Week 10 Focus – Strengths Focus Question: What are your innate talents and strengths? How do you use these every day? Description Each of us brings our own unique and innate strengths. What are the strengths you bring to the table every day? Research/Story For many decades now, Gallup has studied the impact of strengths on work. They have found some very compelling statistics behind why we should focus more on helping people connect with, and leverage, their strengths every day at work. Did you know:
Author Marcus Buckingham undertook research and he writes that “1.5 Million employees on 50, 000 teams were surveyed, and they found that the most important lever to team performance was ‘Do you have an opportunity to use your strengths at work every day?’ (Reference: Go Put Your Strengths to Work) Those that “strongly agreed” found:
While we cannot always use our strengths at work every day, over time we may gravitate to jobs which do cultivate our strengths. As we set up businesses or work remote, being able to leverage strengths regularly can be an important motivational factor. When we are able to leverage strengths, we are more apt to move into flow and find greater job satisfaction. Strengths over-used can become a blindspot. We may over-lean into our strengths in times of pressure, urgency and resource constraints. Notice what happens when your strengths become over-magnified. Activity If you have not yet worked with strengths, spend some time identifying what your strengths are. There are several different strengths assessments you may want to explore including Gallup’s StrengthsFinder 2.0, the Entrepreneurial StrengthsFinder, as well as Positive Psychology’s VIA Character Survey. If you have not undertaken one of these assessments to ascertain your top 5 strengths, take a few minutes to do that this week, reflecting on the questions:
Connection to the Workbook and Planner There are several touch points throughout the planners to get you thinking about your strengths, including - Section 4 of both books which explores the Ecosystem as well as: What are your strengths, and how you can leverage them? 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
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Week 8 Focus – Enabler: Mindsets and Beliefs Focus Question: As you move towards your vision, what are the mindsets and beliefs that will help you? Description Adopting a Growth Mindset In both workbooks I write a little bit about the Growth Mindset, a term that was brought to life by Carol Dweck. Mindset is below the waterline and shapes our perspectives, behaviors and motivation. What mindsets do you have as you approach your work? What are the things that are going to help you grow, persevere and succeed? Growth mindset is characterized by:
Activity What are the mindsets you are bringing to your work every day? Be specific in thinking about the last week or month. Note where you have been – in fixed, or growth mindset. What’s needed? Connection to the Workbook and Planner Mindset in Iceberg – pages 25 and 26 (CBB and 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 Coaching Biz Growth Lab - for coaches and other virtual entrepreneurs (416)996-8326 Stay Connected This week’s planning hack gets you to consider how you can use color coding to support organization and focus. One of the challenges in today’s work is an overload of data. It is said that “color is one of the first things we take in when looking at an image.” Using color to help sort through the myriad of emails, files and to-dos can create a quick sort. This may help us do things faster and also not feel the “cognitive load” of tasks as much. Consider how you might use color to:
To denote different tasks in my monthly daily tracker, the colors say much more than numbers would. Different colored folders for different tasks and projects – Client files are purple, Writing files are usually blue, Speaking files are yellow, Financial files are red. What could you do with color to help you with your organizing and planning? Best wishes, 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 Week 7 Focus – Resourcing and Past Experience Focus Question: What can you do to leverage what you already have done? Research/Story What helps coaches be successful with their work? As a professional it’s likely that you have already had many accomplishments. These can be leveraged for future successes.In this week’s focus you are invited to think about what pat successes you have enjoyed and created for yourself. Activity Take a few minutes to list the top 10 things you are most proud of accomplishing. As you identify the experiences, note:
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 Coaching Biz Growth Lab - for coaches and other virtual entrepreneurs (416)996-8326 Stay Connected Welcome to the first of a series of weekly Wednesday planning hacks. In the spirit of all things planning, doing and tracking, I’m pleased to offer this new weekly series here at the PlanDoTrack blog. Similar to other weekly series I host at my sister blog, Teams365 blog (found at Potentials Realized.com), my hope is that these weekly posts will not only serve as a quick focus area for you, and over time will add up to be a valuable resource. I'll also be doing a live video on each of the tips every week, sharing it over at the PlanDoTrack Facebook page. Let’s get started with the Pomodoro Technique, the focus of weekly planning hack #1. Have you heard about the Pomodoro Technique (often associated with the icon of the Tomato)? As I wrote last January 2018 at the Teams365 blog, the Pomodoro Technique is an invaluable tool in creating focus in today’s digitally distracted world. Here’s what I wrote in Teams365 #1470 on Minimizing Distractions – “Creating "focused work" periods. Whether it's 30 or 60 minutes a day, focused times, which have no immediate distraction allow us to get things done. Many studies find that our immediate productivity can be boosted by giving projects time windows and time frames. The Pomodoro technique is one example of accelerating productivity. It posits that focused activity for 25 minutes can be followed by a 5-minute break. Read more about the Pomodoro Technique from its' creator here.” How might more focused bursts of attention support you and your projects right now? What would it be like to experiment with more focused bursts of time where the rings and bings of everyday digital life are silenced?" Let us know if you get the chance to experiment with this! 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 With another winter storm day here, many workplaces are giving people the option to work from home. In today's global space a snow day rarely means a day off - it just means we need to get things done from where we are. In some ways this can be more stressful for some, than trying to get into the office. If you do have an unplanned remote work day, take advantage of what may be an even more productive day for you, without the stress of a bad commute! #1 - Make sure you have a dedicated workspace. The distractions when working remote may be different than that at the office. While you might not be getting pulled into meetings like you do, the distractions are real. From being surrounded by a household list of things that could get done, to maybe having kids home from school as well. Find a space where you can work efficiently. Close to a power source, with good lighting and space for you to work. An added bonus is having a door you can close if there are #2 - Set a timer and take breaks. While you may not have the usual interruptions. Itcan be important to take scheduled breaks like you would at the office. Set the timer so you can get into your work. Some productivity experts recommend working in 50 minute blocks, others assert 1.5 hour blocks are even better. You get to decide, but make sure you can get some focused work in, and take breaks regularly. #3 - Stay in touch - As you would normally, stay in touch with colleagues as appropriate #4 - Create agreements around what remote work expectations are. This may involve times for work, remote connection to the office, security around data and connection,and what expectations are in terms of staying in touch. #5 - Use the time to get heavier tasks done. Consider what projects you have not been able to tackle due to interruptions and schedule these in. This might be the day when you finally can check things off your list! #6 - Consider what will help you be even more efficient next time! Days like these can be a blessing, illustrating how much actually gets done in the remote space without as many (meeting) interruptions. What do you need to be even more productive next remote work day. As we say here, winter's not over yet! Let us know what your favorite tips are for working remote, by sharing in the comments. Enjoy 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 Week 6 Focus – Enablers: Resourcing, Partnerships, Mindsets, Strengths Focus Question: What are the things that are going to help you as a business owner/coach/virtual employee? Description The term « enabling » is defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary as “making something possible or easier”. What, and who, is going to help make your vision and your key goals possible?Being able to lean into different areas is key for our business, especially when things get busy, or we are tasked with a big project, or one that stretches us.At these times it is important to lean into areas that will help us – or the enablers. That can include:
Activity Using the following worksheet - Identify the Resources, Partnerships, Mindsets and Strengths, and past experiences, that are going to move you forward with a current project. Connection to the Workbook and Planner Many of the resources in the Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack workbooks help readers identify and focus on these areas, in particular: Additional resources that will support you in this area include:
Download a one-page copy of this week's 52 Weeks of Planning, Doing and Tracking here. Check out past weeks of the 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 Coaching Biz Growth Lab - for coaches and other virtual entrepreneurs (416)996-8326 Stay Connected Week 4 Focus – VALUES – What’s important to you? Focus Question: What are the values that anchor your business? Description Like a compass, values provide an important anchor for us. They influence our decisions, ways we work, and how we connect with others. What are the values which influence your work? Research/Story Working with Values as a Coach is a foundational part of what we do.There are many different ways to work with values as a coach including:
Activity Values Checklist Use the downloadable values checklist (found below) to highlight different values you hold. Once you have identified your top 5, give them a tagline or 3-4 adjectives each. For example: If one of my values is high touch, that also means – small group size, integrating 1-1 calls with group calls, and taking time to really connect. Connection to the Workbook and Planner Given that values are such a core part of our work, you are invited to review these several times throughout the workbook. As part of the Iceberg you are invited to identify your top 10 values for you and your business. Write these out on page 24 (CBB) or page 25 (PDT). You may want to read through this entire section from pages 23 – 29. There is also space on page 38 under “Be True to Who you Are” - The Micro-Vision on page 38 (CBB) or page 42 (PDT). You are invited to return to this in the Ecosystem in Section 4, noting your top 5 values as part of your anchoring system, grounding you (page 104 – CBB; page 108 – PDT). Note your top 5 values there as well. Download a one-pager to create you own annual analog resource. Enjoy! Jennifer PS - Share your vision and how you engage with these activities on social media. Use the hashtag #dscam2019 (It stands for Daily Steps + Consistent Action = Momentum) 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 Coaching Biz Growth Lab - for coaches and other virtual entrepreneurs (416)996-8326 Stay Connected As virtual and remote professionals, we often work interpedently and autonomously, with colleagues miles away and/or many time zones away. Having the motivation to do great work can be critical for success. Also key to remote work, is generating the momentum it can take when we are often a “one stop shop”, given that we are often responsible for many different facets of our work. We may be the face to customers, as well as a designer and book-keeper, all in the same week. Creating an annual theme and/or intention can help us lean into what’s important in our work. It can also be something we return to again, and again, throughout the year. I thought it would be interesting to have you experience a little bit of what I do in the PlanDoTrack Virtual Retreat which is take people through a series of reflective prompts and exercises. I've created a short 2 minute video which you can view below. Carve out a few minutes to view this video, noting the photos which resonate most with you, and how you want them to connect with your focus this year. After you have watched the video, take a few minutes to note what photos or images connected most. What theme can that point to you to for 2019? Having a theme for the year can create a powerful framework for Virtual and Remote Professionals. Just like a vision, they help us through the ebbs and flows of work. A quick reminder of some other content you may be interested in: 1. A few days ago I started to share the weekly 2019 series - 52 Weeks of Planning, Doing and Tracking. It's a compendium, or supplement, of the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner. For those that have a copy of either the PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner or the Coaching Business Builder, you may be interested in taking some weekly action around your planning, reflection and tracking. Each week I will be focusing on a different theme related to the book. They are geared to give you a chance to pause, reflect and apply. Posts will come out early Friday morning, giving you time during your week's wind-down to reflect and work through the related activities that day, over the weekend or early in the new week. The first one - Week 1 of the 52 Week Compendium - came our a few days ago on Friday January 4th. You can catch it here. 2. Do check out the 19 for 2019 Productivity Tips which have been posted over at the Teams365 blog. I’ll be sharing more as we continue to move though January. View the past Teams365 Productivity Tips here . Looking forward to continuing the conversation with you this year! Please pass on these links to others who are interested. Thank you! Warm wishes, Jennifer Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder Now Available – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner – Pick up a copy today on Amazon Join us for a year-end virtual planning retreat! Is 2019 your year to move things forward through group learning and accountability? Join me for one of our annual groups - The Teams365 Leadership Lab (focusing on team leadership, virtual teams) The Learning Lab and Design Studio (focusing on program design) or the Coaching Biz Growth Lab (focusing on business development) Happy New Year! Thanks for joining me at the PlanDoTrack blog. This blog is geared for professionals of all kinds - leaders, entrepreneurs and team members. We focus on all things related to personal productivity, teamwork, leadership, impact and efficiency! Where do you really spend your time? What impact are you getting from your efforts? What’s your vision? These are some of the big picture questions I’ve been asking as part of the 19 for 2019 Productivity Tips. For the last month over at the Teams365 Blog, I’ve been including twice a week productivity tips over the last month, to gear us up for 2019. I thought it would be useful direct you to them, in case you have missed them. Be sure to check out the first six in the series: 1. Have a clear vision (December 4) 2. Where are you getting your results (December 5) 3. Consider your 80/20 (December 11) 4. Be ruthless with your time – it’s a non-renewable resource (December 12) 5. Know where your time goes (December 17) 6. Chunk it! (December 18) Best, Jennifer Jennifer Britton – Potentials Realized
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder Now Available – PlanDoTrack Workbook and Planner – Pick up a copy today on Amazon Join us for a new year virtual planning retreat on Tuesday January 8th from 1-5 pm Eastern (on zoom) Is 2019 your year to move things forward through group learning and accountability? Join me for one of our annual groups - The Teams365 Leadership Lab (focusing on team leadership, virtual teams) The Learning Lab and Design Studio (focusing on program design) or the Coaching Biz Growth Lab (focusing on business development) |
AuthorJennifer 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. Pick Up a CopyUpcoming Programs
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