The EDGE

First ProfessionalEDGE Workshop Held at Mason’s Arlington Campus

We held our first in a planned series of experiential professional development workshops at George Mason University’s Arlington Campus in March 2013. We welcomed 24 participants to our half-day workshop entitled, “Powerful Communications: Dialogue When It Counts!”

The primary objective of the workshop was to learn approaches to holding constructive conversations when results are important and emotions are high. ProfessionalEDGE facilitator, Kate Trygstad, took participants through interactive activities designed to illustrate effective communication. She also provided opportunities for individual reflection and small group interaction.

Participants left the workshop equipped with knowledge of new models and techniques which they can apply to daily situations and use to communicate with confidence. Information packets contained materials that guided participants throughout the workshop and that will serve as excellent materials for future reference.

We look forward to continuing to offer professional development workshops at the Arlington Campus. The state of the art facilities combined with a thriving campus and surrounding business community offer a perfect setting for our ProfessionalEDGE workshops which challenge our clients to develop as individual professionals, grow as high functioning teams, and excel as innovative organizations.

     

The EDGE Teaches Leadership Skills Using Experiential Methods at the PWCS Student Leadership Conference

The EDGE’s former Program Manager Mike Swiryn was invited to teach a session at the PWCS Student Leadership Conference.  And of course, he brought a bit of The EDGE to the students by encouraging them to get out of their chairs and have fun while learning about the Dimensions of Success concept model created by Interaction Associates. 

Dimensions of Success

He taught the students to think of this model for success like a stealth airplane – one must point the plane in the direction of the results they want and steer by managing relationships and process.  Too much focus on one or the other may cause the plane to turn away from the desired results.

The session was well-attended and effectively contributed to the conference goals of aspiring students to accept leadership, increase awareness of leadership challenges, develop a network of students with leadership potential, and develop and strengthen the students’ leadership abilities.

Top Team Building Trends in 2013

ProfessionalEDGE – We like this article from Executive Oasis International about how team building programs are finding their way back onto corporate organizational development and training agendas in 2013. According to the article, some of the key goals and benefits of team building include:

  • Communicating changes in strategic direction, rolling out new initiatives and winning team support.
  • Brainstorming ideas for new products, services, target markets, and sources of revenue.
  • Bringing teams together to generate solutions to business challenges.
  • Breaking down silos and promoting cross-functional teamwork.
  • Removing bottlenecks.
  • Resolving conflicts.

The article highlights ‘team building incorporating outdoor activities to inspire out of the box thinking’ as a primary example of how companies can embrace team building practices to achieve strategic results. Here at The EDGE, we strongly agree! On a yearly basis, participants take advantage of our professional Leading Edge challenge course and team building programs to enhance organizational effectiveness in their departments, teams, and formal and informal groups. Also, if it’s more conducive to your needs, our Edge on Wheels program lets The EDGE come to your site. This option gives your organization the flexibility you may need to benefit from team building programs without having to go off-site. 

Executive Oasis is a Toronto-based consulting firm. The full article is available here on its website.

NEW! Funding Opportunities Page

We know that school and community program budgets are tight and getting tighter each year.  That’s why we recently added a page to our website that highlights some funding opportunities that we’ve become aware of.  We hope our Friends of The EDGE will be able to benefit from some of these grants.  If you come across other funding opportunities that we should add to our list, please email us at edge@gmu.edu.

New Video – Sudley Elementary Students Head to The EDGE To Learn Valuable Lessons In Our Outdoor Classroom

School Session – A huge thanks to Prince William County Schools-TV for their coverage of Sudley Elementary School’s day at The EDGE.  It was an honor to work with this terrific group of students.  https://edge.gmu.edu/media/videos-4/