Untitled Document

Special Edition
February 2003

Verizon Selects Training Company& Location for
Team Building!

The Learning E.D.G.E.
Chosen For its Experience, to Build a Stronger Verizon Sales Team.

A real world, practical applications approach to the new world of business management, The E.D.G.E. specializes in customized sales, marketing and customer service programs that enhance or change current performance to meet newly defined skill requirements.

The Learning E.D.G.E. Incorporated is a Texas based developmental resource team available for those companies who have looked at the skill and knowledge base of their current sales, retail merchandising, project or marketing teams and don't find the needed level of competency to meet the challenges of today's changing business environment.

The Learning E.D.G.E. and their consulting resources have worked in several industries that include: consumer package goods, telecommunications, computer hard and soft ware, building, funeral, financial, chemical, pharmaceutical and travel, to name a few, and have helped build more solid and productive business teams in each.

The Learning E.D.G.E. has worked for companies like: Bayer Corporation, Nokia, Sabre, Bristol-Myers Squibb, American Airlines, U.S. Brick, Dell Computer, Gadzooks, Lennox, Genuity, QualComm, Citigroup, Dobson Electric, Service Corp International, Dial Corp, Gillette, Johnson Wax, Kraft General Foods, M & M Mars, PaperMate, Rayovac, Capital One, Pfizer, Zales and Reynolds Metals.

We are excited to have them all on board and working with us to help make a difference!

Texas Lil's Dude Ranch is the premier location in DFW. Texas Lil's has a 38,000 air conditioned square feet indoors and over 360 acres of grounds. The Ranch has horseback riding, a mini golf course and the largest metal slide in Tarrant County. The ranch can host parties of between 25 to 5,000 people.

Verizon Team Building Event Wraps Up An Awards Celebration Week

The Verizon Team came together for a team building session at Texas Lils in Justin to finalize their Awards Week for Top Employees around the country. They wanted their team to bond and increase their knowledge and appreciation for each other. They wanted the team to face some activities together that would challenge them to become more cohesive and productive and deliver life applications to the team that could be applied on the job. The Verizon team also wanted to have some fun while addressing some very specific learning objectives that included:

Increase our knowledge and appreciation of each of our team members and look at them as valuable resources.

Understand and use the power of the Verizon Team.

Get more connected to one another to build a more flexible, cohesive & productive team.

Communicate & Listen more effectively as a Verizon team.

Encourage each other to “Kick But”

With these goals in mind Shauna Nelson talked with Joe Hudson, president of The Learning E.D.G.E., to design a comprehensive learning and fun experience for the awards finale. The workshop was held at Texas Lils in Justin and focused on the learning objectives listed above. Information and activities worked to get the team members to know one another better, understand the power of each individual while bonding together for a stronger Verizon Team.

The activities that were accomplished at the workshop included tearing down the barriers of inhibition with Pistol, Person and Tiger. The attributes of an effective team Captain that were defined for the team as critical included: Commitment, Loyalty, Trust, Modeling and Balance. The key attributes that needed to be displayed by each team member on every activity were: Trustworthy, Positive Attitude, Loyal, Dependable and Role Player. Each captain and team member worked to exhibit these attributes in each activity during the course of the afternoon. The adventure learning challenges included: The Lariat Pass, Relay Roping, Outlaw Escape-The Bridge and Barrel Racing.

The team was divided in four teams making up the Spurs, Wranglers, Long-Necks and Big House teams. The teams set out to conquer the Olympic challenges and turned in some incredible times setting one new Olympic Record. The times recorded by event were:

Barrel Racing: (Captain Cindy Bell), lead the Wranglers to a first place finish in a time of 18:25. Second Place was the Spurs with Captain Jerry Ryland and a time of 20:00 flat for 9 teams.

Relay Roping: Time for the Spurs (Captain Jeff Rice at the helm) was minus :30. Second Place was the Wranglers Lead by Captain Becky McBee in a time of 2:00 Flat.

Outlaw Escape-The Bridge-: (Captain Shauna Nelson at point) lead the Wranglers to a first place finish in a the time of 13:00, and second place went to the Long-Necks with Julie Harris Leading the way in a time of 14:00.

Lariat Pass: was done and a new Olympic Record now stands with (Captain Joe Vojtkofsky) who lead the charge for the Long-Necks with 676 passes and coming in a close second was the ERS Wranglers lead by Scott Perrine with 585 passes.

Medals were awarded to each first and second place team captain: Special Olympic designed T-Shirts were also presented to top team players, and they were: From the Spurs-Janell Moran & Derrick Kidd, The Big House-Edwin Febo & Robin Brown, The Long Necks-Matt Feighner & Jim Snyders, The Wranglers– Scott Perrine & and Jimmy Nguyen. Special Thanks to Shauna Nelson for their time and effort in handling all the meeting details!!

Verizon Event Can Spell Further Team Success
Key points made at the workshop included:

The three components needed for effective teams are: The Captain, the Team Members and The Challenge.

True captains are not those who strive to be first but those who are first to strive to give their all for the team. By the strength of the Captain’s commitment, the power of the team is unleashed.

Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress and working together is success.

Discussing that a team is a group of individuals doing extra ordinary things together to reach a common goal.

Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical and expecting more than others think is possible.

A team leader acts in ways which serve to elevate those around him or her. The true leader develops a servant’s heart.

A team leader knows what the resources are on the team and uses them to maximum effectiveness to achieve the team goals as well as the personal and professional goals of the team members.

Words of encouragement fan the spark of genius into the flame of achievement.

It takes 30 encouraging words or sentences to negate one discouraging word said in haste or anger. Let you brain engage before your jaw jacks.

Each team member is a resource no matter what the package. We are all given different skills, abilities and talents and have had different experiences. We come in a package that must be unwrapped and the contents used to reach our goals.

Applications for a Better Team Effort at Verizon

Barrel Racing

You have to trust your team members to do their jobs. You get better when you share your experiences with other team members. Encourage creative ideas. Get into the power of mind share.

Match your capabilities with the task to be done. Depend on each other and if one is stronger then another must match to the weaker person.

One + One can = Three. Keep your eye on the task and don’t get distracted by management.

Lariat Pass

See what works and stick with it. Help your teammates out when they get stuck.

Confidence breeds ability and anything can be done if you set your collective minds to it.

Even the perfect plan will leave room for improvement. Stay calm, see the problem through!

Outlaw Escape-The Bridge

If it doesn’t work try something else. Resist discouragement. Engineer up front.

Get your stock of materials ready. Define project roles and responsibilities before beginning.

Trust you teammates. Exude positive energy. Ask for help. Gain commitment for the project.

Relay Roping

Pay attention to the details. Clear communication is key to project completion. Work on our positive reinforcement.

Never give up, maintain your determination. Pass the knowledge along to your teammates. Think positively.

Teamwork is using all your resources to meet the project needs. Good planning prevents partial project completion. Don’t be afraid to fail, you can learn from your failures. Have fun at whatever you are doing.

We began to understand the power of the Verizon team.

WE ARE THE VERIZON TEAM & TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING!