​Week 38 Focus – Onboarding New Team Members
Focus Question: What is important to communicate about your business?

Description
In bringing people onboard to your team it's really critical that you:

• Are clear on what the task requirements are
• Get specific with what the end result needs to look like
• Provide check points to review and adjust the actions undertaken

 
Story
Onboarding New Team Members:
 
It’s likely that you may be bringing on new team members, and also doing this in a virtual setting. As you approach onboarding your new team members consider sharing:

• What the business is about
• Key business values – what’s important in every touchpoint (speed, accuracy, quality)
• Philosophies of the business
• High level priorities
• How their work fits into the other sectors of the business
• Expectations abut work, punctuality, output
• Confidentiality and Ethics

On the work front you will also want to discuss:

• Job requirements
• Reporting
• Information sharing, security and privacy
• Feedback loops
• What else?

Activity
This week make a list of all the things you want to cover in onboarding new team members. What materials are needed? What support?

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Going back to your values and vision as a business, what is important to communicate? Many of the areas we explored – values, strengths, can be explored with others.

Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

​Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Check out the new 19 Productivity Tips on-demand program. Explore this video based program at  your own pace, and join Jennifer for bi-weekly calls as part of your course.
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram

​Week 37 Focus – Building Your Team
Focus Question: What are the roles that are going to help you as a business? What are the roles that are non-negotiable? What else is going to help your team?

Description
There are many elements which make teams work. We often call this team effectiveness. From leveraging your people’s strengths to the Six Factors, team development is process which occurs over time. Many of the topics we explored earlier in this series (i.e. values, strengths, vision) can also be applied to your team. Take a look back at some of the earlier sessions.
 
We know that teams excel when they have clarity around both the results they are working on, in addition to having strong relationships. In future weeks we will be exploring additional areas.
 
As a starting point, consider:

• If you had the funds and the time, who could be a valuable asset to your team? What are the areas that you would like covered in your business? Business team members can come in all shapes – from virtual assistants to full time staff that work with you.
• Some of the members that you might want to have on your team include an accountant, a legal professional, a content creator, an instructional designer, videographer or photographer, an accountant, a virtual assistant.
• Many virtual businesses start first with a VA and see how that goes. Some of the areas that are supported by virtual assistants include social media posts, graphic design, customer service, accounting and payments.
• Who is needed when?
• What are the tasks not necessarily done by you?
• Make a list of all the things you have been involved with recently or have on your list. Are there any things which could be done by others?

In next week’s post we’ll look at the process of on-boarding, or what is useful to explore as you orient people to your organization and their role. Stay tuned!
 
Activity
Return to your vision and think about WHO you need to help you grow your business.
​
On an immediate level, make a list of all the things you have been involved with recently or have on your list. Are there any things which could be done by others?

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Check out the Time Management and Personal Productivity sections. These will be useful in exploring what tasks you are doing and where they are in terms of urgency and importance. As your business grows you will want to consider what tasks could be delegated to others. This will be a signal of the types of work which could be handed over to part-time or full-time staff.
Use the chart connected to the 4D model to capture the tasks required by others. This can be found on page 120 of the Coaching Business Builder and page 122 of PlanDoTrack.

Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

​Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram

​As I went to write Effective Virtual Conversations back in 2016-2017, I was curious about how much time people were spending in meetings. If anything, the pace of meetings has not decreased in recent years but increased. From face to face meetings, to ones where some are in a room and others are virtual, meetings can take up the majority of people’s time if we let them. What are you doing to ensure you are maximizing your meeting time?

Next week I’ll be bringing in 8 Essential Meeting Questions you want to be asking at any meeting (so stay tuned). In this weeks’ post I thought it would be useful to curate a list of ideas for you to consider as you go to strengthen your meeting processes:

#1 – Is a meeting what’s really necessary? – We often think we need to meet for meetings sake. Is a meeting really necessary or can it be covered off in another way?

# 2 – What is the purpose of the meeting? - Is it to provide information? Invite discussion? Make a decision? Brainstorm? Coordinate across the team? Support learning?
​
These are all very different reasons to hold meetings. Consider what is the purpose of the meeting, and then WHAT the best platform is, and WHO should be at the table? Does it even need to be a face to face meeting or can it be completed some other way? (i.e. a learning event may be offsite or on WebEx/Zoom or other)

#3 – What is the outcome we are looking for? Without a clear direction, meetings can derail quickly. Has the outcome been circulated before hand so people can prepare with whatever is needed? As well, are they able to build in time based on the outcome?

#4 -What involvement are we asking for? Helping frame expectations is another key part of the process. What is the involvement we are asking for?

Enjoy!
Jennifer

​Week 36 Focus – Weave it Together: Quarterly Check In
Focus Question: What have you achieved? What’s needed in this next quarter?

Description
Taking time to pause and undertake a quarterly checkpoint is important. Here we are at our next quarterly checkpoint. What are you noticing each time you undertake a quarterly review? What are common themes across the quarters?
 
The book’s subtitle is “Putting the pieces together”. What are the elements you want to fuse or combine?
 
Activity
For this week’s activity, you are invited to consider some, or all, of the questions I posted in my March 2019 article for the Coaching Tools Company: Help Clients Pause, Take Stock with a Quarterly Review or Retreat https://www.thecoachingtoolscompany.com/create-a-pause-for-clients-via-quarterly-reviews-or-retreats-by-jennifer-britton/
 
Start by reviewing the past quarter:

• What were your major achievements this quarter?
• What do you want to celebrate?
• As you consider the goals (and resolutions) you made at the start of the quarter, how are you doing with these on a scale of 1-10?
• Which activities are becoming new habits?
• What is something you can check off?
• Which goals need to be adjusted or let go of?
• As a leader/coach/business owner, what have you noticed about your team this quarter?

Answer the following:

• The thing that has helped me be most productive this quarter has been __________.
• The thing that helped me be most successful this quarter has been __________.
• The thing that has helped me be happiest this quarter has been __________.
• What has helped me be most healthy has been __________.
• What I have noticed about my work/productivity/results and/or relationships this quarter is __________.

Also take note of any key metrics which are important for you, and your work. For corporate leaders, metrics may be progress on key KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). For small business owners, key metrics may include revenue, items in the pipeline and social media targets.
 
Looking ahead to the next quarter:
 
My priorities are:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________
Our team/business priorities are:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________
 
My goals are:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________
 
Other questions to consider:

• This quarter, I want to __________.
• I'll be really happy at the end of this quarter when __________.
• I also need to think about __________.

 
Activity: Part 2
Depending on your style you may opt to:

• Complete these questions and undertake your own quarterly review process
• Participate in a quarterly review session with Jennifer (these run for one hour)
• Join Jennifer for the four-hour PlanDoTrack Virtual Retreats. More information and registration at https://www.coachingbusinessbuilder.com/plandotrack-virtual-retreats.html
• Complete the Quarterly Worksheet and Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f4ESiJN8ko)

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Refer to the Quarterly Tools including:

• The Quarterly To-Do list
• The Quarter in Review
• If you are interested, explore the supplementary supports listed above

Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

​Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Check out the new 19 Productivity Tips on-demand program. Explore this video based program at  your own pace, and join Jennifer for bi-weekly calls as part of your course.
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram

​Week 34 Focus – Systems in The Business
Focus Question: What’s working and what’s not as it relates to your systems?

Story
Systems help us to replicate things on a consistent basis. They also help us to:

• Scale business
• Be more efficient rather than having to reinvent the wheel multiple times
• Organize – so things take less time

Think about your work, whether you are an entrepreneur, leader or team member. My guess is that you already have a variety of systems in place to help you do things, and that there’s room for growth. Throughout the Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack I cover a variety of systems.
 
Consider these systems for your business:

Activity
Note what’s worked and what hasn’t around the different systems in your work or business.
Do an audit on your systems. Consider:

• Systems to be created
• Systems which are working
• Systems being used in other organizations/parts of the organization which could be adopted
• Best practices around systems in your business

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Refer to part 3 of the book and what is noted around systems. Part of doing a review is noting metrics and trends. Take a look back at your notes. What do you notice?

​You may want to:
Review the Annual Planners and Quarterly Tools
Review the Monthly Daily Planners – what do you notice?
Use brainstorm lists to capture these ideas around systems.

Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

Week 32 Focus – One Percent Rule to Business Development
Focus Question: What are the consistent daily steps you want to undertake?
​
Description
Since 2005 I have been sharing what I call the One Percent Rule to Business Development. I've heard from a lot of entrepreneurs that they like this notion of incremental business action. So here it is!
The 1% rule to business development consists of a series of 8 different stages:
1. Create the Vision: Our vision sets the broad swath of possibility. It gets us thinking about what is possible. It also helps to anchor us when we think about where we want to go and what we want to do. Making our vision detailed and keeping it visible can be important. How are you enshrining your vision?
2. Prepare. During the preparation phase we want to get clear on what the requirements are for our work and projects. We want to know what a successful result looks like. We want to be clear on what resourcing is needed. During the preparation phase we will gather all the information we have so we can pull together a plan.
3. Create an action plan. In my work as a coach, I usually get my clients to create a One-Page Action Plan. The value of the One-Page Plan is that it contains all of the most important information in one page. The One-Pager be placed in a visual location so that you can refer to it quickly AND regularly. What’s on your action plan?
4. Seek out support. What is going to help you achieve the key goals you have set out for yourself? Support can take many forms – financial, technical, people. What do you need to be successful?
5. Take ongoing small steps. As my father, a retired entrepreneur himself, always reminds me that “Rome was not built in a day”. The premise behind the workbook planners is about taking REGULAR, CONSISTENT action. In building a business by ourselves burnout may be a possibility if we move too fast. It can be important to take regular small steps to create the momentum needed for things done quickly.
6. Test, Learn, Retest. In the sixth step were going to test things out. Today's volatility and complexity requires that we experiment regularly.  With the data we receive from the initial test or action we can learn and apply then retest and learn again. This is an iterative process which continues. Throughout the business cycle we may move through different bouts of experimentation. Each cycle creates an opportunity for learning and growth.
7. Learn, Iterate and Act. Each action creates a reaction, which over time creates its own momentum, making it easier to achieve the goal. Along the way learning and feedback will help to shape what we do.
8. Ultimately our goal is achieved. Based on our experience we will further refine the vision that we set out for ourselves, expanding it or modifying it based on our experience. This will further support and shape our actions are we move forward with the next cycle and process.
This cycle may take place in a short amount of time, for example a day or it may be phased over the longer term of a project.
 
Activity
Using your business or a current project, work through the One Percent Rule. What can action and learning look like around one of your most important goals? Map out the 8 steps of the One Percent Rule.

​Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Refer to the One Percent Rule to Business in Section 1 on page 29 of the Coaching Business Builder, or page 31 of PlanDoTrack.

Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

​Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Check out the new 19 Productivity Tips on-demand program. Explore this video based program at  your own pace, and join Jennifer for bi-weekly calls as part of your course.
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram

Week 31 Focus – Marketing Review
Focus Question: What needs a tweak with your 5 P’s?
​
Description
Last week we started to take stock of where you are around dialogue and marketing of your work. Whether you are internal, or external, we are regularly marketing ourselves. Internally we may be focused on personal branding and/or creating and positioning a business case for our work. Externally, we want to offer the best item of value to our customers or clients.
 
When we explore the topic of marketing and program/product design, we often talk about the Marketing Mix or the 5 P’s– Product, Placement, Promotion, People, and Price. Knowing our 5 P’s and reviewing it regularly ensures that we are on target with what our customers or stakeholders want.
 
This week, as review, note what’s worked, and what hasn’t recently in the five different areas of the 5 P’s.

Activity
Use associated worksheet to note what’s worked and what hasn’t around the 5 P’s around your product or service offering.
Undertake a review of your metrics. This could include numbers of subscribers, engagement, posts, views, follows, comments etc. What do you notice?
What’s working around your marketing right now?
Consider the business which has come in, over last six months. What sources led to it? What is in the pipeline? What has shaped this?
 
Do an audit on your content. Consider:

• Content to be created
• Content which is being consumed
• Content which could be repurposed
• Syndication options – WHERE and THROUGH WHOM could you expand your web of followers and readership?

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Part of doing a marketing review is reviewing metrics and trends. Take a look back at your notes. What do you notice? You may want to:

• Review the Annual planners and quarterly tools
• Review the monthly daily planners – what do you notice?
• Use the Content Creation Tools in the Coaching Business Builder or PlanDoTrack to Track and note ideas you want to action
• Use brainstorm list to capture these ideas around marketing

 
 Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

​Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Check out the new 19 Productivity Tips on-demand program. Explore this video based program at  your own pace, and join Jennifer for bi-weekly calls as part of your course.
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram

Week 30 Focus – Marketing Review
Focus Question: What’s working and what’s not?

Description
In this week’s focus, we’re taking stock of different marketing approaches – what is working and what is not. We’ve spent several weeks exploring different promotional strategies, including LinkedIn and Instagram.
 
Building a regular practice of doing a review of what’s working, and what’s not, around marketing in your business, can save a lot of time in the long run.
 
Some of the things you will want to consider as you go to do a marketing review are:

1. Note metrics. What things are getting traction? What’s getting read? What’s not?
2. With certain posts, is there a tweak or adjustment you can make?
3. What posts could be repurposed and republished in other ways?
4. What are the items that you could use for redistribution?

Activity
Note the data you are tracking. From a high-level overview what does it indicate?
Looking to each of the marketing items you track, which one is progressing as you would like it to?
If you have multiple posts, which ones are working best?
Which ones are not getting traction as you would like?
Are you tracking the things that you want?
Where is your energy and enjoyment with this process?
​
Connection to the Coaching Business Builder/PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner
Review the metrics you have which may be part of:

• The Monthly Daily Tracker
• Taking Stock – Monthly Reflections (refer to Key Metrics)
• Monthly Content Trackers
• Monthly Content Journals – One Line a Day
• Don’t Just Do It Once! Scaling Content

Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

​Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram

 ​Welcome back to another Wednesday Weekly Planning Hack. This is #24 in the series.
This week’s WPH is about a great prioritization tool using post its. It builds onto last week’s focus of using post its in planning, and in ensuring all voices in a team are represented. In this week’s blog post let us explore another very visual way to prioritize – this time using post its.
​
Here’s what I wrote about the Planning Matrix in PlanDoTrack and the Coaching Business Builder:

“The prioritization matrix is a quick visual tool where all you will need is some post-it notes or a white board.

First, identify all of the priorities you have, writing each one down on a separate post-it.

Then rate them according to their impact and likelihood of getting them done (or other criterion).

Place them along the matrix of impact and likelihood.
​
This activity is very visual, and stimulates dialogue amongst the team members themselves. An important part of the prioritization process for teams is about sharing information, and also busting assumptions that might be held. This seems to have the potential to be a great structure for facilitating that conversation.”
(Source: Coaching Business Builder, Jennifer Britton, 2018) 
What ways can you incorporate post its, teamwork and planning?

Best,
Jennifer

Week 29 Focus – LinkedIn
Focus Question: What does your LinkedIn profile portray?

Story
LinkedIn is an important social media vehicle especially for those who are looking at working in organizations and corporations. Many HR professionals or leaders may go to LinkedIn to check out the resources.
 
What are the things you want to include on LinkedIn? You might consider:

• Posting articles or a new resource through LinkedIn Pulse
• Sharing a photo of you at work with clients (with permission of course!)
• Share an update regarding a recent award or other
• Sharing a press release
• Post in a group and keep the conversation going

​Activity
Review and update your Linked In profile. What does it showcase? What needs updating?

• Who are you connected to?
• What are the things you want to post on LinkedIn?
• How much time do you want to dedicate to it?
• What traffic do you get around what you have listed? Note these in your tracker.

Using the following chart make a list of engagement points:

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Use any of the content scheduling tools to plan for and track your LinkedIn focus.
 
Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Plan, Do and Track here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Plan, Do and Track

​Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Author of PlanDoTrack (2019),  Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Pick up a copy of any of her books at Amazon
Book Jennifer for a coaching session to explore productivity, teamwork and business issues.
Contact her by phone at (416)996-8326
Follow the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series on Instagram