There Are No Happy Losers'

With the emergence of simulation as a preferred tool to train employees to learn tactical or even intangible skills, there remain some holdouts who shudder at the cost of the design and development of simulations or blanch at the thought of allowing employees to play games at the office.

In an exclusive interview with T+D, Rooney discusses learning and development and the role it plays in the phone companys strategy.

We started by training the top five leaders in the new rules of the road for the dynamic organization, says Rooney. Then, because I believe that learning includes teaching, we had them teach the vice presidents, who taught the directors, who taught the managers. All this time, the executive vice presidents were also engaged in learning.

Rooney explained that U.S. Cellular has a specific idea of the characteristics it looks for in a leader. We dont want managers; we want people who motivate, he explains. Thats what the dynamic organization is all about. We motivate people by giving them noble goals, and we concentrate more on objectives than we do on the tasks to get to those objectives. The dynamic organization says we understand who we are, what we are, and where we are going. We dont need somebody standing over us making sure we do things.