Do you know how many different definitions there are for the word light? It can mean illuminated, unheavy, simple, luminescence, funny, understanding, or fire. The list of synonyms for this five-letter word is even more interesting. Try adding a few of these little gems to your word-a-day calendar: refulgent, sylphlike, elucidation.

What does light have to do with anything besides how fiber works? Quite a bit. Oftentimes, blazing clarity is exactly what is needed during times of intense competition and change.

That’s what the executive team behind Verizon’s Network Services Group is bringing to more than 700+ second-level and above managers at their 2008 Technology Forum this month.

Claire Beth Nogay, SVP & Chief Network Officer, Verizon Telecom, is eagerly committed to this effort because she knows that consistent and focused communication pays off big when leading an organization.

Nogay has unwaning clarity about what it takes to rally the human network. She knows that a high-functioning team is the best way to meet Verizon’s ambitious upgrade to gigabit passive optical network (G-PON). And she realizes that Verizon’s network evolution is in the hands of those managers who determine how and when things get done in the field.

That’s why Verizon’s Chief Network Officer is bringing her teams together for some much-needed collegial brainstorming, targeted education, and connecting with their management team. Everyone must be on the same page to make FiOS the success it is intended to be. And, yes, every member of the team must move at the speed of light.

The 2008 Technology Forum, held April 10-11, at the Hershey Convention Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, starts bright and early each day and runs well into the evening. The first morning, on Day One, Claire Beth Nogay sets the stage for the conference with her open- ing keynote. Following her is Mark Wegleitner, SVP – Technology. Throughout the day, attendees are immersed in educational seminars, round robin discussion groups, and vendor networking.

On Day Two of the conference, Lee Hicks, VP - Video Network Services, shares his group’s mission to make Verizon’s video in-home network more than stellar. Later that afternoon, the tables turn when attendees are invited to pose candid and unscripted questions to four leaders from the Network Services Group:

          William F. Judge, Vice President, Network Engineering & Planning – North Atlantic  

          Michael P. Daigle, Vice President - Network Planning

          Michelle Dutton, Vice President, Network Engineering & Planning – C2C

          Cynthia Ott, Exec. Director - Video Network Planning & FTTP/Video Engineering Systems and Support

The Incredible Lightness of Being
Motivation is a complex area. It’s different for each person, and each person’s motivational receptiveness changes from day to day, and from situation to situation.

Motivational methods of any sort will not work if people and the organization of which they are a part are not aligned. Get the alignment and values right, and motivational methods work better. People are motivated by something they can relate to and something they can believe in.

That’s why Verizon’s Technology Forum works so well. The Verizon Technology Forum leadership team is driven by Henry Gamsby, Director OSP Engineering. He knows that times have changed and people want more alignment between their own personal needs and the values, aims, and purpose of the organization.

Henry has created the agenda of the Verizon Technology Forum around 10 principles that help build and inspire authentic teamwork: (Source: The Power of Teamwork Inspired by the Blue Angels by Scott Beare and Michael McMillan.)

1. Share Center Point Values
2. Put Team First
3. Build Trust – Walk the Talk
4. Communicate Vertically and Horizontally
5. Cross Train and Rotate
6. Capitalize on Synergy
7. Clarify Procedures
8. Foster Positive Attitudes
9. Prepare to Win
10. Maintain Peak Performance

Henry’s Verizon Technology Forum leadership group includes Mike Donavan, Danielle McCormack, and Chris Parker. Each member of this tight-knit group takes pride in doing things right. They constantly ask the question: how does this activity or moment benefit the attendees? Even in the thick of planning, they have an unobscured view of what’s important in kindling the flame of their team members.

Whether it’s keynote presenters, panelists, or attendees, the Verizon Network Services Group embodies many definitions of light. The 2008 Technology Forum is just one example of how the executive team plans to bring consistent and focused communication to their team members. (And with Verizon’s entire world revolving around FiOS and fiber, we’re pretty sure those 700+ fortunate attendees are more than appreciative to see the brilliance of their management teams’ commitment.)

Questions? Comments? Contact Sharon via her email: sharon@ospmag.com