How are you doing with discernment. Are you finding yourself getting pulled into areas you are not quite sure how you got there?

The Merriam-Webster defines it as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure”.

Today’s work context can be a bright landscape of lots of different options, and priorities. Discernment helps us ascertain what is truly important.
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When we don’t discern what’s important – now, or in the bigger picture – we can find ourselves falling into the trap of the Shiny Red Object Syndrome (which I recently heard abbreviated as SROS). The shiny red object syndrome is like today’s social herding – lots of noise and light draws a big crowd. While it may appear “just the thing” to do or follow, below the surface it may not meet your needs.

Our time and attention are limited which makes DISCERNMENT a critical skill to support focus, especially in a digital and remote context.

In order to build your muscle in the area of discernment, consider these questions:

1. What’s really important?
2. What are the top 3 priorities- for you? For the organization you work for/lead? For others?
3. What has been imprinted by URGENCY? (Note: Urgent does not always mean important. Someone else’s crisis may not be your own.)
4. In the bigger picture, what’s important to pay attention to OR put a focus around?
5. If you were to look back at this item/task/priority in six months, what would you say was the value of it?

I hope that these questions will get you thinking about what’s truly important for you, and your work, and organization.

For more on this topic:

• Check out this article by Patti DeDominic about the Importance of Discernment for Business Leaders and CEOs here.
• Check out this post about Discernment and the Entrepreneur, particularly as they focus on collaboration here.

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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!

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 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

Are you a remote professional? Join us at the Remote Pathways podcast as we explore the people, places and pathways to remote work. It's a new podcast I co-host with Michelle Mullins.

We are now at week 51 of the Weekly Planning Hacks which brings us to modelling it. Part of productivity success today is about getting things into action, not just planning. There’s an old saying “Fake it ‘til you make it”. While we don’t want to pretend, getting into action helps us develop the habits needed for success. Until things are installed as a habit, it’s unlikely that they will feel good or natural. Think about the habit of waking early to focus on an important project OR going walking every evening after dinner rain or shine.

Modelling things for yourself and others helps to move the needle. Earlier in this series, I wrote about creating 15-minute timed blocks for tasks you were putting off. Whether it’s writing, cleaning or getting paperwork done, simply setting the timer, and getting it into practice helps. Often “what we are thinking about” is greater than getting it done.

My hope is that in the last year of these posts, you have tried them on and are able to now start modeling it for others.

What do you notice? What can you model and set the bar around with others?

Best wishes,
Jennifer

This week’s Weekly Planning Hack gets to you think about how you can make things more visual. Visuals are processed by the brain faster. What’s important about this?
Visuals can help to:

• Communicate messages faster
• Keep it memorable
• Synthesize many ideas in one image                              
• Visuals can take a number of forms – from illustrations, to icons, to photographs

What are the things you want to keep top of mind this week? How might visuals support you in this?

Consider these ideas:

• Illustration
• ICONS for feedback
• Photographs
• Conversation Sparker

​Enjoy being creative!
​Jennifer

This week’s Planning Hack is about thinking about making something virtual, rather than in-person. As I share in my 2017 book – Effective Virtual Conversations – there are a number of benefits to virtual work including:

• Less time and cost around commuting and travel
• Fewer disruptions in the work space
• More autonomy for staff
• Reduced carbon footprint

For several years now I have included a weekly post around virtual work and conversations over at the Teams365 blog - Read the weekly Effective Virtual Conversations Tips which are published each Monday here.

If you like podcasts I am also the co-host of the Remote Pathways Podcast which focuses on exploring the different ways people work in the remote space - from project managers, to team leaders, entrepreneurs, to sales professionals, remote work is continuing to expand. Take  a listen in and consider subscribing to receive the bi-weekly episodes.

A bulk of the work we do at Potentials Realized is remote, with specialized services for remote workers and teams.
What could be the benefits for you around making something virtual, instead of in person?

Wishing you the best,
​Jennifer

As a Fitbit embracer (no paid commercial endorsement here – just my own love of how it’s made me more aware of my lifestyle choices), I’ve become fascinated by the new sleep score provided to me every day when I wake up.

An increasing number of studies are pointing to the importance of sleep as part of our regular routine.

As someone who embraces and requires, early morning time at my desk (I’m usually there by 5 or 5:30 am), I do know that it’s a trade-off-and that my body really does need as close to 7 hours as it can get in order to not only function, but thrive.

Linked to memory, health, immunity, sleep is a key part of high performance. Studies now also show that we can get too much sleep.

What are you doing to incorporate more quality sleep into your regular routine?

Best,
Jennifer

Years ago, I taught business studies part time. Teaching Business Fundamentals was one of my courses. I loved introducing new business students and entrepreneurs to the world of different business models and approaches.

JIT - stands for Just in Time. Historically, companies like Canadian Tire were well known for having a merchandising strategy where everything they did was right at the “right moment”, just when things were needed.

Computerization has really helped with JIT approaches to all kinds of businesses, large and small. When stock is low, an order can go in, rather than keeping a lot of money tied up with excess merchandise or having to pay for more space to house it.

What are the things that you could be creating or making available in your world?

Best,
Jennifer

This week’s Weekly Planning Hack is all about undertaking ongoing learning. The world is not stopping for anyone. Each one of us, regardless of how well educated or credentialed we are (and I say this as someone who has multiple degrees and credentials), can benefit from ongoing learning. Whether it’s picking up a new skill set or getting skills into practice, ongoing learning helps with productivity, AS LONG AS it’s not just learning for learning’s sake but “learning for application sake”.
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I hope that this week you’ll take a few minutes (15 minutes tops!) to think about these questions:

• What learning have you been undertaking?
• How is that ongoing learning helping you?
• As you look ahead at your work, what new learning do you want to undertake?
• How can you learn (think courses, mentors, online learning etc.)?

What else is important to note about learning?

All the best,
​Jennifer

This week’s Weekly Planning Hack gets you to think about swapping the word AND for BUT. Relationships are critical in today’s business context, particularly the remote space where we need to get things done via others who we may never have met. Language use becomes very important in terms of building connection and trust.

A lot of us use the word BUT when we are presenting information. You did a great job, BUT next time, can you do x.

When we use the word BUT it tends to totally negate whatever was said in front of it. So, in this example, all the person hears is “can you do x”. The praise or acknowledgement provided at the start of the sentence was not heard or captured.
With this in mind, think about what you can do to remove BUT from your wording this week. What do you notice?

Resources
For more on this topic check out:

• This Entrepreneur article
• Saying "Yes, and - A principle for improve, business, & life by Mary Elisabeth
• The book, The Achievement Habit by Bernard Roth, also explores this topic.
• Another great resource is Yes, And: How Improvisation Reverses "No, But" Thinking and Improves Creativity and Collaboration--Lessons from The Second City, by Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton.

​Best wishes,
​Jennifer