PlanDoTrack
  • Home
  • Services
    • Daily Planner
  • About
  • Remote Teams
  • Blog
  • Facilitator - PlanDoTrack
  • Virtual Retreats
  • 14 Days PlanDoTrack
  • On-Demand Course: 19 Productivity Tips
  • Join the Conversation - Conversation Sparker Network
  • quarterly reflection
  • Virtual Book Club Calls: PlanDoTrack
  • Writing - Articles
  • Daily Planner - PlanDoTrack
  • back to work
  • Bus

Weekly Planning Hack #74 - Focus On Opportunities

8/5/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
The last several months have been a challenge for most in business. With a pandemic surrounding us, keeping things focused on the opportunities, rather than the threats swirling, has not always been easy.

There is a part of our brain known as the Reticular Articulating System, which works to focus on what we filter and let through to our brain and what we ignore.

There’s a well used phrase “What we focus on, expands”.  It’s sometimes also known as the shiny red object syndrome. You start noticing a new type of car, and then everywhere you look, there it is. In part, this can be because of what you are focusing on.

Think about your mindset at the moment. Where are you focusing? What do you notice?

Are you taking time to focus on the opportunities that exist? These might entail:
  • Ways to do things differently?
  • A different process?
  • A new partnership?
  • Joint ventures to expand into a new market?

What else would help to expand opportunities?

Best,
​Jennifer
​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 these Instagram accounts @coachingbizbuilder & @remotepathways!
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

Are you a remote professional? Listen into the Remote Pathways Podcast on your favorite podcast player!

0 Comments

Weekly Planning Hack #62 - Let It Percolate

4/15/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Just like a cup of coffee or a stew, creative ideas often benefit from some percolation time. Perhaps you are working on a big project, or a creative task. Taking time to step away can be of benefit to let our brains still work on it. In fact, our brains still work on projects, even when we step away from it.

A great strategy for tasks which might not be flowing yet, is to start it and then let it percolate. Perhaps go for a walk or a swim or have a discussion with some one.

This marination, percolation time can be necessary.

Check out these articles:
  • Minda Zetlin’s article at Inc on: Your Brain Has Two Ways of Solving Problems, Which One Is Better
  • Redbooth.com’s blog post from Diana Ecker on “Letting Ideas Percolate and How to Do It” 

​Enjoy your reflections!
Jennifer
​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 these Instagram accounts @coachingbizbuilder & @remotepathways!
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

Are you a remote professional? Listen into the Remote Pathways Podcast on your favorite podcast player!
0 Comments

PlanDoTrack Productivity: Key #2 - Experimentation

3/13/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
​We are exploring five of the different productivity keys captured in PlanDoTrack. The second one is around experimentation. With today’s business context characterized by change and disruption, experimentation can be an important strategy in product development, service delivery and also learning.

Just as in an experimental mindset, we can approach some of our project work from a trial and error standpoint. While these may not be all projects, some areas may be earmarked for innovation and experimentation.

Adopting an experimental mindset can lead to an ongoing cycle of trial, results, learning, iteration, adjustment.

Some of the areas you might consider experimenting with could include:
  • Meetings: (times, flows and processes) – Given that many organizations realize that current meeting processes are not the most effective or efficient, might this be an area to experiment with different approaches and strategies? For example, facilitation at team meetings – Rather than the same person leading each team meeting might you rotate that?
  • Program Delivery – Instead of offering everything in an in-person format, might you experiment with offering something as a virtual or online offering?
  • Content Delivery – Instead of always writing something, might you experiment with something that is delivered via audio or video?

What are the changes you are noting in your industry? Where might experimentation be of service?

For more on this topic check out:
  • Michael Thompsons article – 5 Benefits of Adopting an Experimental Mindset
  • Alex Cuthbert’s article on Embracing and Experimental Mindset

What does an experimental mindset mean for you as a team or business? What can it look like?

Best,
​Jennifer
​​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 these Instagram accounts @coachingbizbuilder & @remotepathways!
Check out upcoming programs on our calendar!

Are you a remote professional? Listen into the Remote Pathways Podcast on your favorite podcast player!
0 Comments

Weekly Planning Hack #43 - What's the season?

11/27/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
This week’s Weekly Planning Hack gets you to consider the question “What’s the season?”.

Just like weather seasons, there may be different seasons for us throughout the year, and throughout our life span. As I share in this week's Facebook Live, every November I enjoy carving some time out for writing. My November focus has led to the creation of new bodies of work including my 2017 book, Effective Virtual Conversations, and this year, it's supported me in creating time for the Remote Pathways 90 Day Guide for New Remote Professionals. I plan to make this available in 2020. With the support of the virtual community, it's an added push I need to get creative work out.
As you think about your annual rhythms:

What season are you in right now?

What season are you yearning for?

Like the weather seasons there may be different rhythms you may want to follow. For example, longer work days, and shorter work days.

What is the pace of work you are looking forward to?

Enjoy your reflection!
Jennifer

PS - As I mention in this week's Facebook Live the Remote Pathways Podcast is now live. I'd love for you to subscribe and follow. It's a bi-weekly podcast around the people, places and pathways for remote work, which I co-host with Michelle Mullins. Join us on our remote adventures! 
​
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
0 Comments

52 Weeks of Plan, Do, Track - Week 45: Renewal

11/8/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Week 45 Focus — Renewal
Focus Question: What does renewal mean for you?

Description
The fields of sports and business shows us that teams that excel, are great at both “playing hard” and also resting hard.
 
Just as physical renewal is essential after a long race, periods of renewal are key in business to help us remain at our prime. What does renewal mean for you? When is the last time you took time to renew?
 
Decision fatigue, social media burnout, task switching and cognitive overload, take a toll on us as professionals. When things become unbalanced it can also become luggage we bring into our family life.
 
As solopreneurs, keeping ourselves “at our prime” is key as the business relies on you. Without you there, it’s unlikely that it can keep going for long. Therefore, renewal should take a priority.
 
Here are some different ways to consider renewal:
  • Taking vacation time on a regular basis
  • Scheduling time away from our work (i.e. conferences, meetings with colleagues)
  • Enjoying a compressed 4-day work week at different parts of the year so you can enjoy a longer weekend
  • Having clear boundaries around “when you are ON” and “when you are OFF”
  • Swimming/running/hiking/going to the gym over lunchtime on a regular basis
  • Going on a retreat
What will help you renew?
 
Activity
Consider your skill base right now. What is one skill area you could become more effective in to boost your impact as a people leader?

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
Take a look at your calendar. What have you done to build in renewal periods on a WEEKLY, MONTHLY and QUARTERLY basis?

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


Picture
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
​
0 Comments

Weekly Planning Hack #38 - Reframe

10/23/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
​This week’s Weekly Planning Hack gets you to think about reframing. Reframing issues may mean that you step into a new perspective around it, look at it through a different lens, or take a different time frame around it.

Let’s look at a couple of examples. If you are a business owner, remote worker or leader it’s likely that you have a number of different issues which are creating some challenge and/or tension for the team. With one of these challenges in mind, consider these questions to help reframe the situation:
  • The challenge is ______
  • Another way to look at this might be:
  • An alternative solution to what we are doing right now is _________________
  • The flip side is ____________________
  • If I were to have more resources around this issue, I would add _______________. It would help to ______________
  • If I were to take a long-term view around this challenge, I would notice ___________________
  • The opposite approach to what we are doing is _____________________. If I/we took this it would help to _____________________
  • The 30,000-foot view around this issue is _________________________
  • If I were to look at it from the top of a hill or mountain, I would notice:
  • Alternative perspectives we could take around this issue area_____________
  • Alternative steps we could take around this issue are _____________________

There are some excellent facilitation tools which can help us with reframing including DeBono’s Six Thinking Hats. Read more about this from the DeBono Group here.
​
What other questions can help you to reframe your current challenge?

What new insights have you gleaned from working through these questions?

All the best,
​Jennifer
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
0 Comments

Weekly Planning Hack #35 - Creating a Micro-Pause

10/2/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Being able to create a micro-pause within your working context can help support focus, clarity and momentum. In our work as coaches, we often create a “micro-pause” with the organizations we work with. In my research around the value of group and team coaching, I continued to hear about the value of the “pause”, the fact that a coaching conversation would provide a pause for people to stop and think and look around.

This is something we all can be doing in our work – stopping to see what is working well, and what’s not. What needs to be tweaked, and what needs to be overhauled.
We often need to “Slow down, in order to speed up”.
 
Here’s a great article for entrepreneurs who feel like they may need to always be “on” by Jules Schroeder entitled “The Slow Hustle: Why Every Entrepreneur Needs to Slow down In Order to Speed Up”.

Questions to consider this week:
  • What value would there be in having more pauses in your schedule or work day?
  • What are the micro-pauses you want to create?

Best,
​Jennifer
Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Check out the Weekly Planning Hack Facebook Live each Wednesday or Thursday here. Be sure to like our page to be updated each week!

Author of PlanDoTrack (2019), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
0 Comments

Weekly Planning Hack #30 - Ongoing Learning

8/28/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Welcome back to the 30th weekly planning hack. This week’s WPH is about engaging in ongoing learning. Today we have many options to engage in ongoing learning – from books, and podcasts to MOOCS (Massive Open Online Courses) to industry recommended programs.

What is the ongoing learning that’s going to help you get where you want to go?
​
Consider these questions:
  • What are the skills you wish you had in your toolbox, so you could do things quicker or faster?
  • What are the practice opportunities you wish you had to translate things you know into action? When can you schedule those in?
  • What are the things your mentor would indicate are important to you?

I hope that you will spend a few minutes this week exploring options which exist for you to learn more about these areas.

Enjoy your learning!
​Jennifer 
Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Check out the Weekly Planning Hack Facebook Live each Wednesday or Thursday here. Be sure to like our page to be updated each week!

Author of PlanDoTrack (2019), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
0 Comments

Weekly Planning Hack #28 - What will wild success look like?

8/14/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Scattered throughout some of the 28 different planning tools of PlanDoTrack and the Coaching Business builder is the question “what will wild success look like?”. I love asking this question to people I am coaching as it gets us to think about WHAT IS POSSIBLE, often without a lot of censure.
​
There are several ways to reword this question:
  • What’s possible?
  • If you were to wave a magic wand, what would be the end result?
  • If there were no limits, what would you do?

​The benefit of these questions is that it:
  • Helps us look larger and bigger
  • It may shift some of the limiting beliefs and inner critical voices we face around that goal and the related change we need to take in order to make it happen
  • Helps us stretch
  • Supports more ideas and possibilities

As you go about your planning for the next month or quarter, what can wild success look like for you around your most important goals?

Best wishes,
Jennifer 
Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Check out the Weekly Planning Hack Facebook Live each Wednesday or Thursday here. Be sure to like our page to be updated each week!

Author of PlanDoTrack (2019), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
0 Comments

Weekly Planning Hack #26 - The Skill of Discernment

8/7/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
​In today’s Digitally Disrupted world, the skill set of discernment and focus are taking precedence. The ability to find “micro-pauses” where you can stop, assess and make decisions plays a critical role in productivity, teams and leadership.
​
Here’s what I wrote bout the skill of discernment earlier this year here at the PlanDoTrack Blog in February:

​“Leveraging our time is as much about getting organized, as it is getting clear on what’s important. Against the backdrop of complexity, ongoing change and disruption, getting ruthless with our time management can be so important to many. As a business owner, or remote worker, this is especially true. We can’t get out time back. So, when we go down a rabbit hole (whether it’s doing too much research online, following a shiny red object or thinking we just need to learn “one more thing”), the costs can be tremendous. Not just in NOT getting things done, but in terms of our focus, our motivation and also our profit line!

Discernment is about getting clear on what’s important and what’s not. It is about being clear of what’s going to provide impact now, later or never.
​
As a remote worker or virtual business owner, we are quite control of our time. Our colleagues and/or superiors may be hundreds of miles away, or several time zones ahead. As remote workers, it’s not always about how we manage our time, but how we get our results. Those who feel the crunch in getting something over the finish line is usually only us (and those loved ones around us!).

With this in mind, what is the cost of not being discerning around where your time goes, or how clear your projects are, or what is a more important priority than another?
​
As we embark on new projects, or start a new week, it can be useful to be asking (ourselves, and our stakeholders):
  • What’s most important today?
  • What are the top 3-5 things I want to get completed?
  • What are the MUST Dos?
  • What will success look like with this project/task?
  • As it relates to this project/task, what’s important?
  • Have I considered the short-term, medium-term and long-term in making decisions?
  • What would my colleague/boss/peer/customer say is most important to focus on today?
  • What impact will this activity have? And that one?
 
What questions do you want to consider asking as you decide one priority to another?”

How can discernment help you in your work and focus right now?

Let us know!
​Jennifer
Jennifer Britton - Potentials Realized
Check out the Weekly Planning Hack Facebook Live each Wednesday or Thursday here. Be sure to like our page to be updated each week!

Author of PlanDoTrack (2019), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    Jennifer Britton is the blogger behind the popular Teams365 blog, a daily,blog for team leaders and members since 2014. Her latest publication is the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner. Pick up a copy at Amazon.
    She blogs here two to three times a week, with weekly planning hacks on Wednesday and Friday posts related to the 52 Weeks of Planning, Doing and Tracking.
    Follow the feed to keep updated!

    RSS Feed

    Pick Up a Copy

    Picture
    Upcoming Programs

    Join us for the 21 For 21 Virtual Co-working Sprints - $21 US. Want to access the recordings and bonus worksheets? Join us at the Booster Pack $79 US early bird rate. Sign up at 
    21for21 Virtual Co-working - STAND OUT VIRTUALLY!
    ​

    Stand Out Virtually - Incubator - Running an online, virtual or digital business and want to get the word out to organizations? Join us for the 8 week Stand Out Virtually Incubator. Next group starts April 2021. Build out your brand, offers and proposals.

    Virtual Facilitation Essentials (8.5 CCEs)- Expand your toolkit for better remote and virtual conversations. This is a virtual train-the-trainer - 5 weeks: Fall 2021 programming starts in October $495 US Learn more and register.
    ​
    Coaches! Register for the  60 Day Coaching Business Builder Accelerator. Join us for 60 Days support and ACTION for coaches wanting to grow their businesses. On-Demand Course.

    PlanDoTrack Facilitator Training Program (24 CCEs) - Starts again in October. Contact Jennifer to discuss.

    Month-End/Quarterly Planning Session: Thursday September 30th - 8 -9 am ET

    Archives

    January 2021
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018

    Categories

    All
    14 Days Of PlanDoTrack
    1BizStepADay
    52 Weeks PlanDoTrack
    Accountability
    Articles
    Back To Work
    Balance
    Business Planning
    Calls
    Celebration
    Checklist
    Coaching
    Collaboration
    Communication
    Content Creation
    Conversation Sparker
    Daily Steps
    Delegation
    Digital Focus
    Doing
    Ecosystem
    Effective Virtual Conversations
    Feedback
    Focus
    Goals
    Habits
    Inside The Planner
    Journal
    Learning
    Letstalkvirtual
    Margin
    Marketing
    Meetings
    Mindset
    On The Bookshelf
    Organizing
    Partnering
    PlanDoTrack Facilitator
    Planner
    Planning
    Podcast
    Primer
    Priorities
    Productivity
    Project Management
    Questions
    Questions To Consider
    Reflection
    Relationships
    Remote And Virtual Professionals
    Remote Pathways
    Remote Work
    Resources
    Results
    Rhythms
    Routine Check
    Skills
    Solopreneur
    Strengths
    Systems
    Team Development
    Team Leadership
    Teamwork
    Time Management
    Tools
    Upcoming Programs
    Upcoming Training
    Values
    Video
    Virtual Business
    Virtual Leadership
    Virtual Teams
    Vision
    Visual
    Weekly Planning Hack
    Work Life Balance
    Year End

    RSS Feed

Services

Teams365 Support for Leaders

CoachingBiz Growth Lab(TM)
​
Effective Virtual Conversations

​​Everything DiSC

Pick up a copy at Amazon

Company

 About

Our Main Site: Potentials Realized.com

Group and Team Coaching Training for Coaches (ICF-CCE approved training)

Become a PlanDoTrack Facilitator 

Connect on Instagram #90DaysPlanDoTrack

Visit our PlanDoTrack Facebook page - and connect on weekly Facebook Lives

Join us for the 21 for 21 Virtual Co-working Sprints. These take place the first 21 days of each month during 2021. 


Support

Contact
FAQ
Terms of Use
© COPYRIGHT 2018-2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • Services
    • Daily Planner
  • About
  • Remote Teams
  • Blog
  • Facilitator - PlanDoTrack
  • Virtual Retreats
  • 14 Days PlanDoTrack
  • On-Demand Course: 19 Productivity Tips
  • Join the Conversation - Conversation Sparker Network
  • quarterly reflection
  • Virtual Book Club Calls: PlanDoTrack
  • Writing - Articles
  • Daily Planner - PlanDoTrack
  • back to work
  • Bus