote Locations". You can find her article on BNET here.
It's a comprehensive article in which she shares a number of super tips including:
1. Build a Strong Team Starting with You
2. Gather the right people
3. Put technology to work
4 Master the Art of Communication
5. Build a Sense of “We”
6. Manage by Results
I really appreciate how the article has placed responsibility on the manager, and also organizational systems needed to enable a virtual team to succeed and thrive. What skills sets do you see as essential for virtual team management? I would welcome your comments.
If you don't read BNet already, it's a fantastic online resource! Check it out.
Have a wonderful week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: jennifer@potentialsrealized.com
Thursday, May 31, 2007
HR Potpourri, Taking Your Team to Extraordinary
It's another exciting end to the week. My blog post earlier this week on Virtual Team Challenges has been picked up by the HR Carnival Blog hosted this week by Deb over at the 8 Hours and a Lunch Blog. The posts she's selected this week go all the way through recruitment, to on-boarding, training and team building. You can check out this week's HR Carnival here. If virtual team issues are also a passion for you, Robin Good over at Kolabora has also picked up the article. He's got a treasure-chest of really great links to articles on virtual teams and virtual collaboration -- I hope that you will check it out!
Another one of my articles has now been posted to EzineArticles.com. If you are looking to boost your team development process, please check out my article: Team Building Tips: Take Your Team from Great to Extraordinary. I hope that you will enjoy the article and take away some tips that you can use for your own team building initative. If you are looking for an external facilitator for your next retreat, team coaching or team building initiative, please feel free to contact me toll free at 1-866-217-1960.
I am off to Atlanta this weekend for the 2007 ASTD International Conference. I will be co-facilitating three sessions early next week for Coach attendees. If you are attending the conference, I hope that you will consider joining me on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday for the Learning Lab for Coaches. More information about this new conference component can be found in your tote.
Warmly,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Group Coaching Essentials
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Another one of my articles has now been posted to EzineArticles.com. If you are looking to boost your team development process, please check out my article: Team Building Tips: Take Your Team from Great to Extraordinary. I hope that you will enjoy the article and take away some tips that you can use for your own team building initative. If you are looking for an external facilitator for your next retreat, team coaching or team building initiative, please feel free to contact me toll free at 1-866-217-1960.
I am off to Atlanta this weekend for the 2007 ASTD International Conference. I will be co-facilitating three sessions early next week for Coach attendees. If you are attending the conference, I hope that you will consider joining me on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday for the Learning Lab for Coaches. More information about this new conference component can be found in your tote.
Warmly,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Group Coaching Essentials
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Virtual Team Challenges
Many of you will know that working with virtual teams is one of my passions as a trainer and coach. If you haven't read earlier posts on the subject of virtual teams I would invite you to check out my earlier posts on the topic:
Leveraging Technology for Virtual Teams
Creating the Foundation for Virtual Team Success
As I wrote in my earlier posts, virtual teams bring with them some amazing opportunities, as well as some real challenges which need to be navigated to enable virtual teams to perform at their greatest.
Some of the common challenges which virtual teams face are:
*Navigating across timezones (rather than an 8 hour day virtual teams may be "operating" 24 hours a day, possibly 7 days a week)
* Working across technology - use of different platforms and technology available from the location
* Working across cultures and languages
* Creating a shared vision for all team members
* Nontraditional communication methodologies which may require equipping staff with enhanced skills in virtual communication
For virtual teams to flourish they require that a high degree of trust be established between individual team members. The foundation for this can be started through an on-site teambuiding meeting for all team members. Ideally, the team should have face-to face meetings at the start of their project, or in the early stages, to develop a common vision, protocol and understanding of their roles. Regular (semi-annual or annual) face-to-face meetings can provide the opportunity for the team to further connect and check on alignment on these issues, while working through challenges and opportunities facing the group.
Many times, communication (positive and negative) can be the foundation for virtual team success. What is communication like in your virtual team? What needs to be enhanced? What can you leverage?
If you are working in a virtual team and looking to take your team and results to the next level, I would welcome hearing from you.Much of the work I am doing as a relationship systems coach is very applicable to the virtual team environment. I would be happy to further discuss how this support may benefit your virtual team.
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Email: jennifer@potentialsrealized.com
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
WorldWork's Seven Habits of Successful Virtual Teams
Anne Zelenka over at Web Worker Daily wrote a great post entitled "Seven Habits of Successful Virtual Teams" a few months ago. You can read her post here. For those of you interested in virtual teams, this is a must-read.
The 7 Habits of Successful Virtual Teams which Anne includes in her article are:
* Management demonstrates a thoroughgoing comittment to virtual work
* Team members communicate regularly by phone
* Team members check in with each other frequently throughout the day
* Team shares a view of their work
* Team leverages diversity of the team members
* Team members get to know each other on a human level
* Trust and respect are assumed, not earned
I think that these are all important considerations when putting together a virtual team initiative. As we see with so many other HR initiatives common vision and top level management support are essential for success in innovative approaches.
What are your thoughts? Anything that you would add? Please feel free to comment below.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
The 7 Habits of Successful Virtual Teams which Anne includes in her article are:
* Management demonstrates a thoroughgoing comittment to virtual work
* Team members communicate regularly by phone
* Team members check in with each other frequently throughout the day
* Team shares a view of their work
* Team leverages diversity of the team members
* Team members get to know each other on a human level
* Trust and respect are assumed, not earned
I think that these are all important considerations when putting together a virtual team initiative. As we see with so many other HR initiatives common vision and top level management support are essential for success in innovative approaches.
What are your thoughts? Anything that you would add? Please feel free to comment below.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Leveraging Technology for Virtual Teams
Technology has spurred the proliferation of virtual teams, alongside globalization and shrinking travel budgets to name a few. If your organization has virtual teams (or commonly known as geographically dispersed teams) are you leveraging technology to the utmost?
Some technologies you may want to consider include:
* TeleConference Brigelines
* Webcasts
* Wikis
* Podcasts
Some of the current bestseller business books such as Wikinomics, explore the themes of how technology, and mass collaboration, is changing the business world. What tools can you leverage for your virtual teams?
Technology has made the globe a much smaller place and has rapidly changed the face of the business world, how we connect and how communication happens.
One of the services I have been offering to businesses and individuals since last June is facilitating virtual retreats. These retreats are held by phone and enable participants to refocus, recharge and renew from their own location (home/office/hotel room). This Saturday (Feb 17/07) I will be holding a six hour Balance Virtual Retreat (10 - 4 pm EST) if you'd like to get a taste of this process.
There are many advantages to the virtual retreat process including:
* The ability to connect participants across many time zones real-time, with no travel cost;
* Retreat scheduled around your schedule -- virtual retreats can be held for a full day or for several hours a day over a longer period;
* Accessibility of business materials for retreat participants right at their finger tips;
* Immediate applicability of new ideas, and action items to the office.
Have you considered holding a virtual retreat for your staff team to keep the momentum going between your regular face-to-face offistes? Please feel free to contact me to explore how a virtual retreat could benefit your organization or team. I look forward to hearing from you!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Some technologies you may want to consider include:
* TeleConference Brigelines
* Webcasts
* Wikis
* Podcasts
Some of the current bestseller business books such as Wikinomics, explore the themes of how technology, and mass collaboration, is changing the business world. What tools can you leverage for your virtual teams?
Technology has made the globe a much smaller place and has rapidly changed the face of the business world, how we connect and how communication happens.
One of the services I have been offering to businesses and individuals since last June is facilitating virtual retreats. These retreats are held by phone and enable participants to refocus, recharge and renew from their own location (home/office/hotel room). This Saturday (Feb 17/07) I will be holding a six hour Balance Virtual Retreat (10 - 4 pm EST) if you'd like to get a taste of this process.
There are many advantages to the virtual retreat process including:
* The ability to connect participants across many time zones real-time, with no travel cost;
* Retreat scheduled around your schedule -- virtual retreats can be held for a full day or for several hours a day over a longer period;
* Accessibility of business materials for retreat participants right at their finger tips;
* Immediate applicability of new ideas, and action items to the office.
Have you considered holding a virtual retreat for your staff team to keep the momentum going between your regular face-to-face offistes? Please feel free to contact me to explore how a virtual retreat could benefit your organization or team. I look forward to hearing from you!
With best wishes,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPCC, CHRP, CPT
Potentials Realized
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Friday, November 17, 2006
Creating the Foundation for Virtual Team Success
Creating The Foundation of Virtual Team Success
Copyright 2006 - Jennifer Britton/Potentials Realized. All rights reserved
I have been thinking quite a bit lately about virtual teams, in part due to a request from one of my client organizations. It's taken me back to my own work as a virtual team manager, and provided me with the opportunity to reflect on some of the success factors which made our virtual teams so productive, and also fun to work with. As I have mentionned in my former work I have managed teams stretching across 10 countries of one region as well as 10 regions of one country. This led to many challenges, but also tremendous opportunities for us as a team.
The following are some of the ingredients needed to create the foundation for virtual team success:
1. Ensuring a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities - As a virtual team, the need to clearly define roles and responsibilities becomes even more paramount than in face to face team environments. As a manager, or even team member, it is critical that team members (and managers) fully understand their roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, as well as where roles and responsibilities overlap. If you are part of a virtual team, are you clear on this?
2. Negotiating matrix management relationships - A matrix management structure exists when a professional may be managed by two different managers, delineated often by projects they are involved with. Given the nature of virtual teams, individual members may often be part of a matrix management reporting process. If this is the case, it is often beneficial to have a three way discussion between both managers and the staff member, ensuring that everyone has a common understanding regarding who manages what, what reporting relationships exist, how work processes will be weighted and prioritized.
3. Working across cultural differences - Given that virtual teams are often global in nature, or even cross-continental, it is important that cultural differences are understood. Differences may exist along several continuum, including prioritization, language, the concept of time and management. Exploring individual cultural differences as well as creating a common ground and way of working for the team.
4. Creating opportunities for face-to-face interaction - The effectiveness of virtual teams can be greatly enhanced by budgeting and planning for face-to-face interaction at least once a year. A multi-day retreat can serve as a forum for getting to know each other, creating a shared workplan, discussing strategic directions and creating a shared vision for the team and its work.
As a former virtual team manager I have seen the transformational results from multi-day face-to-face retreats with my virtual teams. Even by harnessing the best technology, we cannot replace face-to-face interaction. Although budgeting and advocating for these processes seemed daunting at times, my managers were quickly won over by the results of our first annual retreat.
I now work with virtual teams to facilitate these types of retreats, so if you are interested in discussing what is possible for your virtual team, please feel free to contact me.
5. Developing a common vision -- I have made reference to the importance of developing a common vision. A shared, common vision, understood by all virtual team members acts as an important anchor for decision making, accountability and results. There are a number of vision processes which can be undertaken, depending on the needs of the client. Developing this in a face-to-face session, at the start of the virtual team creation is ideal, although creating this mid-stream will also bring benefits to the team.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts -- what other success factors do you see as important for virtual teams? Please feel free to comment below.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Jennifer Britton, CPT, CHRP, CPCC is the founder of Potentials Realized, a Canadian based performance improvement company. Jennifer works with organizations who are looking to accelerate their business results through improved teamwork and performance issues. Jennifer is a Certified Coach, Human Resource Professional and Certified Performance Technologist. She has worked with corporate, non-profit and governmental clients in four continents. For more information, please visit www.potentialsrealized.com.
You may reprint this article free of charge in your newsletter, magazine or website/blog, provided that they are unedited and the the copyright, bio and contact information appears with each article. Articles appearing on the web must provide a hyperlink to our site. Please provide us with a courtesy copy of the print or email issues containg the article, or the URL of the article site. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Copyright 2006 - Jennifer Britton/Potentials Realized. All rights reserved
I have been thinking quite a bit lately about virtual teams, in part due to a request from one of my client organizations. It's taken me back to my own work as a virtual team manager, and provided me with the opportunity to reflect on some of the success factors which made our virtual teams so productive, and also fun to work with. As I have mentionned in my former work I have managed teams stretching across 10 countries of one region as well as 10 regions of one country. This led to many challenges, but also tremendous opportunities for us as a team.
The following are some of the ingredients needed to create the foundation for virtual team success:
1. Ensuring a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities - As a virtual team, the need to clearly define roles and responsibilities becomes even more paramount than in face to face team environments. As a manager, or even team member, it is critical that team members (and managers) fully understand their roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, as well as where roles and responsibilities overlap. If you are part of a virtual team, are you clear on this?
2. Negotiating matrix management relationships - A matrix management structure exists when a professional may be managed by two different managers, delineated often by projects they are involved with. Given the nature of virtual teams, individual members may often be part of a matrix management reporting process. If this is the case, it is often beneficial to have a three way discussion between both managers and the staff member, ensuring that everyone has a common understanding regarding who manages what, what reporting relationships exist, how work processes will be weighted and prioritized.
3. Working across cultural differences - Given that virtual teams are often global in nature, or even cross-continental, it is important that cultural differences are understood. Differences may exist along several continuum, including prioritization, language, the concept of time and management. Exploring individual cultural differences as well as creating a common ground and way of working for the team.
4. Creating opportunities for face-to-face interaction - The effectiveness of virtual teams can be greatly enhanced by budgeting and planning for face-to-face interaction at least once a year. A multi-day retreat can serve as a forum for getting to know each other, creating a shared workplan, discussing strategic directions and creating a shared vision for the team and its work.
As a former virtual team manager I have seen the transformational results from multi-day face-to-face retreats with my virtual teams. Even by harnessing the best technology, we cannot replace face-to-face interaction. Although budgeting and advocating for these processes seemed daunting at times, my managers were quickly won over by the results of our first annual retreat.
I now work with virtual teams to facilitate these types of retreats, so if you are interested in discussing what is possible for your virtual team, please feel free to contact me.
5. Developing a common vision -- I have made reference to the importance of developing a common vision. A shared, common vision, understood by all virtual team members acts as an important anchor for decision making, accountability and results. There are a number of vision processes which can be undertaken, depending on the needs of the client. Developing this in a face-to-face session, at the start of the virtual team creation is ideal, although creating this mid-stream will also bring benefits to the team.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts -- what other success factors do you see as important for virtual teams? Please feel free to comment below.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, CPT, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
http://www.potentialsrealized.com
Email: jennifer[at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Jennifer Britton, CPT, CHRP, CPCC is the founder of Potentials Realized, a Canadian based performance improvement company. Jennifer works with organizations who are looking to accelerate their business results through improved teamwork and performance issues. Jennifer is a Certified Coach, Human Resource Professional and Certified Performance Technologist. She has worked with corporate, non-profit and governmental clients in four continents. For more information, please visit www.potentialsrealized.com.
You may reprint this article free of charge in your newsletter, magazine or website/blog, provided that they are unedited and the the copyright, bio and contact information appears with each article. Articles appearing on the web must provide a hyperlink to our site. Please provide us with a courtesy copy of the print or email issues containg the article, or the URL of the article site. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Virtual Teams Defined
Virtual Teams are everywhere, and growing in numbers every day. So how do we define them?
Wikipedia defines a virtual team as,
"A virtual team - also known as a Geographically Dispersed Team (GDT) - is a group of individuals who work across time, space and organizational boundaries with links strenghtened by webs of communication technology. They have complimentary skills and are committed to a common purpose, have interdependent performance goals, and share an approach to work for which they hold themselves mutally accountable."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Teams
If you are looking for some resources on virtual teams, you may want to check out the following sites and resources:
Carter MacNamara's Management Help Portal : In addition to resources on virtual teams, there are many additional resources applicable to management topics for both for profit and not-for-profit organizations
Cynthia Cantu: Virtual Teams : A wonderful research paper on virtual teams which will provide you with great background information
There is lots more out there on the web. If you have some great virtual team resource links, please feel free to post these as a comment.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
www.potentialsrealized.com
Wikipedia defines a virtual team as,
"A virtual team - also known as a Geographically Dispersed Team (GDT) - is a group of individuals who work across time, space and organizational boundaries with links strenghtened by webs of communication technology. They have complimentary skills and are committed to a common purpose, have interdependent performance goals, and share an approach to work for which they hold themselves mutally accountable."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Teams
If you are looking for some resources on virtual teams, you may want to check out the following sites and resources:
Carter MacNamara's Management Help Portal : In addition to resources on virtual teams, there are many additional resources applicable to management topics for both for profit and not-for-profit organizations
Cynthia Cantu: Virtual Teams : A wonderful research paper on virtual teams which will provide you with great background information
There is lots more out there on the web. If you have some great virtual team resource links, please feel free to post these as a comment.
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
www.potentialsrealized.com
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Virtual Teams - What's all the Buzz?
Globalization, shrinking travel budgets and enhanced technology have led to virtual tams becoming common place in today's business world.
Virtual teams span distance, timezones, geographic locations, and often language and culture.
As a former Director and Manager of Programs, a large part of my job involved virtual team management. In the 1990s, prior to today's technological advances, my role as a virtual team in leader was often undertaken by long-range radio, and at best, telephone. This was before the days of Email! Interspersed were blessed times of face-to-face meetings with my virtual team. Email has certainly made virtual team management. My last role as a Manager involved managing staff across 10 countries -- no easy feat but made much easier through email and communications technology.
The advent of the Internet and other wireless communication has provided a catalyst for virtual teams popping up in most industries, sectors, and countries around the world. And yet the challenges have not changed - communication, trust, and finding a way to work effectively across distance.
In following posts, I will be exploring the world of virtual teams, virtual team management and virtual team performance. What's your biggest question about virtual teams?
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Virtual teams span distance, timezones, geographic locations, and often language and culture.
As a former Director and Manager of Programs, a large part of my job involved virtual team management. In the 1990s, prior to today's technological advances, my role as a virtual team in leader was often undertaken by long-range radio, and at best, telephone. This was before the days of Email! Interspersed were blessed times of face-to-face meetings with my virtual team. Email has certainly made virtual team management. My last role as a Manager involved managing staff across 10 countries -- no easy feat but made much easier through email and communications technology.
The advent of the Internet and other wireless communication has provided a catalyst for virtual teams popping up in most industries, sectors, and countries around the world. And yet the challenges have not changed - communication, trust, and finding a way to work effectively across distance.
In following posts, I will be exploring the world of virtual teams, virtual team management and virtual team performance. What's your biggest question about virtual teams?
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Web: www.potentialsrealized.com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
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