Expanding Your Group and Team Coaching Toolkit (25): Execution

This week brings us to the 25th week of the Expanding Your Group and Team Coaching Tookit. This

week's focus is all about EXECUTING, getting things done, and DOING!

One of the core coaching competencies with ICF is designing actions. This goes hand in hand with creating awareness. Doing without being grounded in what's important, our values, our visions, our beliefs, may not get traction. It may not create the momentum needed for results in today's context.

This week's blog post gets you thinking about the different things you can be doing with teams and groups to support execution. This may involve getting the important things done that people put off (individually or collectively) as well as creating an accountability support, either real-time, peer lead or after the fact.

As we approach the end of the year (or even the end of a quarter, or month), clients are often yearning for "closing the open loops" on projects. This is where immediate support on DOING can be of value.

Over the last decade the Virtual Business Planning Retreats I have hosted have always been given huge thumbs up by clients. They have appreciated the time earmarked for them to do both PLANNING and DOING. It was the many years of experience in leading these Virtual Retreats first as the 90 Day Biz Success VRs and then the Inner Biz Leader Virtual Retreats, that ultimately laid the groundwork for my 2018/2019 publications  - PlanDoTrack (for virtual and remote professionals) and Coaching Business Builder.

If you are a group coach, consider how you might incorporate bursts of DOING during your calls or as part of field work. As stated earlier, be sure that this is grounded in people's values and vision. Earmarking even 10 minutes of a regular call can start making inroads for people on things that they are stuck on. In a group context, this might involve:

 providing the group with a series of reflective prompts so they can write out an introductory brochure they have been putting off:

Putting people in breakout to speak through and work through together an introduction they are crafting about their services

OR earmarking 10 minutes of a call for people to take action real time in doing the thing they've been procrastinating on - filing, making a call, drafting a blog post.

What could you add in, in short bursts with your groups to hold more space for getting the important things done?

The power of peer accountability can be significant even in the virtual space This is where participating in longer virtual retreats - 4 hours - focusing on planning and doing can be a great support.  Check out info below about upcoming PlanDoTrack Virtual Retreats to support you in planning for 2020!

I've been seeing how valuable real-time working sessions are for several years now, from the Getting Organized Virtual Retreats I co-hosted a decade ago, to the upcoming PlanDoTrack virtual retreats. This month is also National Novel Writing Month and I've been hosting a series of Friday afternoon writing sprints for fellow writers. Two more are scheduled for November 15 and 22 (130 - 215 pm ET in my zoom room - check out the first two here).

If you are working with teams, execution and getting things done are also important. Some of the most powerful tema coaching work I've done in recent years has involved me being embedded as part of teams, where I join them (in the shadows or as a partner) as they move through high stakes events and programs. The spot coaching and rapid implementation they can undertake is very powerful. 

Teams will always benefit from a clear, shared plan, and one that is visible. How are you ensuring that accountability around their action steps is not only part of your coaching process, but also part of their ways of working back at the office.

In your team coaching work, what can support for EXECUTION and getting the important things done look like?

Note, I'll be hosting several year-end PlanDoTrack virtual retreats throughout November and December for those who are looking for a virtual pause and planning session. The four hours focuses not only on your PLANNING for the new year, but also DOING -Getting into action around an important project which will be the foundation of your work next year, as well as spending some time on TRACKING - looking at your metrics. Check out the CoachingBusinessBuilder.com blog for a recent post on metrics. The 4 hour retreats are a deal at only $129 US. Join me November 14th, 29th or in December. Reserve your spot now.

What do you want to put into practice with your work? Enjoy your week,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development)

Expanding your group and team coaching toolkit (24): Metrics that Matter

My October monthly article for my PlanDoTrack newsletter recently focused on “Metrics that

Matter”. What are the guideposts that are helping the teams you are working with track and understand their metrics?

In launching the PlanDoTrack workbook and planner late last year, and the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner eighteen months ago, a significant focus  in conversations with individuals, groups and teams, has been on tracking, and noting data. As we reflect on data gathered there can be some interesting pictures, and patterns that emerge. Data is data and when we track it on a regular basis, it’s easier to see what the “True picture” is.

Throughout the workbook planners there are many different ways for people to track data on a daily or monthly basis - through the Monthly Daily Trackers, the One Line a Day or in the Monthly Content trackers.

As a coach, some things you might want to track on a regular basis are:

• Sales
• Website visits
• Downloads
• Revenue
• Reads
• Sample Sessions
• Products Developed
• Speaking engagements
• Likes
• Numbers of clients
• Hours Billed
• Net Profit
• Social visits
• # of books sold
• Operating Revenue

What else do you have metrics around? What else might you want to note?

With groups, consider what types of trackers will help them. Could a wheel of life or leadership included at the front end of coaching, be revisited mid-point and/or at the end, to help the team understand what progress they are making?  Would a daily tracker help to capture lessons learned? Would a journal provide the written story for them?


If you have a copy of Coaching Business Builder or PlanDoTrack, check out the Monthly Daily Trackers I’ve included in the Content Planning Section (Section 5). There’s one that will provide you with space for capturing key activities, and one where you can capture key thoughts of the day.

With teams, the starting point for a team coaching engagement may be a team assessment providing them with data they can incorporate throughout their coaching, and work, journey.


At the team level, helping people note where they are at so they can make the small micro-shifts which are needed. Have discussions with the team around what they want to track - collectively and individually.


Questions to consider:

What do you want to track?
What data do you have available?
What do you notice about patterns, changes, etc?
When will you dedicate time to note and review your data?
What story can you make up about the data you have available?
How can this inform your decisions and priorities?

Enjoy your conversations,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development)

Join us for an upcoming ICF CCE approved program - Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) starting Friday November 1st at 1015 am ET (running to December 2nd), Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum ( 10 CCEs) starting Monday November 4th at 3 pm ET or the PlanDoTrack Facilitator Training Program (24 CCES - starts Friday November 15th at 530 pm ET - virtually!)

Expanding your group and team coaching toolkit (23): Momentum

We are a few days away from the start of November, which is often considered the “last mile” of the year, by many. It can be the time to make sure we get things done! Today’s topic is all about momentum. Sometimes getting things done isn’t as much about making huge steps happen, but leveraging the momentum we’ve created.


The tagline for my two recent planner workbooks  - Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack (for Remote Professionals)  - is Daily Steps + Consistent Action =  Momentum™


In effecting change, it is often not about the huge steps we undertake but the smaller, consistent actions we undertake that make such a big impact over time.


I was interested to see if I could track when I first started talking about momentum with my clients.

Here’s what I found from a newsletter article to my 90Days BizSuccess Groups back in the mid-2000s:

Building Momentum Towards Your Goals - Create The Tipping Point 

Momentum = To Move Forward

Momentum is a powerful tool in the achievement of goals. Have you ever noticed how things literally start to snowball and take on a life of their own, once a certain point is reached?

Many times momentum is gained through these very steps you are taking throughout the 90 Day BizSuccess Program. Momentum is most often about the cumulative impact of smaller actions not just one giant step.

What are you noticing about momentum you have gained in the throughout this program? What's getting easier? What's becoming effortless? What can you leverage to get more momentum?

What's the one area you want to ensure the momentum sustains itself within?

(Originally published as part of the 90 Days BizSuccess program support emails)

When working with groups such as business owners,  it can be useful to explore the topic of momentum on the individual lens to help people with planning, or reflecting on what steps they are taking consistently to create some movement.


When working with teams, helping teams understand their collective momentum, is important. What are the things helping the team overall – this may include alignment, focus, clarity etc. Have the team identify what the things are that are helping the team get some traction and momentum.


Just like a snowball rolling down a hill, momentum can eventually take on alife of its own. It can be invaluable to focus in on what is creating action and some “life of it’s own”.





Creating momentum is also an important part of the coaching process.

Consider incorporating some of these questions to your upcoming conversations:

What does momentum mean for you?

What specific actions are you taking on a regular basis, consistently to create momentum?

Where are things “Taking on a life of their own”?

What’s helping with momentum (clarity, goals, alignment etc)?

What is a quick win for you?

What is going to help you be successful?

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development)

Join us for an upcoming ICF CCE approved program - Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) starting Friday November 1st at 1015 am ET (running to December 2nd), Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum ( 10 CCEs) starting Monday November 4th at 3 pm ET or the Virtual Facilitation Essentials program (8.5 CCES) starting Monday November 4th at 1:30 pm ET.

Building Your Group and Team Coaching Toolkit - Strategic Issues (20)

Many teams and group members will want to build in a focus around strategic issues into their

coaching process. Strategic issues are important as they usually take us to the 30,000 foot view, or macro view of our work, context and landscape.

While strategic years ago meant 10 – 20 years, in today’s super-charged world of work, strategic now may mean 3-5 years down the road.

There are a variety of excellent strategic planning tools we may incorporate into our work as coaches, as we help individual group members and teams identify what is important to them. 

Three tools you may want to explore are the:

SWOT – one of the more traditional strategic planning tools which explore strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

PESTE – an environmental scan which explores the political, economic, social, technological and environmental layers

Strategic Issues Mapping

I often will incorporate one or more of these into a team coaching conversation, or as pre-work for a group coaching conversation. The insights gleaned around our context (the SWOT and PESTE), or what we see in our landscape (Strategic Issues Mapping) can be a great spark for a conversation.

For a description of what Strategic Issues Mapping is all about, take a look at my 2014 Teams365 blog post here: https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams-365-85-strategic-planning-tool-2-strategic-issues-mapping

 

You can read more about the SWOT here: https://www.potentialsrealized.com/teams-365-blog/teams-365-84-strategic-planning-tool-swot

As previously mentioned, I will often have teams or group members create their own SWOT prior to a coaching conversation. You could also get group members to work in breakouts (Virtual or in-person) to explore one or more of the SWOT categories, presenting it back and then sparking a deeper conversation with the team.

Six questions you might explore as you coach around strategic issues:

1.       What are the strengths and weaknesses?

2.       Looking to our external environment, what threats and opportunities exist?

3.       As we move to the 30,000 view, what’s important to notice?

4.       Keeping in mind our strategic priorities, what do we need to say YES to? What do we need to say NO to?

5.       3-5 years from now, how will we know we have been successful? (Ask this on an individual level if group coaching, or team level if team coaching)

6.       If _____ ($/resources/ etc) were not a priority, what would we do?

Enjoy your conversations,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, CPCC, PCC – Potentials Realized 
Leadership | Teamwork | Business Success
Author of Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013)
Follow along with the #90DaysPlanDoTrack series over at Instagram @CoachingBizBuilder 
Join the conversation at the Conversation Sparker Zone - our online community where you can explore virtual and team issues, coaching, productivity and business development)

Join us for an upcoming ICF CCE approved program - Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs, starts Monday October 21 at 9 am ET), Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum ( 10 CCEs starts Monday October 28 at 3 pm ET) or the PlanDoTrack Certified Facilitator Program (24 CCEs) starting November 15th.