This week our attention is going to shift to quickly explore 5 key skills in project management. Whether you are creating an e-book, designing a new program or deciding on new systems for your business, as solopreneurs we are regularly managing projects as a team of one. In project management, historically, the foundation has been that for any project there is a triple constraint – time, budget and scope. Like a triangle, it is said that these things are fixed (at least in traditional project management). So if my budget gets reduced, it might take a little longer to do things as we now need to do them in-house OR the scope of the project may change given that we no longer have resources to complete a six month project, so instead we may need to do a three month project. With this in mind the first project management skill I think is important is getting good at identifying project requirements.
Spending additional time making sure we have this first step of project requirements right, helps to make the rest of it flow more smoothly (usually!). It was in this phase of project identification that I first became aware of the adage that “10 minutes of planning can save 2 hours of unfocused effort”. So true! With this is in mind, let’s look at five key project management skills that solopreneurs will want to boost:
What do you see as essential project management skills for solopreneurs? Which ones have you been leaning into as a project team of one? Share with us using the comments below. Jennifer Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author multiple books including the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018), Effective Group Coaching (2010) Potentials Realized Phone: 416-996-8326 Check out the November 2018 CBB Book Club Call entitled "2019 Planning. Already?". You can view it here.
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"The best companies never transform to greatness in one fell swoop. There is no single defining action, no grand program, no one killer innovation, no solitary lucky break, no miracle moment. Sustainable transformations [to greatness] follow a predictable pattern of build-up and breakthrough. Like pushing on a giant heavy flywheel, it takes a lot of effort to get the thing moving at all, but with persistent pushing in a consistent direction over a long period of time, the flywheel builds momentum, eventually hitting a point of breakthrough." (Jim Collins, Good to Great). As you think abut your focus this year, what is the one thing you want to do consistently throughout they year, to start generating the momentum Jim Collins talks about. Perhaps it’s regularly focusing on: Writing – What is the book you have in you that is waiting to get out? Is there a series of articles or blog posts? Photography – Are you looking to share more about what you do, who you are, and the impact your conversations are having through photography? Instagram continues to grow in terms of popularity and video engagement is critical. Building community – Are you looking to host a group this year? Life, paid, or on Facebook? Are you looking to network more and build relationships virtually or in person? What would consistent action in creating community look like for you? Speaking – What could a focus on speaking look like for you this year? What topics would you present on? What would the top 3 bullet points be? Who is your audience? If there was one thing you could do consistently every day this year, what would it be? Schedule it in now, and notice what happens! One thing that I'll be doing this year for all 52 weeks of the year is sharing a weekly focus for your business and professional growth called 52 Weeks of Planning, Doing and Tracking. It's a Compendium to Coaching Business Builder and PlanDoTrack. If you have enjoyed reading the CBB and want a deeper, or more bite-sized dive, this is for you! Check out the kick off of the weekly blog posts here. They will be published on Friday morning over at the PlanDoTrack Blog and will be of interest to readers of both the PDT and Coaching Business Builder. Here at the CBB Blog, our attention this month is going to shift over to annual planning, and project management. Be sure to check out the 1st of two January calls on Creating Your Annual To-Do List at my YouTube channel on the Coaching Business Builder Playlist here. The first call is being held later this morning - January 7th at 11 am ET at my zoom room (270-302-0415). Hope you'll drop in and join us! Best, Jennifer Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author multiple books including the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner (2018), Effective Group Coaching (2010) Potentials Realized Phone: 416-996-8326 Check out the November 2018 CBB Book Club Call entitled "2019 Planning. Already?". You can view it here. Keeping Neuroscience at the Forefront of Good Design - © Jennifer Britton Photo Credit - Britton, 2017 (Excerpt, Effective Virtual Conversations) In Effective Virtual Conversations I share the journeys of two professionals who work in the virtual space – Jane and Jo. In chapter 5, Jane reflects on what it takes to incorporate science into her work with groups in the virtual space. I highlight eight different areas of focus. We want to design with the learner’s entire self in mind, brain included. This month at the Learning Lab Design Studio. I explored eight different neuroscience elements you will want to keep in mind as you go to design your own programming. As you read through today's blog post, consider what elements you want to be focusing on in your work: These include:
Under times of stress our brains may revert to their more reptilian past, and we may go into “Fight” or “flight” mode – looking to fight or wanting to run away respectively. What can you do to create more certainty and safety for your learners and in your design. Mirror Neurons – Just like a mirror, we are influenced by those around us. The notion of mirror neurons indicates that our brain will “fire” in ways that is similar to those we are in dialogue around. With this in mind, what is the environment you want to create for your groups? PEA/NEA – Explored by Richard Boyatzis and his team, the Positive Emotional Attractor Network (PEA) is a series of components of the brain, which support in “opening up” the brain. When we ask questions like “What’s possible?” or “What would you do if you won 50M dollars?” all active this network, and create an open space. Consider what you can be doing to incorporate these questions and/or work around vision in your programming. Micro-moments: Barbara Frederickson writes that change and connection occurs through what she calls “micro-moments”. Consider how you can be building this into your design, or getting your group to become more aware of their significant micro-moments. Positive Interactions – The highly disputed Losada Ratio found that in order to “thrive” we need three positive interactions to one. While the ratio is disputed mathematically, it is valuable to think about the ratio of positive to negative conversational elements. John Gottman found that this ratio is closer to 7 to 1 for teams that thrive. What can you do in your design to boost the habit of providing positive interactions with your group/team members? The Social Brain – The notion of the social brain is multi-fold and includes the notion that we learn through and in connection with others. What are you doing to boost peer connection? Oxytocin – also known as the bonding hormone, this hormone is important for teamwork and group cohesion. Be aware that this is activated through touch and togetherness. What can you do in your design to leverage this “feel good” neurochemical? Latency and Recency Effects – We remember the start and end of things but everything in the middle can get muddied, unless it is memorable. What can you do to create something novel mid way to loc k in learning? Consider visual anchors, polls etc.” End of Excerpt. Copyright 2017-2018, Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved To read more about program design the virtual space pick up a copy of Effective Virtual Conversations. Resources to explore Chapter 5 – Effective Virtual Conversations, for more on these 8 elements Barbara Frederickson – PositivityRatio.com Richard Boyatzis NEA/PEA: The role of the positive emotional attractor in vision and shared vision: toward effective leadership, relationships, and engagement Richard E. Boyatzis,1,* Kylie Rochford,1 and Scott N. Taylor. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439543/ Mirror Neurons: https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/the-athletes-way/201402/do-mirror-neurons-help-create-social-understanding AND https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/brain-myths/201212/mirror-neurons-the-most-hyped-concept-in-neuroscience What are your specific steps to incorporate neuroscience into your work? Enjoy the start to your week, Jennifer .Jennifer Britton
Author of Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Potentials Realized - Supporting Coaches, Businesses, Leaders and Teams Is 2019 your year to take it ahead? Join me for one of our two annual groups - The Learning Lab and Design Studio (focusing on program design) or the Coaching Biz Growth Lab (focusing on coaching business development) Phone: 416-996-8326 One of the topics we explore in the Coaching Business Builder is the topic of program design. As I wrote a few weeks ago, since I became more intentional around noticing where I was spending my time by using my monthly tracker in the Coaching Business Builder, I have been amazed at just how much time I spend every week in program design. Program design is a core focus in the Group Coaching Essentials program I run as well as the Virtual Facilitation Essentials program (link to both programs at the Group Coaching Essentials sites). I go into a little more depth in Coaching Business Builder (pages 71 – 73) but go into a huge amount of detail in my other books (see links below). You can also pick up with the on-demand program – Tips and Tools for your Group or Team Programs which I host over at Teachable. Here are 8 specific steps you can take in designing your next program:
There’s a lot on this list, however, think about chunking it down to focus on each one in a separate sitting. Program design is not a race to the finish, it’s a journey. Great program design is rarely completed in one sitting. It marinates and grows in creative spurts. What are the steps you want to take in moving your program ideas forward? Best wishes, Jennifer Jennifer Britton
Author of Coaching Business Builder (2018), Effective Virtual Conversations (2017), Potentials Realized - Supporting Coaches, Businesses, Leaders and Teams Is 2019 your year to take it ahead? Join me for one of our two annual groups - The Learning Lab and Design Studio (focusing on program design) or the Coaching Biz Growth Lab (focusing on coaching business development) Phone: 416-996-8326 One area coaches may find themselves spending a lot of time around, especially if they work with groups or teams, is the area of program design. Whether it’s designing a webinar, delivering a workshop or facilitating a group coaching program, the elements of program design are all similar. Design is a critical skill set to have, and since I’ve stated tracking this as part of my own work cycle using the monthly tracker in the Coaching Business Builder, I’ve been surprised in noticing how many days of each month has some level of design effort. In the next month here at the blog, I’ll be looking at different layers of the program design process, given that this is one time of the year where many of us are looking to launch a new initiative for the 2019. For those interested in taking a deeper dive into these topics, I go more into it all of my books – refer to: Chapter 5 – Designing Your Group Coaching - in Effective Group Coaching (link on amazon) Chapter 4 – Design Principles and Practices - in From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching. Chapter 5: Creating the Container in Effective Virtual Conversations where I share the PEBBLLES model for considerations for virtual program design You will also want to check out the November 2018 article I wrote for the Coaching Tools Company on Signature Programs. You can read it here. Question to Consider: What are your 2019 program design plans? Use the trackers and monthly planners in the Coaching Business Builder to schedule in time to work on your designs. Best, Jennifer Jennifer Britton
Author of the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner Potentials Realized Phone: 416-996-8326 Check out the November 2018 CBB Book Club Call entitled "2019 Planning. Already?". You can view it here. The funnel is a marketing term which visually helps us consider what we are offering. It's also an important tool to see how we are engaging with our clients/customers in different ways and at different price points. Imagine an inverted funnel in which the top is wide, scaling down to the bottom. If you have a copy of the Coaching Business Builder you can work through your own funnel on page 8. I've also included one here at the blog. Let’s look at it first from the perspective of what you are offering in terms of your products or services. Then we’ll look at it in terms of how you are building relationships. At the top of the funnel we have those items which are free or no fee. This is the widest part of the funnel and it is geared to attract the most amount of people. At this level we might include things like
At the next level of the funnel, you will have low priced offerings. Again, the purpose may be to strengthen relationships and also generate money. These might include:
At the next layer, we have mid priced programming. This is perhaps where your live offerings of retreats or group coaching might reside. Finally, at the top end of the funnel (the smallest part) you may have individual one-on-one coaching, OR Intensive work with you through a Weekend Program OR a VIP Day. As you consider your programming for the next year, what would you put in each of these layers. Which programs could benefit from some attention and/or need to be developed? Over the next month we will be focusing on the topic of Program Development, one of my favorites, here at the Coaching Business Builder blog. I’ll be taking you through some posts which include a step by step look at program design, as well as what’s important to consider from science as you go to develop your own programming. Best wishes, Jennifer Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Author of Coaching Business Builder (2018) as well as Effective Group Coaching (2010) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (2013) Connect on Instagram at CoachingBizBuilder Potentials Realized Phone: 416-996-8326 Don't forget to check out past Coaching Business Builder calls. The November 2018 CBB Book Club Call was entitled "2019 Planning. Already?". View it here. In my last Coaching Business Builder Blog post I talked about how important content creation can be to coaches. In wearing our hat of coach, we are not content experts, yet it's often this content expertise that attracts a client to working with us. For example, a leader may want to work with a coach who understands the complexities of their industry or type of team, or a business owner may want a coach who has an understanding about key trends facing their work. In order to "stand out in the crowd" many coaches may opt to adopt a content marketing strategy, podcasting, blogging and/or writing articles around certain topics. For those coaches who are involved in this, check out the Content Creation Section of the Planner (pages 243 - 272) as well as Section 3 - Marketing Essentials, where you are going to find monthly tracking tools to support you, as well as resources to help you consider repurposing. One of the areas I continue to hear coaches enjoy the most out of the Planning Hacks I facilitate, is the space to get ideas on paper which they can go back later to execute. This is especially true when trying to come up with some ideas around content, and blogging in particular. To give you a head start on your list, I share 9 different ideas on page 80. To expand on this list, here are 24 possible focus areas for possible fall posts around whatever your focus is (i.e. leadership, teamwork, business, relationships, parenting....) 1. What's on your bookshelf? 2. Infograph of key research findings 3. Common questions receive around your topic 4. Behind the scenes of how to... 5. Preparing for ____ 6. Evaluating ______ 7. In the spotlight - Case Study 8. Top 10 List 9. What we were exploring 3 years ago on this topic... 10. Where we are going around____ 11. Other resources (TED Talks, Videos, Articles) around this topic 12 Podcasts to check out 13. Converting past blog posts to video (think Lumen 5 or AdobeSpark) 14. If you... 15. 60 second sound byte around this topic 16. A- Z series 17. Guest Posts 18. Frequently Asked Questions 19. Here's where to go.... 20. Here's how to.... 21. Hands on activity people can do themselves 22. Question Prompts around your topic 23. Theme overview of what's been covered, or what is available 24. What else? I hope that this gets your juices flowing. If you haven't done so, pick up a pen and make your list of possible blog posts around your topic. Set a timer for 5 minutes and write everything down. What content have you created already? You might already have articles in many of these topic areas which could be shortened down for a series of blog posts, OR perhaps you've given presentations on some of these topics. How could they become a blog post? Repurposing content you have already created is often as important a strategy of content creation, as is generating new posts. Keep in mind that blogging is just one strategy in marketing, relationship building and business development. What steps do you want to take in blogging? Best wishes, Jennifer Jennifer Britton Coach and Author of Effective Group Coaching and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching Join us for an upcoming August planning hack - Dates include August 31 (Month End Reflection and September Planning Hack) Interested in more on this topic? Join me for one of the complimentary Virtual Book Club Calls to go inside the book! Next call is scheduled for Thursday September 6th - Business Habits and Mindsets. Download the upcoming book club call list here. Content Creation – An Essential Step in Business Development For the better part of the last fifteen years I have been supporting coaches in developing and scaling their business. A large part of that has involved creating group and team coaching programs, webinars and also on-demand programs. Many coaches also use social media as a vehicle to get the word out about their programs. In doing this it can be useful to have a strategy around what and when you want to post. One of planning sections I include in the Coaching Business Builder is a Content Planning Section. A great starting point to start generating different ideas is to start by thinking about who is your audience and what are the key topics of interest to them. Using a Mindmap, or a series of post-it notes, you can capture your ideas in one place. To get you started, consider these questions about your ideal client: · What are the issues which are critical to their success? · What are the things that keep them up at night? · What are the things that are of interest to them? · What are the difficult vehicles they will use to explore information? If you have a copy of the Coaching Business Builder, you can use page 244 to capture your thoughts with the Content Brainstorm Tool. From there, a next step is to step back and look at:
I hope that you will grab a few minutes this week to capture your ideas on paper, either using the Content Brainstorm page, or your own journal. You don’t need oodles of time – 10 minutes is often enough for generating some great ideas! Enjoy and more to come on content issues. Be sure to check out the 7 different content tools, including 12 sets of monthly content planning pages in the back of the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and Planner! I'm in the process of planning for this new blog - what topics do you want to hear about? Let me know using the comments below. Enjoy! Jennifer Jennifer Britton Coach and Author of Effective Group Coaching and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching Join us for an upcoming August planning hack - Dates include August 13 (Gearing up for fall - 45 minutes), August 20 (Fall Virtual Business Planning Retreat - 10-2:30 pm ET) and August 31 (Month End Reflection and September Planning Hack) |
Upcoming Programs:
Mentor Coaching Group for ACC/PCC -Mondays 1230 - 130 pm ET: June 7 - mid-September - Reserve your spot. ACC and PCC for ICF Credentialing Program Design Hack - 45 minutes - $97 - Sketch Out Your Next Program in this Facilitated Process! - Click here to Register Group Coaching Essentials (8.75 CCEs) - Next group will start Tuesdays on July 6th. Fridays 10 - 1135am ET: June 4, 11, 18, 25 (4 weeks) Virtual Facilitation Essentials (8.5 CCEs) - Join us for an upcoming one day program! Advanced Group and Team Coaching Practicum - starts - Tuesdays July 6th (5 weeks) (10 CCEs): Focused on providing you with virtual practice and feedback around your group coaching skills. Team Coaching Essentials for the Virtual, Remote and Hybrid World. Kicks off Monday June 14th 60 Day CBB Accelerator - Now as an On-demand Program.Bonus! This month's 1BizStepADayAuthorCoach Jennifer Britton has worked with entrepreneurs across a variety of sectors since the late 1990s, even before she was in business herself. From supporting micro-entreprise and eco-tourism businesses to working with service based entrepreneurs and coaches, her PRACTICAL and TACTICAL approach to business coaching is ACTION focused, with emphasis on AWARENESS as well. Jenn is the author of the Coaching Business Builder Workbook and planner, and 3 others books related to group and team coaching and virtual conversations. She also hosts the Coaching BIzGrowth Lab, an open-enrollment group coaching program for coaches. Jenn founded her business - Potentials Realized - in April 2004. Archives
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