60 Day Accelerator - Coaching Business Builder starts January 1 2020 - Join us!

Over the last 2 years of hosting the Coaching Biz Growth Lab I've seen what an annual focus and

yearly accountability using the Coaching Business Builder content and coaching can do.

The Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner is grounded in the philosophy that Consistent Steps + Daily Action = Momentum.

What would it be like it you were to focus on, and take consistent FOCUSED action, on your business for 60 days straight?

We are going to find out!

Starting January 1, 2020 I'll be leading a group of coaches through the 60 Day Accelerator with the Coaching Business Builder. We wrap up on March 1, 2020.

For 8 weeks we'll be meeting together on Mondays and Fridays to start and end the week focused on your goals.. You'll have access to weekly videos to help you grow and take action as a coach and business around core foundations like your strengths, your message, your branding and offers. You'll get a weekly 15 minute laser coaching call with me, and also access to a weekly template you can use in your work. Peer support and membership in a private Mighty Network Community just for Accelerator members are going to round out the program.

As someone who has offered business group coaching for many years I think you'll find these elements combined support more focused attention on your business.

Day 1 starts January 1st - are you ready to get into momentum around your business?

An early bird rate is on from today until December 23rd of $997 US. Pricing will then increase from December 24 - December 30th to $1497 US. One, two and three installment payment plans are available.

Click on over to learn more about the program and reserve your spot!

Have a colleague who also wants to join? Let me know as you'll both get a 10% discount on your registration. I'll send the invoice directly to colleagues who want to register together.

Can't wait to start the year with you!

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - GroupCoachingEssentials | Potentials Realized
Author of Effective Group Coaching (2010), Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Check out my author page on Amazon for all publications.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com

If you are looking for  coaching skills development through CCE approved programs - I’ll be kicking off the first Group CoachingEssentials CCE approved program on Friday January 10^th at 1015 am ET. This 8.75 CCE program also includes weekly 1-1 time with me (15 min each week). Is 2020 your year to get your groups going or expand the number of groups you are doing? Whether you are new to group coaching or stepping into your next year, there’s always something to learn – I hope you’ll join us. Reserve your spot here.

16th Annual Year-End Group and Team Programs Call - Day 3 Countdown to 2020

As we move into mid-December my guess is that your days and evenings are full with wonderful annual events - perhaps concerts, parties and conversations. Last night I spent the evening enjoying the sweet sounds of singing and music at my son's high school concert. Nothing like enjoying some good holiday music!

One of the traditions I've been hosting since my first year of business has been the Annual Year End Group and Team Programs call, where I take a look back at some of the themes which have shaped our work as practitioners - whether we  have been coaching, training or mentoring.

This year I hosted the 16th annual call. While the calls have gotten shorter (the first few years it was always a one hour call which I would host 2 -3 times in the month of December) and they are now much shorter (this year's clocked in at 20 minutes) and shared via YouTube (years ago they were all phone based)

Regardless of purpose, the core intent remains the same -  connecting to pause and think about where we've been as it relates to group and team programming, and looking ahead to potential ideas which may shape our conversations next year.

I hope that you will take 20 minutes and listen into this year's call - it's embedded here for ease of access:

While it's fresh, I hope you'll take a few minutes to capture your key learning from this year and to also note ideas you want to carry forward.

Enjoy the call,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - GroupCoachingEssentials | Potentials Realized
Author of Effective Group Coaching (2010), Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Check out my author page on Amazon for all publications.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com

If you are looking for support - I’ll be kicking off the first Group CoachingEssentials CCE approved program on Friday January 10^th at 1015 am ET. This 8.75 CCE program also includes weekly 1-1 time with me (15 min each week). Is 2020 your year to get your groups going or expand the number of groups you are doing? Whether you are new to group coaching or stepping into your next year, there’s always something to learn – I hope you’ll join us. You can also bundle it with the Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs) for several months of learning and 18.75 CCEs.

Need support now? Join me for a 6 hour virtual Strategy Day where we can map out what your program is going to look like. You'll leave the day clear on your structure, support elements, and your next steps. If you already have programs but want wider business support, we can also spend the time helping you map out your 2020 marketing strategy, or content plan. It's six hours in an intensive virtual context of doing REAL-TIME work with me. Dates available include December  18, 19, 23, 27, 31. Six hours. Book your date here. https://bookme.name/jenniferbritton/year-end-strategyprogram-design-session-6-hours-virtual

Prefer to explore with others? Join me for one of the very budget friendly PlanDoTrack Virtual Retreats I'll be hosting over the next few weeks. These 4 hour programs are geared to get you visioning, planning, and doing real-time. Cost: $129 US. I'll be hosting them on Friday December 20th (11 - 3pm ET), Monday December 23rd, Monday December 30th or Friday January 3rd). Reserve your spot now. I'll look forward to having you join me!

10 Group Coaching Themes For Your New Year - Day 2 Countdown to 2020

December 15 –10 Themes for Group Coaching


Group coaching provides an intimate conversation space for individuals to come together around

common themes or areas of interest. Coaching conversations in a group context can support:

·       New insights based on what we hear others share and focus on;
·       Expanded awareness of what I am doing, and what’s unique to me;
·       Accountability and getting things done that we say we will;
·       Community and connection with others – so important in today’s remote work space!



The diversity of different types of group coaching conversations is immense. Over the last 15 years of supporting coaches in developing their own group coaching programs, I've seen programming emerge in lots of exciting areas - from coaching leaders, to coaching parents, coaching start-ups, and authors, wellnesss groups, and educators.

While the diversity of the clients we work with will always shape WHAT group coaching looks like and WHAT is sounds like, there are common themes we find ourselves coaching around. 

10 themes group coaches may find themselves coaching around are:

Vision

Values

Mindset

Belief Systems

Assumptions

Perspectives

Strengths

Challenges

Change

Goals



Over to you - Making it Practical and Tactical

What are the focus areas your clients are wanting to explore in a group setting?
What 3-5 themes could frame a series of conversations?

What value would a group conversation have for your clients?

What else would support expanded awareness, and accountability?



I hope that you will use this series of blog posts an opportunity to focus in on what your 2020 programming can look like.  

I'll be back on Tuesday with another post in this year end series - be sure to check out tomorrow's regular Expanding Your Group and Team Coaching Toolkit post.

Warm regards,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton - GroupCoachingEssentials | Potentials Realized
Author of Effective Group Coaching (2010), Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013). Check out my author page on Amazon for all publications.
Email: info@potentialsrealized.com

If you are looking for support - I’ll be kicking off the first Group CoachingEssentials CCE approved program on Friday January 10^th at 1015 am ET. This 8.75 CCE program also includes weekly 1-1 time with me (15 min each week). Is 2020 your year to get your groups going or expand the number of groups you are doing? Whether you are new to group coaching or stepping into your next year, there’s always something to learn – I hope you’ll join us. Reserve your spot here.

Need it now? Join me for a 6 hour virtual Strategy Day where we can map out what your program is going to look like. You'll leave the day clear on your structure, support elements, and your next steps. If you already have programs but want wider business support, we can also spend the time helping you map out your 2020 marketing strategy, or content plan. It's six hours in an intensive virtual context of doing REAL-TIME work with me. Dates available include December 17, 18, 19, 23, 27, 31. Six hours. Book your date here. https://bookme.name/jenniferbritton/year-end-strategyprogram-design-session-6-hours-virtual

10 Questions for your new year/decade vision - Day 1 Countdown to 2020

One of the things I loved at the end of the year as a young girl was listening to the Top 100 countdown on the radio to hear what the top songs were for the year. It was an annual tradition! It always seemed to take so long to hear my

favorites but it was an important part of my teenage years.


This year as we usher out the decade, and also move to start celebrating 10 years since the launch of Effective Group Coaching, that it would be interesting to do a year end countdown. For several (of all ) of the next 18 days – and yes, there’s 18 left, I’m going to be sharing a different Top 10 as it relates to our work as group or team coaches. I hope that you will enjoy them and potentially use them as a resource as you move your work forward.


Day 1 - Create/Revisit your vision

Visions help us through the ups-and-downs of business and life. As coaches much of our work focuses on helping people navigate their own peaks and valleys.

Making sure we do our own work is also key. I’ve been spending quite a bit of time working around vision lately and here are the questions we’ve been looking at in different annual groups I run, and virtual retreats. These 10 questions come from page 99 of PlanDoTrack.


If you haven’t had a chance to create your own vision, I hope you will take a few minutes to do so today:

10 questions to shape your vision (for the next year, decade)

1.           [One year from now] what do you want your business to look like?

2.           [One year from now] what are the major goals you, your team, and your organization or business have achieved?

3.           What impact has your business or work had?

4.           What impact has it had on you?

5.           What impact has it had on others?

6.           What do you know about the successes you've had?

7.           What challenges have you been able to overcome?

8.           Looking back a year from now, what are people saying about you?

9.           What are people saying about your business or your organization and what are people saying about your team?

10.         One year from now, what do you know about your biggest achievements?



If you don’t have a notebook or file dedicated yet to the new year, and new decade, maybe now’s the time to start one! 

With best wishes,
Jennifer 

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Group Coaching Essentials
One more event you may be interested this week - starting soon - 
The 16th annual year-end group programs call - this Fridaytoday from 230 - 3 pm ET. Complimentary - join me in my zoom room 270-302-0415. We'll look at some of this year's trends and future opportunities for 2020 programming around group and team work. Hope you'll come and celebrate!
Join us for a winter 2020 program including:
Virtual Facilitation Essentials (renewing for 8.5 CCEs) - create more engaging and impactful virtual conversations - from coaching, to team development to education and webinars.
Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) - starts again Friday January 10th at 1015 am ET
Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs) - starts Friday January 10th
Mentor Coaching Groups - for ACC/PCC : 10 hours (meets ICF requirements) - starts Friday January 10 at 9 am ET

Now Available - Square Conversation Sparker Journaling Cards - Joining the Family!

Many of you know how passionate I am in terms of bringing in different resources to "Spark" the
conversation with the groups and teams I work with. Sometimes a question is just not enough.

New Square Journaling 

Conversation Sparker Cards -2019

That led to the initial creation of the Conversation Sparker Deck - a 72 post-card sized card deck - which I launched back in 2014. People have loved having a tangible item to hold in their hands as they explore a range of topics. I've used them in so many ways that back in 2016 I pulled together an ebook called the 40 Ways to Work with Visual Cards, which provides facilitated instructions on 40 different ways to work with any card deck. You can pick up a copy of the 40 Ways ebook for immediate download at the Potentials Realized store.

A few years after this I created the Teams365 TEam Sparker Cards which are much smaller and are 52 weeks in total. They are geared for teams to use in pulling a card a week for discussion.

Larger Conversation Sparker Cards - 

launched 2014. Digital also.

Earlier this week my shipment arrived of the newest family member in the Conversation Sparker family - the square Conversation Sparker Journaling Prompts. While you might use these for journaling (which is where they emerged from) I think that coaches, leaders and facilitators will find that the questions are another great doorway into the conversations that need to be had.  They are being offered at an introductory pricing of $25 US plus $10 shipping.

You can also bundle them with several of the other card decks - and get the full monty (all of them) including the 40 Ways Ebook  - for $150 US plus $10 shipping. They may not stay in stock for long!

Pick up a copy of the deck OR the BUNDLE here.

Is digital your preference? You can pick up a copy of the Digital Conversation Sparker Cards, bundled with the Teams365 deck already. Find the digital bundle here.
I'll be adding a digital bundle to the store soon for the new journaling cards. Digital licenses are available for immediate download via the store and images can be used in your workshops, retreats and webinars.

I'll be incorporating the new journaling cards into the 16th Annual Year-end Group and Team Programs call later this week - please drop in to this annual year-end (complimentary call) I host on FRIDAY December 13th from 230 - 3 pm Eastern/New York. We'll meet in my zoom room - 270-302-0415. Hope to see you there! I'll be sharing some of the key themes we've seen in the realm of group and team coaching this year.

Enjoy and please pass on to others who might be looking for a stocking stuffer or addition to their toolkit.

Many of you have been asking - where can I find the video about working with visual cards - the original one I did back in 2015 as a blab will be replaced by a new one 2020 style in one of the early 2020 virtual book club calls. Download the schedule here and join us for these open call - download at :
https://www.effectivevirtualconversations.com/uploads/1/9/9/2/19920499/2020_community_calls_with_jennifer_britton.pdf

Best wishes,
Jennifer

Three things you might be interested in this week -
PlanDoTrack Facilitator Training starts Tuesday at 6 pm Eastern (24 CCEs) - started and being offered 3-4 times in 2020. Stay tuned for dates.
Four hour Year End PlanDoTrack Business Planning Retreat - Friday from 1030- 230 pm ET
The 15th annual year-end group programs call - this Friday from 230 - 3 pm ET. Complimentary - join me in my zoom room 270-302-0415. We'll look at some of this year's trends and future opportunities for 2020 programming around group and team work. Hope you'll come and celebrate!

Join us for a winter 2020 program including:
Virtual Facilitation Essentials (renewing for 8.5 CCEs) - create more engaging and impactful virtual conversations - from coaching, to team development to education and webinars.
Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) - starts again Friday January 10th at 1015 am ET
Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs) - starts Friday January 10th
Mentor Coaching Groups - for ACC/PCC : 10 hours (meets ICF requirements) - starts Friday January 10 at 9 am ET

Expanding your group and team coaching toolkit - Team Effectiveness (27)

Team Effectiveness

This week’s Expanding your group and team coaching toolkit brings us into the topic of Team

Effectiveness. In addition to participating in team coaching, it can also be extremely valuable to help a team understand the elements which make them successful. This landscape has been dominated by many excellent researchers and writers including:

Katzenbach and Smith – Wisdom of Teams

A Theory of Team Coaching – Hackman and Wageman

Patrick Lencioni – The Five Dysfunctions (or Behaviors) of A Team

And I really enjoyed Phil Sandahl’s new book – Teams Unleashed

What are the elements which makes teams excel? I like to refer to these as the Six Factors. They often create the backbone for a team to self-esteem the areas they require further attention and focus around, as well as isolating and identifying what they are great at.

I’ve written quite a bit about this topic already over at the Teams365 blog so let me share this high level overview  from this post: #TEAMS365 #1920: Team Development: Revisiting the Six Factors  

“This month's theme here at the Teams365 blog is Team Springboards. Where do you start the conversation about how the team is doing?

​​One of the frameworks I continue to share with teams is what I call the Six Factors of High Performing Teams. These are six things that teams need in order to excel. The ingredients come from the research of professionals including: Katzenbach and Smith (The Wisdom of Teams), Hackman and Wageman (A Theory of Team Coaching) and others.

As you step into the new month, as a team you’ll take the pulse of where you are on a scale of 1- 10 in each of these six areas:

1. Shared purpose or mission (Your WHY)
What is your purpose? Your mission? Why do you exist? Does everyone hold the same understanding? What does this mean practically for your work? What priorities does your purpose or mission naturally create?

2. Shared behavioral norms
How do you do things? What is acceptable and unacceptable on the team? What behaviors and habits exist? Which ones are supportive of exceptional performance? Which ones aren't?

3. Shared commitment
What are team members committed to? What will you get done, no matter what? Is there anything that needs to be dropped off the list?

4. Shared performance goals
What are key goals for the team this year? What are key individual goals? How do your goals align? Overlap? What does success look like for each member? For the entire team? Does everyone have an understanding of the key goals of others on the team and how they feed into them?

5. Shared team practices
Teams that work together effectively share common practices such as a Monday morning huddle, a Thursday night out or some other regular event. What practices support your relationships?

6. Clear Roles
How do our roles overlap, align and connect? What changes, if any, are needed this year around your roles giving your priorities?
___________________________________________________
If you are interested in learning more or sharing different resources with your team, check out this past Team Leader Café Call I did on the topic of the six factors.

Check out this short video about the six factors.

If you have a copy of my book, Effective Virtual Conversations, check out chapter 11 (Virtual Team Development).”

What might you explore with your next teams or groups?



Enjoy the conversation,

Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized | Group Coaching Essentials

Thrree things you might be interested in this week -
PlanDoTrack Facilitator Training starts Tuesday at 6 pm Eastern (24 CCEs)
Four hour Year End PlanDoTrack Business Planning Retreat - Friday from 1030- 230 pm ET
The 15th annual year-end group programs call - this Friday from 230 - 3 pm ET. Complimentary - join me in my zoom room 270-302-0415. We'll look at some of this year's trends and future opportunities for 2020 programming around group and team work. Hope you'll come and celebrate!

Join us for a winter 2020 program including:
Virtual Facilitation Essentials (renewing for 8.5 CCEs) - create more engaging and impactful virtual conversations - from coaching, to team development to education and webinars.
Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) - starts again Friday January 10th at 1015 am ET
Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum (10 CCEs) - starts Friday January 10th
Mentor Coaching Groups - for ACC/PCC : 10 hours (meets ICF requirements) - starts Friday January 10 at 9 am ET

Questions? Reach out by email and/or give me a call at 416-996-8326

Expanding Your Group and Team Coaching Toolkit - Systems Part 2

Welcome back to another Expanding your Group and Team Coaching Toolkit. This week we're
exploring the topic of SYSTEMS as a part 2.

When we hear the word Systems it can take on several different meanings - from systems that help us scale and create consistency (the focus of my last post), to systems as in the context of being part of an interrelated complex environment.

As a graduate student in the early 1990s, exploring the intersect of community engagement, facilitation and environmental studies, one of the most influential voices of the time was Peter Senge's writing around the Learning Organization, of which systems theory was one part. His book, The Fifth Discipline, was released in 1990, with five different "disciplines" forming the foundation of a learning organization:

Personal Mastery
Mental Models
Building Shared Vision
Team Learning and
Systems thinking
Reference: Peter Senge, Fifth Discipline, 1999

As a leader within the humanitarian sector throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, incorporating these elements became a large part of team success as we worked to support complex, national, regional and global issues. Being based for most of those years throughout Central and South America, and the Caribbean, systems theory was also influenced by many of the Latin American writers and critical educators of the time. For example, Paolo Freire's writing around PRAXIS, and the intersection of Practice and Theory.

Today, as a coach, sharing these resources with teams has become second nature.

Systems thinking challenges us to think in dynamic, not static terms. It encourages us - as team members, group members, and coaches - to think about the interrelationships, and connections, of ourselves as a team, as ourselves as a team in  an organization, and as ourselves as a team in a larger macro-context. Many times it may evoke a need for a paradigm shift, especially if our current mental models do not support the dynamic context we operate within.

As a coach what is your level of awareness around systems? Paradigms you operate within? What are the tools you have available to explore any of the five areas outlined above by Senge?

This is a rich area of exploration and many coaching programs are now incorporating this. I would personally direct you to the work of:

Peter Hawkins, whose Systemic Team Coaching framework is grounded in a systems model. You can learn more about his work, models and practices at this Podcast he recorded as part of the Team Coaching Podcast Zone -  

Center for Right Relationship and their work around Relationship Systems Coaching.  Find out more about their training at CRRGlobal.com

In a group coaching context systems are also present, given that we as individuals are always part of a larger whole. What are you doing to help people explore the systems they are part of?

Questions to consider:
1. What does systems mean to you?
2. What does systems mean to your client?
3. What approaches and questions could help people expand their thinking around systems?
4. What is the paradigm I operate from?
5. How does that help and hinder?
6. As a coach, what's important for me to explore further?

Enjoy your exploration this 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)
Final 2019 programs include the Group Coaching Essentials Monday/Thursday group starting December 2nd meeting on  Mondays and Thursdays 1:30 - 245 pm ET: December 2, 5, 9, 12, 16 (8.75 CCEs) and the PlanDoTrack Facilitator Training - Monday and Tuesdays 6-9 pm ET December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16 and 17 (24 CCEs)
Join us for a Year-end PlanDoTrack Retreat on Friday December 13th from 1030-230 pm ET. Plan - Create your 2020 vision, Do - Take some action on a key task, and TRACK - set your metrics for next year.