Team Building through Shared Learning

By Matt Lowe
August 19, 2013

As school begins in Nashville, I'm reminded of the days when I would anticipate the return to school and friends. I think back to how I have grown through my educational career of over twenty-one years of academic work from kindergarten through the completion of my master's degree. The one thing that stuck with me is that learning should never cease. Even in my professional career, continuing education is a vital aspect of quality job performance. Consequently, continuing education for Equinox is vital for providing industry leading products and services in an ever developing marketplace.

At Equinox, we strive to keep continuing education a priority on the calendar. Each quarter, the Sales Team hosts the Support Team to a lunch and educational seminar called “Brown Bag Luncheon.” While this combination of departments may seem a bit unorthodox, we have a great working relationship and take seriously what each department can learn from the other. Support has a wealth of knowledge and experience in first-hand application of our products and services. Along with their close working relationship with our customers, they can impart quality feedback to our Sales Team regarding how our products fulfill a customer's unique business needs. Likewise, the Sales Team informs the Support Team about key industry news and developments.

Each Brown Bag Luncheon is intentionally scheduled months in advance so that it is given a high priority on the calendars of all those involved. Continuing education is a high priority for me, and I enjoy presenting these seminars to my coworkers. No one is ever too experienced, too knowledgeable, or too smart to stop learning. One of my favorite quotes about education comes from twentieth century American author, Louis L'Amour, “No one can get an education, for of necessity education is a continuing process.”

This quote emphasizes that education isn't a commodity attained as a good that is transferable or complete. Instead, education is a process of development that often includes being exposed to new and sometimes unusual ideas. Through formal and informal venues alike, I have come to appreciate the value and the challenge of continuing my education.

In the past, the Brown Bag Luncheons have included topics on telecom fraud, revenue assurance, and the history of telecom to name a few. Last week's topic centered on Equinox's comprehensive marketing plan. While some might argue that marketing isn't applicable to the company's Support department, I would explain that Equinox is all about cohesion. By opening a dialog with our Support Team about where the company's marketing efforts are headed, I get constructive feedback and suggestions for targeted marketing based on recent customer interaction.

As members of this company, we are all in the same boat. Each of us has a paddle. In order for the boat to reach its destination, we must all work together to paddle in harmony; otherwise we're just splashing water.

Even if your company doesn't require you to attend workshops or seminars about your industry, I challenge you to examine new ways that you can continue your education on life. For example, you might read a book or watch a documentary on a topic that interests you. For further growth, try researching something entirely new. For topics about which you are already knowledgeable, consider a perspective you've not previously considered. Whatever your approach, I encourage you to actively strive toward a goal and continue growing. Perhaps tomorrow, you can use your lunch time to research the next topic you are going to master.

About the Author: Matt Lowe is a Sales Engineer at Equinox Information Systems whose primary task is to evaluate and improve the company's sales processes, materials, and tools. He does so by acquiring and applying market intelligence gathered from the telecommunications industry. His other major responsibility is to coordinate project implementations by working directly with customers. In his spare time, Matt enjoys travelling with his wife and playing basketball with the guys from the office.
To learn more, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.