Challenge Solved: Teamwork makes the dream work.
Don’t get caught up implementing new programs in a vacuum - get the whole team behind you!
Submitted by Ulysses Learning
Dina Vance, Senior Vice President from Ulysses Learning, takes on our reader’s question this month. She offers several observations and best practices that are commonly overlooked in contact centers across the US. According to Dina, these are among the top of those best practices that can transform your contact center into a customer experience-focused operation that gets high marks.
NOTE: We’re looking for more of your challenges. Email your contact center-related questions to: ChallengeSolved@ulysseslearning.com
Q: Any tips to achieving better results from the major initiatives we are working on this year? I feel like we are bogged down in execution details and we’re not where we need to be.
Our featured expert for this month’s question is:
Dina Vance
Senior Vice President, Managing Director of North American Operations
A:
It might sound surprising, but one of the best leadership lessons I’ve encountered didn’t come from a boardroom or training manual—it came from an escape room.
No, it wasn’t just the thrill of racing against the clock or solving mind-bending puzzles that captivated me. What really stuck with me was how eerily similar the experience felt to running a contact center. In both scenarios, you’re faced with complex challenges, limited information, diverse team dynamics, and tight timelines. Yet, success hinges on how effectively your team collaborates, communicates, and adapts in real time.
Here are five key takeaways from the escape room that translate into powerful lessons for driving results in your contact center:
1. Teamwork is Non-Negotiable
In an escape room, progress only happens when people collaborate, divide tasks strategically, and play to each other's strengths. Everyone has a role to play—whether it’s scouring the room for clues, interpreting riddles, or assembling the pieces of a lock combination. The same goes for contact center initiatives. You’ll see the highest impact when your team communicates clearly, self-organizes, and delegates effectively.
Key Tip:
Don’t forget to include the end user—your frontline associates—in major initiatives. A contact center I recently visited rolled out a new desktop interface without consulting reps, and the result was chaos: longer handle times and more effort for simple tasks. Involving those directly impacted by changes ensures you’re solving the right problems, not just the most visible ones.
Bonus Insight: Successful teams leverage informal leadership just as much as formal structures. Pay attention to who the team naturally looks to in high-stress moments—those informal leaders can become powerful champions for change.
2. Speed Requires Communication—and Flexibility
In both escape rooms and call centers, time is a luxury you rarely have. Some tasks build on one another, while others can be tackled simultaneously. But speed suffers without communication. If one person solves a puzzle but keeps it to themselves, the team wastes time duplicating effort or waiting on a solution that’s already in hand.
Similarly, in the contact center, team members clinging to personal preferences or old workflows can slow everyone down. Flexibility is just as important as speed—especially when you’re working toward a shared goal under pressure.
Key Tip:
Create a culture where asking for help is not just accepted—it’s encouraged. Give your team explicit permission to raise their hand when stuck, without fear of judgment. It’s better to ask than stall.
Real-World Example: A QA specialist once shared how a simple, five-minute “daily sync” with agents saved hours of rework on coaching forms. When people talk early and often, friction drops and efficiency rises.
3. Creativity Is a Competitive Advantage
Not every puzzle—literal or operational—has a straightforward answer. Some require out-of-the-box thinking or viewing the problem from multiple angles. That’s where diverse perspectives shine. In escape rooms, the solution might hinge on noticing a subtle clue or interpreting something in a way no one else has. Sound familiar?
The best contact centers actively encourage experimentation and new ideas. Some of the most innovative solutions come not from management, but from agents and team leads trying something different on the front lines.
Key Tip:
Make a conscious effort to draw out quieter team members. Often, they hold the insight the team needs, but may hesitate to speak up. Invite their thoughts intentionally; their unique viewpoint can be a game-changer.
Leadership Move: Try rotating facilitation roles in team meetings. When everyone gets a turn leading discussion, quieter voices find more opportunities to contribute.
4. Patience is a Hidden Superpower
High-pressure situations bring out both the best and worst in people. In escape rooms, just like during complex initiatives, patience and mutual respect are critical. It’s easy to snap or shift blame when time is ticking down, but the best teams stay composed, lean into the challenge, and keep supporting one another.
In the contact center, pressure can come from high volumes, system outages, or customer escalations. Leaders who model calm, steady energy help their teams remain productive and connected—even in the thick of it.
Key Tip:
Before launching any major project, remind your team to “pack your patience.” A little upfront emotional prep goes a long way in helping people remain grounded under pressure.
Practice This: Build micro-pauses into your processes—short breaks, reflection moments, or even humor. These can reset the tone and reduce tension when the stakes are high.
5. Debriefing Turns Experience Into Growth
After your project wraps, don’t rush into the next one. Take the time to reflect as a team. This is where learning becomes lasting.
Escape rooms often end with a guided debrief: what went well, what could’ve gone better, and what they noticed about how the team worked together. Contact centers can benefit from the same level of intentional reflection.
Key Debrief Questions to Ask:
- What did you personally enjoy most about this experience?
- What role did you play, and what did you learn that you can carry forward?
- What did you learn about your teammates, and how can we leverage their strengths going forward?
The goal of the debrief is to help team members appreciate each other’s contributions, reflect on their own growth, and build awareness of the collective strengths available to the group. This reflection builds trust, deepens relationships, and strengthens your team for future challenges.
Don’t Skip This: Even a 15-minute retro can prevent repeating the same mistakes and ensure you celebrate the wins—both critical to long-term momentum.
Final Thought
Leadership lessons don’t always come from expected places. Whether you’re cracking a code in an escape room or navigating a major systems overhaul in your contact center, the core ingredients of success remain the same: strong teamwork, agile communication, creative thinking, patience under pressure, and meaningful reflection.
Next time you’re faced with a tough initiative, think like an escape artist—and lead like one.
My best,
Dina
About Dina Vance
Senior Vice President, Managing Director of North American Operations at Ulysses Learning
In her current capacity with Ulysses Learning, Dina is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company and also serves as the chief client relationship executive, working with Fortune 100 clients and other progressive organizations to redefine the way customers are cared for. Under her leadership, Ulysses has been recognized for its work in transforming customer service, sales and coaching cultures through the development of emotional intelligence or “EQ,” enabling reps to confidently, consistently and expertly handle each customer interaction. The company has focused expertise in serving the healthcare, insurance, utilities, and financial services industries.
Before joining Ulysses in 2001, Dina was responsible for the ground-level startup of two contact centers to serve bankers including Fortune 100 clients First Chicago, Harris Bank, American Express and Citibank. This led to her role as call center lead consultant and division manager for an international learning organization prior to Ulysses. Outside of work Dina is actively involved in local volunteerism and enjoys cooking, gardening and nature walks.
Dina can be reached on LinkedIn or at dvance@ulysseslearning.com; for more details on Ulysses Learning visit www.ulysseslearning.com
Challenge Solved! Is sponsored by:
Ulysses Learning was founded in 1995 as a joint venture with Northwestern University’s world-renowned Learning Sciences department. Since then, Ulysses’ continued focus on research and development has earned it prestigious awards and recognition and, most importantly, the respect from its clients who rely on Ulysses for innovative performance improvement solutions that change with their rapidly developing and evolving environments.
Contact centers achieve profound business results ahead of schedule with Ulysses Learnings’ artful blend of patented simulation-based e-learning, facilitated exercises, coaching, and technology-driven tools, that redefine the way customers are cared for and transform customer service, sales, and coaching cultures. Ulysses has one of the only training systems proven to build EQ with its proprietary Framework with Freedom© approach, enabling reps to develop skills to empathize with others, build stronger customer bonds, and improve team dynamics with confidence, consistency, and excellence.
Ulysses Learning is a multi-year recipient of the Gold Stevie© Award for the best contact center customer service training.
Begin your contact center transformation now. Phone 800-662-4066 or visit www.ulysseslearning.com to get started.
Also, view the June 2025 Newsletter Here!