Be supportive and kind...

In life we choose our friends carefully. At work, those around us are selected by others and we’re forced to deal with that. Work teams tend to follow social norms, but not all the time. Because work assignments and promotions are generally based on merit, small-minded people might harbor jealousies and animosities.  They might belittle your ambitions, but the really great ones make you feel that you, too, can become great. This is where effective leaders make a difference – they never play favorites and always follow up with those not selected to identify ways they can improve their chances in the future. They diffuse hurt feelings. These leaders often find ways to involve all employees in temporary and pop-up opportunities to learn and show their skills, keep an open dialogue with all employees about their hopes and disappointments, and make everyone feel like they have a voice. They never let disappointment fester, nor do they let employees feel like they never have a chance. When I worked in Asia, I learned that allowing people to save face and have hope are important motivators. And since we all have known disappointment, be aware and knowingly empathetic. Find ways to help everyone feel proud of their actions today.

 

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910), known by the pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, and essayist.[1]

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[1] He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature".

 

Don't let pride get in your way...

Nobody’s perfect. We’re expected to do our best and when we screw up, admit it, learn from it, and move on. Not carry it around like a weight on your back. If you can’t, it’ll get in the way of doing your best the next time. When planning the opening of Treasure Island, I searched for a system to electronically store applications so we wouldn’t need to file them. The theory being that hiring managers could search for and retrieve them online. Unfortunately, the computer industry hadn’t perfected high volume scanning, character recognition, or large file sharing. Titans in the nascent computer industry claimed they could but our beta test proved they couldn’t. We were just as frustrated as when opening the Mirage. Worse, I was embarrassed – I’d promised a solution, the company backed me, and the result was almost worse than doing nothing. That hurt. I had to admit failure, swallow my pride, apologize to others, forgive myself, and start over. And during the next 4 years, I had to go back to basics, study and prove everything I learned, work doubly hard to win approvals, and try again. While it was difficult, I realized how much worse it could be if I didn’t forgive myself. Because I could then start over with a clean slate. Don’t be too proud to take your medicine and start over today.

 

Publilius Syrus (85–43): Latin writer, best known for his proverbs, adages, aphorisms, or maxims.

Every step you take...

We want employees to feel proud of the work they do. While the thousands of employees working on our casino projects all felt proud on the day each opened, we learned that multiple, short-term milestones helped maintain morale during those extended developmental timeframes. Most department heads were hired up to 2-years before opening and each had lots of small projects throughout those extended periods of time. The lesson learned was that great things are done by a series of small tasks brought together. Each had to first create their own opening plans and timelines, review job descriptions for clarity and accuracy, develop training manuals based on the duties and responsibilities in those job descriptions, decide how many employees they needed in each position, review and interview multiple candidates for each of those positions, and finally train those they hired using those training manuals. I know from experience that they felt proud after completing each of those relatively small tasks. Each brought them a step closer to opening and those multiple milestones became the high points of a long and arduous project. Without them, the team could have burned out; with each they found renewed energy. Don’t miss the multiple opportunities to let your team feel proud about the small components of the overall work they’re accomplishing together today.

 

Vincent van Gogh (1853 – 1890): Dutch Post-Impressionist painter who is among the most famous and influential figures in the history of Western art.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh

Keep it going...

Thanksgiving is about being thankful and the day after is about being grateful. For those around yesterday’s table, in person and in spirit. Together, thankful and grateful turn hope into a nurturing reality. Remember the way that made you feel and let that be the way we live our lives every day. Starting today.

 

Katrina Mayer is a writer, author (The Mustard Seed Way), motivational speaker, corporate executive, and an ordained interfaith minister. 

Happy Thanksgiving...

Look around at what you have. Be content. It’s enough. It’s a feast.

               Give thanks for all you have today.

 

      Wishing you a Happy and Contented Thanksgiving.

 

A "Buddhist" is a follower of Buddhism, a religion and philosophy founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) who sought to end suffering by understanding its causes and following a path to enlightenment. 

Don't leave communications to chance...

Early in my career we hired an HR communications director – basically an internal PR position. Making sure that we had one voice when speaking to employees. And all internal communications were branded similarly. It was a huge improvement in our overall communications that permeated our workplace culture. Companies often assign these duties to an admin who may or may not be skilled or have the time. Handbooks, newsletters, new-hire welcome announcements, pre-shift messaging, and so many other communication channels that help keep employees in the loop. Poor or ineffective communications is one of the most common complaints we see in employee surveys – as in: ‘nobody told me’ OR ‘I was the last to learn’. Most companies obsess over external PR and shareholder communications – while important, ensuring that employees know what’s going on is equally, if not more, important. These kinds of communications help employees answer customer questions and improve overall morale. Equally important is having a proven and known methodology of cascading information throughout an organization – make sure your managers and supervisors know their roles in getting the word out. This isn’t something you want to leave to chance or the rumor mill. Find your organization’s voice, then use it today.

 

David Sedaris (born 1956): American humorist, comedian, author, and radio contributor.

Believe it to become it...

In addition to his many names and titles, today’s author was known as the “Lion of Judah” and was reportedly a direct descendant of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. He had no trouble becoming bigger than he had been. A lesson here is that when presenting yourself in new situations, like a new job, it’s good to be courageous and take a broad outlook, to learn all you can and take on a meaningful role, and to get involved in as much as you can to contribute all that you can. But act only when you’re qualified, listen carefully to gain perspectives, and remain humble. Being bigger doesn’t mean that you’re better, only that you may be more capable. Let your work speak for itself rather than boasting about it - people appreciate effort more than talk. And when you get in, go all in. Work hard and smart, perform with precision and passion. And project a positive, can-do attitude. Believe it and you become it. That’s how to create a solid reputation today.

 

Haile Selassie I(1892 – 1975): Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974.

Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie#Residences_and_finance