Toxic Communication in Today's Workforce

A couple of weeks ago I spoke at the HRPA conference here in Toronto on Toxic Communication and how it impacts performance. This seems to be a topic very prevalent in so many work places these days.

Toxic communication patterns can run the range of the gossip at the watercooler, to the rolling of eyes during presentations, the "here we go again", the subtle (or not) ignoring during meetings by leaving or disconnecting on a blackberry, or the more obvious name-calling or berating.

Toxic behavior is normal - what is not is when it goes to the extreme. My team coaching partner Sharon Miller and I typically use the following definition for toxic behavior -

A Toxic Relationship is a relationship characterized by behaviors on the part of the toxic partner that are emotionally and, not infrequently, physically damaging to their partner.

The cost of toxicity in today's workplace is huge. A study by Porath and Pearson (2009) found the following impact on employees:

• 48% decreased their work effort
• 47% decreased time at work
• 38% decreased work quality
• 68% said their performance declined
• 80% said they lost time worrying about it
• 63% lost time avoiding the person
• 78% said their commitment to the organization declined

Consider the following:

What toxic communication patterns are present in your organization? Within your team?

What is the cost of this?

What is needed to address/change the communication patterns?

Warm regards

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC

Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)

Potentials Realized

Team Coaching, Facilitation and Training

Phone: (416)996-8326

Questions for Building Stronger Work Partnerships

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, today's post deals with business relationships. Strong business relationships are critical for success across all industries today. A few years ago when I was writing Effective Group Coaching, I was asked about how to make co-facilitation of programs really work. It led me to write an accompanying digital chapter for the book. Whether you are co-leading, co-facilitating or working collaboratively, here are some questions to consider and discuss together:

1. What are the unique strengths we each bring? How do these overlap/intersect?
2. How do our skill sets and strengths compliment each other?
3. How do our skill sets and strengths create a blindspot? (note a blindspot is an area which you may not be aware of, or has an absence)
4. How do we individually and collectively define success for this work?
5. What does "quality" and "success" look like? (Be specific)
6. What is/are the priorities - individually and collectively?
7. What can we each be counted on for, no matter what?
8. If things go off the rails, what will you commit to doing?
9. What support and feedback does your partner require?
10. What support and feedback do you both need from the people/project you support?
11. What will you do to celebrate your successes along the way?

Have a terrific week!

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Potentials Realized
Coaching, Facilitation and Training Services
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com
Phone: (416) 996-TEAM (8326)

Skills Needed for Collaboration

In follow up to my recent post on Creating the Context For Collaboration, it's important to also think about the skills professionals will need to thrive in collaborative context.

Resmus, in Best Practices: How to Make Collaboration Work, indicates that employees will need skills in:

• Facilitation
• Team Building
• Conflict Resolution/Negotiation
• Brainstorming
• Technology
• Ethics
  

In my former work with the UN as a leader these skills were essential. I continue to see in my current work supporting teams and organizations make this shift that some additional skills are required at all levels. These skills include - For New and Current Employees:

• Communication
• Relationship Building
• Influence
• Emotional Intelligence (particularly enhanced Self Management, Relationship Management)

Where do your own skills in these areas lie? Which ones are strengths? Which ones need some fine tuning?

What other skills do you see as being essential in boosting collaboration?

We work with teams and organizations to boost these skills through intensive training programs (virtual and in person), staff retreats and 3-6 month group and team coaching processes. If you have any questions, please give me a call.

Have a great week,

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPT

Potentials Realized

Phone: (416) 996-TEAM (8326) | info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

Creating the Context for Collaboration

Collaboration is critical to success in today's economy. What context is required for a collaborative workforce?

Here's a quick definition that I often use for Collaboration from Beyerlein, Nemiro, and Beyerlein, 2008):

“Collaboration occurs when individuals work together towards a shared goal, completing the work is dependent on relationships with a purpose, and individuals working together in purposeful ways toward a shared goal are committed to one another’s success” (Beyerlein, Nemiro, Beyerlein, 2008)

As you consider the context for collaboration in your organization or team ask yourself:

• How clear are shared goals within your organization? how are these communicated? Where might they be unclear?
• How strong are your team work skills, enabling individuals to work together? What gets in the way of individuals working together?
• Are relationships strong across the team/department/organization?
• How purposeful are relationships? Do relationships exist to get work done?
• What is the level of accountability for results? What is the level of commitment? What needs clarity? Shoring up?

What is the context for collaboration at your organization, or within your team right now? What actions will make it a more enabling context?

Have a great week

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton

Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)

Team Coaching | Corporate Retreats

Potentials Realized.com | Group Coaching Essentials.com

Phone: (416)996-TEAM (8326)

Teamwork and Vision

Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishment toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results. ~Andrew Carnegie

As we move into a new business year many organizations take a look at teams and what they want to create in the year ahead. It is certainly a popular time of year for planning and team building. How effective are your teams? What is the link between the corporate goals and individual contribution? How clear are team-members about this link?

Last year, we put a focus on leadership here at the blog. Most leaders recognize that their successes are linked to their teams successes. So this year, we are going to continue to focus on the interplay between teams and leadership.

I look forward to much dialogue throughout the year on teams and leadership. If there are some focus areas or questions you have that you'd like spotlighted on the blog this year, please drop me an email.

In the meantime, please check out the team and leadership tags to see what I've said/written over the past few years!

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Potentials Realized
Team Building and Team Coaching Services
Phone: 416.996.TEAM (8326)

Five Focus Areas for Reducing Silos in Your Organization

Mid-way into fall, I am finally able to do some posting on the blog. I have a new article entitled "Five focus areas for reducing silos in your organization" just published online which I wanted to share with you. You can access it here.

Ask yourself:
What silos are present in your organization?
What is the impact of these silos - on People? Peformance? Team work?
If you selected one of these five areas to focus on this month, which one would have the greatest impact?

Please feel free to share with your colleagues and get the conversation started.

Warm regards
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2011)
Potentials Realized
Connect with us on our new Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/potentialsrealized
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jennbritton

Leadership - What Path are You Creating?

Do not follow where the path may lead.
Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
Harold R. McAlindon

As leaders we are often called on to create new paths as we walk.

Ask yourself:

What new paths are you creating?

Where are you following? How does this serve, or not serve, the people you work with?

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Team and Leadership Coaching
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)

Tips for Making Your Next Meeting Work

Making Your Next Meeting Really Work

Copyright 2011 -Jennifer Britton

The Death by Meeting syndrome is endemic in today’s work environment. Did you know that the average employee spends 25% of their time in meetings. Here are five tips for making your next meeting the best it can be.

Have a clear focus – Clarify what the purpose is, and be clear on the outcomes you want to achieve. Create an agenda, assign timefrwames to the itmes you deem necessary. Stick to the timeframes, and if you can finish more quickly – great, keep moving! You will also want to determine if two shorter, more focused meetings, can be as effective as one longer meeting.

Make sure that the right people are at the table. As you create your agenda, ask yourself - Who needs to be there? Who would be useful to have at the table to provide information on an item? To make a decision on an item? To take issues forward. Also, consider who doesn’t need to be there? It is important to recognize that decisions involving more group members take longer, so don’t hesitate to set up smaller groups or committees to take discussion forward, and report back to the bigger group.

Assign responsibility – Before moving off a topic make sure that next steps are clear. Assign responsibility to one person who will take action on the item and report back to the group. Standard coaching questions such as :What will you do? By When? How will we know? will come in handy.

Follow up with follow up and accountability – On action items and important issues, ensure that you close the loop on what action steps were promised last meeting.

Assess and Readjust – As you become more proficient as a group with really effective meetings, notice what is really working. What old approaches need to be abandoned?.

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Phone: 416.996.TEAM

Mapping Your Team's Strengths

Professionals, and teams, flourish when they are able to use their strengths. Did you know that...

"When an organization's leadership fails to focus on an individual's strengths, the odds of an employee being engaged are a dismal 1 in 11 (9%). But when an organization's leadership focus on the strengths of its employees, the odds soar to almost 3 in 4 (73%). When leaders focus on an invest in their employee's strengths, the odds of each person being engaged goes up eightfold" - http://strengths.gallup.com

What are the strengths of your team members? How aware are they of these strengths? How are you creating environments for people to use their strengths?

A few weeks ago I worked with a wonderful organization who chose to invest time and focus on their team strengths, through focus and investment in an off-site retreat process. The day focused on really getting to know who was on the team, where the strengths lay, and what the gaps were. That, coupled with some skill development, can take a team a long, long way.

Great resources in this area are:
StrengthsFinder 2.0 - Tom Rath
Strengths-Based Leadership
Go, Put Your Strengths to Work - Marcus Buckingham

Consider the following:
What are you doing to invest in strengths? To help others identify their strengths?
Where do your team strengths lay?
What's missing? A gap? What's the impact of this?
What can you be doing differently to leverage the team strengths?

If you'd like to learn more about how coaching and/or retreats incorporating the strengths based approach would benefit your team or organization, please feel free to contact me. I would be happy to share some case studies of how this has benefited other organizations and professionals.

In closing, what can you do today to more fully utilize YOUR STRENGTHS?

Warm regards
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Phone: 416.996.8326
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

Team Players - Who Are They? What Skills Do They Need?

"Teamplayer: One who unites others toward a shared destiny through sharing information and ideas, empowering others and developing trust."
- Dennis Kinlaw

Ask yourself:
What are you doing to foster a team player mindset?
Who are your team players? What skills to they bring? What value does it add to your team?
What information and ideas are being shared readily? What is being held back?
How is the team "feeling" empowered?
What is the state of trust within the team? What needs to be shored up?

Overall, what's the one focus area that will move your team forward this week?

Have a great week!

Warm regards
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC
Potentials Realized
Team Coaching Services

High Performing Teams: What Will Move You?

A few weeks ago I spoke to HR Professionals in Halifax regarding High Performing Teams. I often get asked what's the difference between a team and a high performing team?

Here are some of the characteristics which Kazenbach and Smith identified the following as differentiators:
1. A Deeper sense of purpose
2. More ambitious performance goals
3. More "complete" approaches to work (better work approaches)
4. Mutual Accountability - the recognition and importance of all being jointly accountable to team goals, in addition to their own responsibilities
5. Complimentary, and often interchangeable, skills

As you look at this list, consider what it would take to move your team towards high performance:

1. How many of these characteristics does your team exhibit?
2. In which area would your team's growth really make an impact?
3. What would it take to develop in this one area?

As we move into late spring and summer, it is always a popular time for Team Retreats/Offsites, Workshops, Group Coaching as well as Team Coaching Engagements. If you are interested in learning more about our services in these areas, please feel free to contact me directly or visit our Team Services page. A few dates for June and July are available for bookings and we are starting to develop fall programs with clients.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Warm regards
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010) - Also avaialble at Amazon, Wiley & Chapters
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com
Phone: 416.996.TEAM (416.996.8326)