The Learning E.D.G.E.: Pfizer Mac Newsletter

Special Edition
May 2004

Pfizer Selects Training Company & Location for DISC Reinforcement Training!

The Learning E.D.G.E.
Chosen For its Experience, To Reinforce DISC With Practical Life Applications Through Adventure Learning Experiences

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 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, restaurant, pharmaceutical and travel, to name a few, and have helped build more solid and productive business teams in each.

The E.D.G.E. has worked for companies like: Bayer Corporation, Nokia, Sabre, Bristol-Myers Squibb, American Airlines, U.S. Brick, Dell Computer, Mead Johnson Nutritional, 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, Deloitte Consulting, Melting Pot Restaurant, Zales, KFC and Reynolds Metals to name a few.

Working with Mike Ferrer at Pfizer, The Learning E.D.G.E. custom designed a Pfizer DISC reinforcement workshop for both Pfizer District and LAT teams.

Texas Lils Dude Ranch was chosen for the workshop and is the premier location in DFW. Texas Lils Ranch has over 38,000 air-conditioned square feet indoor 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 workshops and parties of between 25 to 5,000 people.

Pfizer DISC Reinforcement Workshop Is Used To Bring
Practical Application To Previous DISC Training

The Pfizer Team came together for a DISC reinforcement session at Texas Lils Dude ranch in Justin to bring more real world practical applications to the previously taught DISC fundamentals. Ed McDaries wanted his team to increase their knowledge and appreciation for each other as valuable resources while practically apply the DISC training against custom designed communication challenges created by The Learning E.D.G.E. Mac wanted the team to experience a reinforcement workshop that would challenge his team to become more cohesive and productive and deliver life applications that could be applied on the job and in their district. The Pfizer team also wanted to have some fun while addressing some very specific learning objectives that included:

Review and Reinforce the previous DISC learning and work on continuously getting better as a district team. Continuous improvement is a key ingredient to a successful team.
Increase our knowledge and appreciation of each of our team members as resources while getting to know and utilize our DISCpositions.
Develop stronger and more effective communication skills that can be transferred to our respective areas of responsibility and locations. Understand the Power of the Pfizer Team.
Through adventure learning activities learn to utilize the different DISCpositions to maximize district team effectiveness.
Develop a team and individual action plan for becoming a more productive and effective district team and team member.

With these goals in mind Ed McDaries talked with Joe Hudson pulled the Pfizer District Team together on May 27th. 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 Pfizer Team. The adventure learning challenges included to reinforce previously delivered DISC training included: Connecting Shapes, The Bridge and Hollow Square. All these activities were custom designed to reinforce DISC and to allow each participant to improve their abilities to practice each phase of the communication process and better understand their own DISCposition and how to flex out to reach others.

Pfizer DISC Reinforcement Spell Further District Team Success

Key points made at the workshop included:

Reinforcement of DISC basic behavior shapers, personal profiles, DISC model, High self esteem, Overuse, Low self esteem, Goals and fears and Decision making orientation.

Understanding that flexibility is key to living the platinum rule and in adapting to others DISCpositions.That everyone on the team is a leader and must be ready based on skills, abilities or experiences to assume a leadership role any time the team needs that resource. Review and discuss how a leader's words can make a difference. Understand how leaders select their words wisely and know that an individual's response to you is more of a reflection of their DISCposition than a reaction to you personally.

Review and discuss the four stages of effective listening and how that affects our communication with other DISCpositions.

Learn how to use paraphrasing to communicate more effectively with any DISCposition.

Lean that team communication is a joint game between the talker and the listener against the forces of confusion. Unless both make the effort, interpersonal communication is hopeless

Learning and apply the communication process.

Applications For Better Communication At Pfizer And With Our Customers

The Hollow Square

At Pfizer we always need to be thinking outside the box for our district team and our customers.
When you give feedback you need to let team members get both the positive and the negative if we want to get better as a team at accomplishing the goals that will challenge you.
We need to plan together as a district team and not apart if we are to really understand the goals, have the ability to give our input and then be committed to the execution of thatplan.
We need to challenge the rules if they don't make sense and if we have determined a better way of accomplishing the goals we should seek approval and then move ahead. Challenge the rules that don't make sense.
At Pfizer we must use all our resources on the district team and in our company effectively to be better able to accomplish our goals and meet the customers needs.

Connecting Shapes

No matter what DISCposition you are communicating with it is best to lay out the big picture first and then get into the details.
Clarity and detail in your directions is key with any DISCposition you are communicating with.
Feedback is key to effective communication and each Disposition must work to give consistent feedback to both team members and customers to insure that both their needs are truly understood.
Experience is another key to success with different DISCpositions. When you have had success in reaching a certain type of DISCposition you can use that experience base to reach others.
The main ingredient to effective communication with all types of DISCpositions is to improve our listening skills. Remember that there are four phases of listening and we must use all four if we are to really reach out and touch our team members and customers.
We must become more focused on the customer and what they are telling us they need than what we have been programmed to tell them they need. Center your customer conversation and communication on what each DISCposition wants to hear but also listen intently to what they are telling us they need.

The Bridge

Leadership communication (clarification) is essential to team success.
Leaders are the "eyes" of those being led and must be very aware of responsibility and the need to reinforce trust. Get your stock of materials ready before your start and then use all your resources wisely.
As team leaders we must be willing to push the rules for clarity and then push the boundaries of team capabilities to reach beyond the established goal set for our district and our customers.
Total involvement of all team members is key to our district team success. We are only as strong as our weakest link and there can be no weak links if we are to achieve our district goals.
We must work to encourage one another constantly and continue to be positive no matter what the day may bring or what DISCposition we may encounter in our team or with our customers.
Silence can be golden and sometimes needed for the team and us to regroup and collect our thoughts when we are trying to solve a problem in the team or with our customers. Take the time to listen to others and not think about what we are going to say next.
Make sure we poll all our resources and exhaust all our ideas before we begin to accomplish a task with our team or our customers. Discuss best practices in our district team meetings and discuss the success and failure we have had in flexing out to reach different DISCpositions.
Think about what the customer has to offer before we make our offer to them.
We need all types of DISCpositions to have a successful team. Each has its area of strength and we must draw out those strength areas to meet each challenge we are given.

When asked what each team member had gained from the morning reinforcement and activities the following comments were recorded:

Awesome

Needed

Outstanding

Enlightening

Impactful

Revealing

Now I Know How To Use The DISCpositions to Reach Others

Great

Life Changing

New Skills

Applicable To My Job

Needed Knowledge and Needed By Other District Teams but Especially All LAT Teams.