Have you ever woken in the morning, popped out of bed and said, “I can’t wait to manage 300+ people!” Believe it or not, our Perspectives candidate feels this way. (Okay, maybe not every morning, but all around he’s a pretty satisfied guy.)

Why is that? He sees the good in people and believes that integrity is more than just honesty. Check out Doug’s opinions on copper bonding, the CCI holiday elves, and avid dedication to job and family. You don’t want to miss one of Doug’s good stories. Did you hear the one about a business customer who owned a meat packing plant and enjoyed sharing his understanding of old time mafia tactics? (That little story was a dicey one, to say the least!)

Explain what you do for a living in 20 words or fewer.
I oversee a group of ~300 dedicated employees responsible for installation, repair, dispatch, and provisioning.

What is the favorite part of your job?
The fun and teamwork involved with developing and implementing programs that improve operations.

When do you feel the most frustrated professionally?
Probably when encountering situations where it is apparent we are wasting time and/or resources and solutions can’t be executed quickly.

Fiber or Copper for the future?
Both. Contrary to popular opinion, copper is not dead and maxed out. The bandwidth delivery of copper has grown exponentially over the past 10 years. The technology of bonding has enabled copper to answer many bandwidth- hungry applications (e.g., MetroE, IPTV with HD service, etc.). Fiber will continue to make up an increasing portion of the network. It does future proof the network as well as simplifies and reduces long-term costs.

What is the quality you like most in a colleague?
Integrity. To me integrity means more than just honesty. Having high integrity also means caring about doing good work without regard to getting the credit (or the blame) for your actions.

What treat do you keep hidden in your office/desk/truck that helps you through an OSP day?
My coffee thermos containing strong German coffee made by my wife.

Where would you vacation if money were no object?
Hawaii, particularly in January when it is extra cold and windy in the flatlands of Illinois.

What is the trait you deplore most in yourself?
Procrastination.

What is the trait you deplore most in others?
Apathy about achieving company goals.

If you had only ONE OSP tool, what would it be?
For me as a manager, reporting tools that help us manage the workload effectively are essential, thus enabling our customer facing employees to be successful in their jobs.

Where and why do you read OSP^® magazine?
I typically review it over the lunch hour. I read it to help me be informed.

When do you feel the most satisfied professionally?
When I see results that show our business strategies are working.

What is the quality you admire most in a colleague?
Dedication, both to their work and their family.

What’s your favorite quote?
“Look for the good in people.”

Tell us the most extraordinary/unusual experience you’ve had out in the field.
Hearing stories from a business customer in the meat processing business, who talked about how in the old days the mafia liked to use meat processing plants for making people disappear.

Tell us the funniest customer experience you’ve experienced, or seen, in the field.
This story came to mind during the holidays. Last year, we received a letter from a 9-year-old boy who lives in rural Texas. The ONLY thing he wanted for Christmas was DSL so he could play Xbox online with his friends. We sent him back a letter from Santa saying we were working hard on expanding availability and it would be available shortly. The team of “CCI Elves” working on it were extra motivated and broadband was activated in his neighborhood successfully.

Tell us how you got into telecommunications. By chance or plan?
It was by chance. I was exploring options and decided to interview for a job as a Communications Consultant for Mid-Continent Telephone Company. Mid-Continent later merged with Allied Telephone and became ALLTEL. The position of Communications Consultant was responsible for Sales and Account Management of business customers. The interview process involved a role play where the job applicant reviewed a complex business case and orally presented a recommendation to the business owners. The interviewers purposely played good cop/bad cop roles. It surprised me when I was offered the job since the “bad cop” was an extremely tough customer and scoffed at my recommendations.

If you could have your perfect job in telecom, what would it be?
I’ve enjoyed all my jobs in telecom, and the one I have now is perfect for me.

Safety Q&A

What’s your biggest safety concern?
Our employees work in dangerous situations. My biggest concern is that there is the potential for accidents that can cause a loss of life.

What is one simple thing Consolidated teams can do to remain safe?
Adhere to sound practices at ALL times. Conducting regular training sessions on safety helps maintain
that focus.

What safety no-no do you see in the field (with other companies, of course) that irks you?
Cutting corners in the field and neglecting to follow proper safety practices (e.g., lack of safety vests, not displaying signage, no hard hats, etc.).

Why did you become so interested in safety?
With the size of our workforce and our broad geographic territory, when we have injuries, it impacts the effectiveness of service we deliver to our customers.

What’s your most important safety-oriented tool?
Although it’s not necessarily thought of as a tool, I think the overall safety training program is the most important aspect. Teaching the proper use of the tools and procedures is not only important for new employees but also keeps safety top-of-mind for our experienced field technicians as well.

What’s the most dangerous situation you’ve been in, and how did you get out of it?
I have the “cushy managers’ job” and stay out of harm’s way for the most part.

Safety = Peace of Mind and a Smart Work Force

Doug Abolt graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Business Administration. Mr. Abolt began his Telecom career in Sales with ALLTEL. He was promoted to be ALLTEL’s first Centrex Product Manager. His last position at ALLTEL was District Sales and Service Manager responsible for Customer Service, Sales, Provisioning, and Marketing.

Doug has been with Consolidated Communications for 15 years, and has held various management positions including VP of Product Development and his current position of VP of Field Operations. Doug and his wife Debby live in Charleston, Illinois, and have two daughters, age 20 and age 16.