Trust is critical for any team’s success. As virtual and remote teams, trust may be the lubricant which helps the group move from being a collection of individual contributors, to the “well-oiled” machine of a team.

What can we do to build more trust and connection on our virtual teams?

Here are some things to consider:
Be aware of magnification – Our touchpoints in the virtual space are often fewer and less frequent. We often do not see each other every day, even in passing. With this in mind, our words and actions can become more magnified for good or bad.
What is important to note around what’s getting magnified within your team?

Be clear and intentional with communication – Our word, even more than our actions, can translate further on a virtual team. Given that we aren’t seen “in action” on a regular basis, our words do live on – via email, text.

Follow-through – Given the magnification effect, as well as the spotlights that we only see in limited windows, follow-through around what we say we are going to do, is critical.
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Be proactive and make things visible- Out of sight does not equal out of mind. What are you doing to proactively reach out to the team? To help them form connections? To surface issues?
Making things visible may include naming issues at play, sharing more of the context you are operating within, or literally making things visible for the team.
In building trust and connection within your virtual or remote team consider:

• What are the touchpoints created for team members to connect and get to know each other?
• What are the issues which need to be surfaced?
• What are the elements which need to be made clearer or more visible?
• What goals and results do we need to make more visible?

Enjoy!
​Jennifer

Week 9 Focus – Partnerships
Focus Question: Who can help you in making your vision a reality?

Description
As a solopreneur, or virtual worker, we cannot go it alone all the time. Leaning into different types of partnerships – long term and short term, helps us get things done, expand our base, and possibly move into new areas.
Partnerships can take several different forms. From Joint Ventures, to Co-Facilitation, to Collaboration, to Co-Coaching. What are the different partnerships you engage in?

Research/Story
Key ingredients which make partnerships include skills in the areas of:

• Trust
• Candor
• Connection
• Self-awareness
• Working Across Differences
• Relationship Development
• Other

Taking time to be in dialogue about relationships and partnerships is critical for success. These conversations need to start well in advance as you start to design and develop your common ground and shared agreements.

Activity
As you think about your year and the most important goals you have, make a list of the people who can help you. If you have not yet completed the Top 20 List in the workbook, do that now.
Synergies with others –
There are many times when we want to synergize with others in terms of a focus. As coaches, this might include co-facilitation, joint ventures or others.
What are the key elements to help you as a business synergize?
Questions to ask yourself:

• What do you want to get out of the collaboration?
• What would be useful to focus on?
• What are you bringing to the collaboration?
• What is the line in the sand in terms of where it is your materials?
• Where are other opportunities to collaborate?
• How will you offer feedback to each other?

Connection to the Workbook and Planner
There are many touchpoints with the Planner and Workbook including:
Collaboration (pages 49 – 53 – CBB or pages 53- 56 – PDT)
Top 20 List in the workbook (page 83 – CBB or page 87 – PDT)
Phases of Partnering and Co-Facilitation Journey – pages 90 – 92 (CBB) and 92 – 94 (PDT)

Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Planning, Doing and Tracking here.

Best wishes, 
Jennifer

Read and download the initial weeks of the 52 weeks of Planning, Doing and Tracking

​Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPT
Author of several books including: PlanDoTrack (2019), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Effective Group Coaching (2010)
Potentials Realized  - Specializing in support to virtual and remote teams, leaders and entrepreneurs
Award-winning Coaching Skills Training
Join us for one of our 2019 Annual Coaching Groups - Teams365 Leadership Lab for Virtual Leaders and Team Members or
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(416)996-8326

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