Makng "Business as usual" better..

There is nothing like a tough economy to make businesses realize that their most important assets are the people who do the work. There is also nothing like a tough economy to realize that any inefficiency in production, product delivery or communication carries a heavy price.

Since the inception of Teamlink in 1993, one of our principal missions has been to increase the efficiency and value of each and every employee and project team... and in doing so increase the profitability of the respective business.

.. and I suppose the number of business in this field is also pretty staggering... everyone seems to have a gimmick... with many tending to replace hard interpersonal skills with adrenaline and"fear management" ... we've never really been sure where that comes into the business equation.

KISMIF.. Keep it Simple, Make it Fun... our mantra for effective learning... meaningful fun.

It's not that we don't like adrenaline and risk.... we just believe that those characteristics serve our guests at Shenandoah Mountain Guides more. ... than , say a widget production team.
Fun? yes.. meaningful?? questionable.





Gaining wisdom from the "Ball of Knowledge"

Looking back..

on the past 4 months.. Phew! It seems I'm always apologizing for this blog being so far out of date.. as the commercial says... "Life comes at you fast..." sometimes too fast to take time out to blog. We have partnered with schools, camps, (local, state and national) organizations and (state and national) parks to reach more than 2500 folks adult and youth.. just in the last 4 months!


Currently, we're:
- Actively supporting both in and after-school enrichment programming for schools throughout the central MD - northwestern VA region;
-Developing educational and adventure programs for 2010;
-Providing training and professional development for educators and counselors who work with after-school enrichment programming;
-Providing character and leadership development programming for teenagers throughout the region;
-Directing and teaching the outdoor education and adventure programs at several regional colleges and universities (our 17 year!); and,
- (as always) Continuing to refine our adult and corporate development programming for the particularly challenging economic environment.

Summer Mode

When Summer rolls around, you can find us almost anyplace outdoors doing what we do best... teaching.

So far this year, we've hosted freshwater biologists from Alaska, Wisconsin, Oregon, (you name it) while supporting our partnership with the Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin.

We're using our "floating laboratories" (canoes) to support Hood College's research into invasive marine species in the upper Potomac River drainage






We have taught a number of LNT Trainer courses to river guides from "River Riders" outfitters in Harpers Ferry WV and to interpretive volunteers for the National Park Service.



...and we've staffed numerous "end of school, outdoor adventure learning celebrations" for fifth graders throughout northern and western Maryland.

One of our favorite activities of summer just concluded... a week long day-camp for 18 qualifying elementary students from Brunswick MD. .. biking, climbing, paddling, swimming.. all right in their backyard along the C&O Canal and Potomac River...

As this is written we're actively providing instructional support to a Girl Scout camp adventure program (climbing) and a Boy Scout high adventure camp program.

As you can tell, things get busy... but boy, is summer awesome or what?!

Watery World

Indeed our world is one of water.. without which there would be no life.
There is nothing we, as an organization, get more satisfaction from than working with students learning about this precious resource.. Over the years we have led student groups on dozens of streams studying land use and the associated water quality... bloated cows just upstream from a municipal water intake, rivers with no riparian buffers at all, rivers whose major consumers have gone to great lengths to preserve and protect the water quality.. the entire spectrum of responses to water as a limited resource.









































We also wrapped up our after school enrichment programming this week..



Next week, we host the Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin as it, in turn, hosts paddlers and watershed activists from across the country...

Running Moon

There is the Hunter's Moon, the Harvest Moon... throughout the winter, the Skiers Moon... and now for the full moon in April, nearest to mid month..



..the Runners Moon. Sometimes it's just too bright to sleep...

Training the trainers

A blustery and snowy April day is a perfect time to work on developing the skills of the professionals who provide after school enrichment programming. For more than ten years we have been working to help make sure the all young people are provided the best possible program facilitators...

Full moon running into the dawn.. and parachute racing.

With the world slowly becoming more springlike, it's inevitable that someday, the change to Daylight Savings will arrive... thanks to Congress, all of us who thrive in the early mornings are now thrust back, firmly into the BMNT (beginning morning nautical twilight) zone... Running up, down and across the mountainside in this amazing twilight is not for the faint of heart... (historically a time of great risk and danger). This morning was no exception...except there was a full moon... until it set behind the ridge.. followed by profound darkness.... and yet thru sheer perseverance on a set, proven and known course I eventually emerged into the dawn.. the greatest of affirmations.

And with this being March we've been holding a lot of parachute races at the Community Learning Centers.. two friends grab a 'chute between them and then run across a designated space.. daring the wind and their grip to lift them off and deposit them into some neighboring farmer's field. Times of high anxiety (!) and great fun indeed!

Adventure U.

Today we spent the day at the Shenandoah Area Council's "University of Scouting".
For about 12 years now we have partnered with this council that straddles the VA/WV border in the mountainous NW corner of VA and eastern panhandle of WV.
It is a great partnership.
Many of our staff grew up and were scouts in this council..many of us got our start climbing as 12 year old scouts on the rocks that surround one of the best scout camps for rock climbing an America.. Camp Rock Enon.. situated literally about .9 miles from the WV line. Of course in those days, the 70s and 80s, Boy Scouts were still focused on the basic outdoor skills: canoeing, knot tying, first aid, shooting sports, map and compass... rock climbing was absolutely not part of the program.
Fast forward to 1997.. In the desire to "give back" to an organization that has given so much we offered to help introduce a level of outdoor adventure professionalism to the camp program..
Well, one thing led to another, now we have a staff member who provides climbing training and certification not just locally to the local scouts, but nationally through the BSA National Camp School program.
For the summer of 2009, we are partnering with the council to offer 12 weeks of adventure programs. Backpacking and canoeing, of course.. (these are scout standbys).. but also canyoneering, rock climbing, caving, survival, primitive skills, mountain biking, whitewater paddling.. and amazing combinations of all of the above.

And even though teaching and guiding these pursuits is how we've made our living for the past 18 years.. the concept of High Adventure is still somewhat of a novelty... And that is what led to our presence at University of Scouting... To preach the gospel of adventure and challenge and the benefit it brings to the task of building future leaders and adults of character.

The choices we make...

As we wrapped up the first semester of after school programming under the 21st Century Learning Center, the focus was on the youth we are serving, and how they make decisions about their lives... both the good and the bad. The game is fun, the lessons are real, and the transfer from game to life is, hopefully complete.


In 2008 we worked directly with more than 4,500 young people and provided training for more than 350 educators and counselors!

Finding a way..

As a final exam, Hood College students in the orienteering class must complete a mountainside "O" course. As always, the route they choose is up to them.
There are objectives to be found and obstacles to be dealt with, (over? through? or around?) all in as short a time possible.

Where are you?
Where are you going?
How are you going to get there?

Three questions that are critical for orienteering success... and not bad questions for college students to contemplate either.

4010 feet above your troubles..

Helping Washington DC government work better ... one department at a time.

To build a fire..

When the group you are leading is cold, wet and hungry and it's late ... sometimes the best thing to raise spirits is a good old blazing warm fire. *

This year the Outdoor Leadership Class for the George Washington University TRAiLs leadership team included LNT trainer certification, land navigation training, emergency procedures and crisis management, as well as basic skills... like starting a fire, in the dark, with wet material and only two matches..... and yes, it was done successfully ... more than once!






*where allowed by regulations

It's just plain FUN.

Our summers are spent helping folks have simple, safe, old-fashioned fun. Beside doing follow up programming for our full year "customers" we are also busy supporting camp programs throughout the mid Atlantic region. The strength of our staff and their training and qualifications as practitioners and educators is hard to beat when you want safe, professionally run adventure programs... be it for youth or adults! As August progresses we move into more organizational development activities... in
particular, working with school administrators and
staff as they prepare to kick off the 08-09 school year with a bang!

Summertime

We have so much going on, we'll have to add verbiage later...
I guess I don't need to add that it's ALL fun.

Building better teams by design, or..

doing what we do best.

While many of our colleagues in this business take a great deal of pride in disclosing exactly who they've worked with, after 16 years in the business we prefer not to "kiss and tell".. we never have.. and most of our clients feel the same way. The list of folks and organizations we have worked with over the years is impressive... they have come, and continue to come from, literally, around the world.
(especially with the increasingly favorable exchange rate)
And while our website discusses "standard programs".. there really is no such thing. Every single program we design for a group is unique. It is customized for the individual group. After all, as each organization's product, mission and culture is unique.. so should the development program activities be customized to fit.
Too many of the one-size-fits-all approach to team building programs have given rise to the belittling of the importance of functional team development.

One of the first questions we ask a prospective client is "what are your goals?" Unfortunately, as a response we often get cookie cutter answers... "a ropes course, whatever that is", "uh, goals?" "team building", "some sort of group thing"... and when we ask their past experiences in team building, we often get the same answers.
For a group to "do some team building" sounds important and like a great use of company time, but without a solid program, the words are empty... bluster without substance.

Our goals are to optimize your results by developing a program that will challenge each individual to be the best they can be, and then learn to synchronize individual and group efforts.
(Effective team development mirrors effective business practices today. Often the best results are not found within the lines of traditional thought. On the other hand, sometimes they are.)


.. oh, and along the way, it's nice have some fun and make it memorable.

Wilderness First Aid Weekend

We just wrapped up our ninth year of providing wilderness first aid training for the larger mid Atlantic region... it just keeps getting better and better.

From northeastern PA to central VA, to Cobb Island, MD, the class came from far and wide for this unforgettable program. As we have done in the past, we partnered with the Trail House of Frederick, MD and SOLO of North Conway, NH to offer this educational program, at cost, to the outdoor enthusiasts of the region.

For a complete schedule of open enrollment courses, from adventure fitness to introductory rock climbing, see the calendar on our main website.