Team Orrin Woodward

Orrin Woodward on Training Systems

Orrin Woodward has always been an advocate for teamwork and corporate training systems designed to help the employee or business owner achieve success.  This has been one of the very foundational cornerstones that he built his business on.   Based on my last article I had to post this story from ABCnews.com which I believe highlights the importance of training systems. 

With the ever growing fan base in the United States following NASCAR, corporate leaders are actually sending their employees to what is called “Pit Crew University” to teach their employees how to perform together as a team to achieve winning results.  The owners and leaders of these companies not only understand how important teamwork is, they understand how important a successful training system is to bring out the best in their employees! By sending their employees to this training environment they help foster relationships and skill sets which allow their employees to be successful in their everyday jobs in corporate America.  Orrin Woodward has long held the belief that teamwork is a necessity to win any endeavor no matter how great or small and that training systems are the key to help business owners or employees reach their full potential. 

Apparently, corporate leaders are catching on to these methods espoused by Orrin Woodward and others and the results speak for themselves.  It is not too late to institute these principles and techniques in some of our beleaguered industries in America struggling in the global market!

Corporations Send Employees to Pit Crew U.

ABCNews.com, April 9, 2006 — Even if you're not a racing fan, you can probably appreciate the skills required for a pit crew to return a car from the pit box to the racetrack in mere seconds.

It's teamwork at its best — a synchronized ballet. Four fresh tires, 22 gallons of fuel, a clean windshield, and water for the driver — all in less than 13 seconds. It's more than winning or losing a race that's at stake. Poorly orchestrated pit stops can result in injuries, lost earnings, lost sponsors or lost jobs.

Lost earnings? Lost jobs? Those are the same fears that companies face. Instructors at PIT Instruction & Training in Mooresville, N.C., have taken their expertise to corporate America. They say the key is thinking "inside the box."

"It was just so obvious," said Patrick Bernall, a senior lead instructor at PIT Instruction & Training. "Any kind of manufacturing, a sales position, any kind of job — there's always that correlation there."

Bernall, who pits for NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, says by emphasizing pit-stop basics like safety, teamwork, communication and standardization, almost any business can cut operating costs and improve productivity.

United Airlines, fresh from three years of bankruptcy court protection, was eager to take the pit-crew challenge — sending its ramp supervisors to Pit Crew U., corporate-style.

"Our airplanes don't earn money while they're sitting on the ground," said Larry DeShon, senior vice president of airport operations for United. "They need to be in the air. So, if we can shave even four or five minutes off of every aircraft turn, we can fly well over a hundred more flights a day."

Pit Crew U. course work includes several hours of lectures over a three-day period and introductions in pit-stop basics. Then the students divide into teams to try their hands in the pit box. At first, it was chaos. The pit stops took the students more than 2.5 minutes to complete.

"It was an adrenaline rush the first time coming out here and [doing] something different that you've never done before," said Denise Ambrose, a United employee from Denver. "And it was exciting — every time, it just got better and better."

Eventually, with a lot of coaching and cheering by PIT coaches, the connection between a pit stop and ramp work became clear.

"It's not rocket science, so it's stuff you can carry back like cleaning up your work area, being set up for that airplane to arrive like the pit crews are ready for that car to get here," said Marc Abbatacola of Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

By the end of an exhausting day, pit times dropped to 37 seconds. The United group hasn't achieved the 13 seconds of a NASCAR crew, but it has achieved something very important: teamwork.

Who takes the checkered flag?

I was never much of a NASCAR fan until I migrated south to attend the University of Tennessee and became indoctrinated in the southern “good ole’ boy” life!  NASCAR in the south is a sort of religion.  Avid fans travel far and wide on Sunday afternoons to pack noise filled race tracks and cheer for their favorite teams as they drive lap after lap to the amusement of barbequed fed masses.

I’m not as passionate about the sport as some of my friends but after spending a few years in the south I do enjoy watching the skill needed to navigate a vehicle in traffic going 170 mph and the chest match that ensures between teams as they compete for the checkered flag.  During a recent conversation with one of my fanatic NASCAR friends from Alabama, we happened upon the subject of who was more important….the owner of the NASCAR team or the race car driver and pit crew?

The answer seemed obvious to me but like most conversations with this particular choleric-melancholy friend, we both enjoyed a long drawn out debate on this subject matter.  He contended that the owner who provided the money and the car was the most important because he provided the opportunity.  Without him the race car driver and pit crew would have no job. 

I have had numerous conversations with Orrin Woodward in the past on subjects very similar to this and knew exactly how to argue this point.  My contention was that the race car driver and pit crew working together as a team were more important to the success of the operation.  After all, Orrin Woodward had proven this to be true in multiple business examples.

It is true that the owner with his financial backing provides the opportunity but it is the driver and crew who train, learn the course, prepare, and in the end….run the race.  They are the deciding factor whether Dale Earnhardt’s number 8 car is in victory lane or Jeff Gordon’s number 24 car tears up the grass on the infield at Talladega.  The owner has next to no control over this and can only hope that his team wins. 

If Dale Jr. or Jeff Gordon were dropped by their owner they would be picked up by another team who valued their ability, skill, knowledge, and results. They could also parlay their success into a host of other related activities as commentators or businessmen within the sport. 

I have always thought the man who enters the fight is always more valuable than the man who stands on the sideline and provides himself as a cheerleader.  From a business perspective, history is full of examples of men and women who were extremely successful and lost it all due to some extenuating circumstances only to build right back up where they once were.  Why is this?  They were knowledgeable about what it took to be a success and were able to obtain success again and again using timeless principles to do so.

Successful race car drivers or pit crews have been dropped by their owners only to be picked up by another team and be successful once again.  Why?  Because they know how to win and once you learn how to win you can do that anywhere.  People realize this and so there is always ample opportunity to showcase that talent.  The business world is no different.

William Durant of Flint is a perfect example.  He made millionaire status three times in his lifetime as he was helping build Buick, General Motors, and then Chevrolet.  There were opportunities all around him but what made Mr. Durant special were his skills, his knowledge, and his determination to be a success. 

Orrin Woodward has been cut from the very same cloth.  The system that he has developed to train leaders within his Team is such that anyone could take that material and apply it to any number of opportunities and become a success.  Orrin has said many times that his business provides an awesome opportunity, but the key is properly trained leaders ready with the skill to harness that opportunity. 

Orrin Woodward's training system, much like the one Jack Welch instituted for GE, trains anyone on how to take basic success principles and apply them to any endeavor in life to achieve success. In many aspects, the leaders developed go on to achieve success not only with the Team organization but also create other opportunities for themselves and thus prove themselves successful in multiple endeavors.

My sister for one has taken much of our subject matter and used it to become one of the top distance runners for the United States, representing our country in international events. True principles of success when applied appropriately transcend all boundaries of athletics, business, and industry. Using those principles, anyone can make their own opportunity.  The world is full of opportunities….the question is, are you prepared to make the most of it?  Opportunities are nothing unless someone with the knowledge and drive to seize it does so.  Once this is done they need skill and determination to harness the opportunity for what it is worth.

In conclusion, the owner of a NASCAR team may present an opportunity to the driver and pit crew but without his team, the owner just has a car collecting dust in a garage.  The winning driver and pit crew that form a team and know how to use the opportunity to its full effect will always find themselves with a chance to drive and win.  Why?  Because those opportunities will be presented to those who are prepared and have shown themselves to be successful.  Winning teams do one thing…win!  Owners without a team do nothing but wax their car in the garage! 

Sharon Thompson Makes U.S. World Championship Team!

After a making the United States National Cross Country Team this past weekend I called my sister Sharon Thompson as she prepares to compete in the World Championships in Japan to get some perspective on this incredible achievement.  Formerly Sharon Dickie she is the daughter of Bob and Mary Dickie.  After completing a stellar career at Grand Blanc High School she was one of the most sought after female high school athletes in the country she chose to go to the University of Tennessee on a Track scholarship.  She endured a tumultuous career at Tennessee with three coaching changes, but through this adversity was still graduated as a three time All-American and an South Eastern Conference champion in the 5,000 meter run becoming one of the best runners the history of the powerhouse Lady Volunteer Track program.  In Cross Country, she was the only Lady Volunteer in history to qualify for the National Championship meet four years in a row and achieve All-SEC honors four years in a row.  As a professional she now runs for NIKE.

Robert Dickie:  Sharon, you just ran in the National Cross Country Championships in New York and made the World Championship Team.  Tell us about this event.

Sharon Thompson: Well to put this into perspective the United States Track and Field Association hosts a national championship meet every year in Cross Country, Indoor Track and Field and Outdoor Track and Field.  They use these national championship meets to select the best athletes in the country to form a U.S. Team to compete in international competitions.  The most popular national championship meet is the U.S. Olympic Trials where they select the top athletes to compete in the Summer Olympic Games.  During a non-Olympic year, such as this one, these national championship meets are used to select athletes for the World Championships. So these are very high visibility events within the sport and they bring out the best the country has to offer.  They are the toughest competitions to compete in because everyone shows up with their “A” game. 

Robert Dickie:  How many times have you run the in the U.S. Cross Country National Championships?

Sharon Thompson:  This was my debut at the U.S. Cross Country National meet.  It is an 8,000 meter race or roughly 5 miles. I have run the in the NCAA National Cross Country Championships four times but this race is a totally different level.

Robert Dickie:  What were the conditions like in New York?

Sharon Thompson:  This year, the race was held in New York City on a frigid Saturday afternoon.  You probably saw that the week before the Northeast had just been hit by a blizzard and New York was still digging out of that.  The conditions were probably some of the toughest I had to endure. The temperature dropped and the wind picked up drastically to make matters worse.  I should say it made matters worse for the others because I excel in tough environments like that.  This played to my strength.   I just put on more clothes and focused on doing what I had to do, which was get ready for the race.  There was nothing I could do about the weather.  No matter what the weather conditions were, that gun was going off at 12:10 and whining about the weather wasn’t going to get me a spot on the U.S. Team. I had worked too hard to let my dream get side tracked by some bad weather. 

Robert Dickie:  What was your game plan for the race?   

Sharon Thompson:  The weather conditions were very similar to the NCAA race in Ames Iowa back in 2000 when I earned my first All-American certificate.  Remember that race?  You, Dad, and Ben were running around like a mad man cheering for me.

Robert Dickie:  Yes! That was the most brutal conditions I have ever seen!  It was then that I knew you had a special gift.  Most people caved in but you had the best race of the year there!

Sharon Thompson:  I had the same game plan.  In conditions like that you have to get out hard because once you have established position within the first mile it really does not change that much over the rest of the race.  I did not want to get stuck in the middle of the pack.  I knew I had to be up with the leaders!  When you stuck in a big pile of runners, it’s hard to get in a good rhythm and they dictate your fate.  If you want a shot to be on the team you have to get away from the pretenders and place yourself up with the contenders fighting for those top six places.  I made a decision to break away from the pack and see if I could hang with the elite runners.  I had a great start and was able to maintain that intense pace all the way to the finish.  I focused on my goal, and I put myself in a position to get it. 

Robert Dickie:  I like that quote, “get away from the pretenders and place yourself with the contenders.”  That ties into so many aspects of life.

Sharon Thompson:  It really does.  I’m sure you’ve heard Dad say that many times over the years as he was coaching us.   There are so many negative people and influences in life and no matter what you are trying to accomplish you have to get away from those influences.  My husband Kevin is a perfect example of this.  He was an All-American athlete at Tennessee and is now an accomplished lawyer.  He is successful at everything he does and it is because of his focus and not allowing negative influences in his life.  He separates from the pretenders in life and only associates with the contenders.  He has helped me so much to stay on track as I try to make the 2008 Olympic Team. 

Robert Dickie:  How many national teams have you made?

Sharon Thompson:  This will be my third national team.  I was once invited to represent the U.S. in a relay race in Japan in 2004 and then represented the US in a dual meet against Great Britain in Scotland.  By far making the World Championships team is the biggest accomplishment thus far.  I was not listed among the favorites and I surprised a lot of people.  I also silenced a few critics which was nice!

Robert Dickie:  What went through your mind when you made the team?

Sharon Thompson:  I was very humbled and relieved, but I was not surprised.  I had trained very hard and I knew I could run with the best in the country.  Kevin and the family have been telling me all along that I belonged with the elite runners in the country and on Saturday I proved it. This is a perfect example of how I surround myself with positive people who encourage me to achieve my goal.   I was not even considered as having a shot to make the team, but it doesn’t matter what the critics and so called experts think.  I knew what I was capable of and I knew no one had worked harder than me preparing for this race.

Robert Dickie:  I have been one of your biggest fans and you are a much different runner now that you were in HS.  What is the secret of your success?

Sharon Thompson:  My dad always said, “Whatever you do, don’t be a dabbler.”  I have never dabbled with this sport.  Even when I was injured, I found ways to train and improve myself to move forward in this sport.  Consistency is one reason behind my recent success.  In college, and even some last year, I would be sidelined occasionally due to injuries or illness, which affected my training.  This year, I have disciplined my life in such a way that I am doing everything possible to prevent injuries and get the most out of my practices.  I train hard, but I am also smart with what I do in my spare time.  Because I have a very supportive husband, I can focus on my dream and commit to it 100% with no distractions.  I have time to commit to solid daily habits that have made all the difference.  Over time, those small habits add up to big gains.  You have to have discipline to make a goal and then everything that needs to be done to achieve that goal MUST become a daily habit.  You can’t do it every now and then.  It must be a daily routine…a habit…until you reach your goal.  Discipline is the key here.  If you don’t have it you will never accomplish anything of significance.

Robert Dickie:  Your mental training is much different now than before.  I know most Olympians see sports psychologists to prepare for competition.  What do you do?

Sharon Thompson:  I believe it is important to monitor what goes into your mind.  This includes maintaining a positive attitude no matter what.  Before, I was very negative and hard on myself.  If I had a bad race or workout it would crush me and I would focus on that instead of what I needed to do to get better.  I had to develop long term vision to see what I was capable of and develop a plan to make that vision a reality.  On that journey I realized I would have ups and downs but the key is to push through bad performances and not let it affect you.  I learned to replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts.  I realized that negative thoughts served no constructive purpose towards moving me forwards.  They only held me back.  My husband, Kevin, really helped me realize the importance of believing in myself and having higher expectations.  He would say that my beliefs and expectations served as a sail on a boat that would pull me forward.  If I didn’t believe I was capable of being one of the best, my subconscious mind would work hard to prove me right.  Kevin is always great at catching my negative thoughts and giving me new perspective to move forward.  He has been a huge help towards my success. I don’t listen to negative people or critics and I visualize my dream and pursue it with a passion.  Having a positive mental attitude in life is the key.   

Robert Dickie: You are so driven!  You are one of the most motivated and passionate people I know who is a fanatic about trying to get better.  Why? 

Sharon Thompson:  I love the daily gratification of getting better.  I have a clearly defined dream that pulls me through any adversity that falls in my way.  I love the feeling of pursuing this dream on a daily basis.  It motivates me and gives me a sense of purpose every day.  Every activity of every day moves me closer to, or further from my dream.  Dad always said, “To whom much is given, much is required.”  I have been given a lot, and I am honored and humbled to have the ability to do what I do.  I continue to compete because it excites me.  I am extremely blessed to have a wonderful husband who loves and supports me in my journey.  Although I have a sponsorship with Nike, if it wasn’t for Kevin’s understanding, I would have to get a 9 to 5 job, which would put an end to my dream.  I have offered to go to work, but he won’t allow it.  He wants zero regrets.  He is a servant leader in our household and I am grateful for his sacrifice and leadership.   

Although having a dream is a powerful motivator, I also pursue running to prove the critics wrong as well.  Just like you I had some people in my life that said I would not be a good runner and I am motivated everyday to prove them wrong.  Dad has a sign in his office that says, “To avoid criticism: say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”  I’m not afraid to pursue this goal, no matter what snide comments I oftentimes hear from people.  Just like some people don’t think the TEAM business is normal, a lot of people disagree with what I’m doing.  They think I should settle in a 9 to 5 routine and rake in the “corporate benefits.”  What they don’t understand is that I do have a full time job and I love every bit of it.  It’s not easy running four miles before dawn, lifting weights at dawn and a rehab session all before ten o’clock.  Then I return to the track at 2:00 for an afternoon session plus a cardio session and don’t return home until 6:00.  Orrin Woodward  always said you have to pass up good to go for great.  I love pursuing great every day.  I have just learned not to listen to the negative or the critics.  I get to decide with my husband what life I will live and the one I am living brings me joy and excitement and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Robert Dickie:  You and your husband approach everything as a Team.  How has this helped in your athletics, in his law career, and in your marriage in general?

Sharon Thompson:  As far as our marriage Kevin and I are extremely fortunate to have access to wonderful information from the Team and my parents that constantly enrich our relationship.  We understand the value of communication and the importance of pursuing a common dream.  Through this business, we have a better understanding of the importance of “service above self.”  Before, we would have our minds centered on what we can get.  Now, we focus on what we can give, and that has made all the difference.  I have learned that marriage isn’t a 50/50 partnership.  It is a 100/100 partnership where both spouses commit 100% to the other.  I am blessed to have a husband that constantly strives to make me happy and I am thankful for it every day.  I do everything I can to make him happy, and we have a very blessed marriage.  Don’t forget about our extremely happy dog, Spud.  He, too, is a servant leader who sacrifices himself twice a week to run with me on my slow days.  He doesn’t like it, but he does it out of love! Ha

Robert Dickie:  Your husband Kevin was an All-American at Tennessee who played football and ran track.  He is also now an accomplished lawyer and very successful.  He must have had some great training and development programs in athletics and academics through the years.  How does our program with the Team compare to those?

Sharon Thompson:  Kevin told me that he sees pieces of this business in the sports that he was involved with in college.  In football, he said everything was very systematic.  Each practice was broken down into 18 periods and each period was 9 minutes.  Each period was structured weeks in advance to work on particular aspects of the game.  Coach Fulmer developed a system that he felt could produce a winning team, and Kevin told me that coach Fulmer is one of the winningest coaches in college football, so he must know something.  With Track, Kevin’s coach had a system for producing elite decathletes.  Tennessee has the best reputation for producing quality decathletes and Kevin submitted to the Tennessee system and became an all-American because of it.  When Kevin’s track coach, Bill Webb told him he needed to run 8 times a 200 meter interval, Kevin never second guessed his judgment because Coach Webb had produced more than 30 All-American decathletes.  Obviously, he had the fruit on the tree and knew what he was doing.  This business is no different.  There is a developed system in place that is designed to maximize the results of each IBO that submits to that system.  Like Coach Webb or Coach Fulmer, Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady have developed a strategy that if implemented properly, produces predictable results.  Like those coaches, Orrin and Chris have an incentive to develop a strong system to help their fellow IBOs because when the IBOs win, they win.  Same with Kevin’s coaches.  Obviously, if Coach Fulmer’s system produced ten consecutive losing seasons, he’d be out of a job.            

Robert Dickie:  Kevin, you and Sharon are IBOs and have a growing Team in the Knoxville area.  Give us your thoughts on the business?

Kevin Thompson:  This business is an extremely powerful business model that can take an average person and put them on the playing field with corporate giants.  The business model is simple: build communities of people through which products and services flow.  People will always buy stuff.  Instead of passing those profits on to the Walton family, why not buy the same stuff through your business and set up others as members and clients to purchase their products online.  In the process everyone gets a chance to share in the profits generated from that volume.  This business fills a huge gap in the market.  The big companies want to move their products online because their profit margins are higher there, but they can’t find a way to get steady business online due to the limitless options a consumer has at their fingertips.  That’s where the TEAM comes into play.  We provide these large companies with consumer loyalty; they provide us with a piece of the profits.  It’s a Win/Win arrangement and that’s why the TEAM will be one of Americas best corporations.  As the TEAM continues to grow, so to will the TEAM’s influence and we will be a powerful market force.  Nobody is better at building communities of people than the TEAM.  That’s what we do and that’s why Sharon and I are so excited to be a part of such a tremendous opportunity.     

Robert Dickie:  Sharon what is your next goal? 

Sharon Thompson:  I want to run 15:20 in the 5k, 32:00 in the 10k, and represent NIKE to the best of my ability! I want to constantly improve and push the limits everyday.  My next goal will be to place top three in the Outdoor USA Championships and get experience running in the international circuit. The ultimate goal is to work hard everyday as I try to make the Olympic Team in 2008. 

Robert Dickie:  Sharon and Kevin, thanks for your time.  I am sure I will be interviewing you soon again on your exploits.  You have a huge fan following within the Team and we are all cheering you on.  Keep working hard and pursuing your goals.