Find what you're looking for...

Several years ago, I was inspired to come up with a better way to train mid-level management. I got excited because what we’d always been doing wasn’t effective and I suspected there were ways to improve on the model. The biggest problem was that the trainee’s manager rarely took the courses and workshops their employees were forced to take. That resulted in mixed signals because the manager was unaware of what the training focused upon. What was needed was a way for the manager to know what was learned so he or she could discuss it with their employee, coaching them when needed, answering questions that arose, and overseeing the practicing of the new ideas and techniques. Without that focused supervision, there was no way to note if the employee learned anything, or if their behaviors changed because of the training. The training I developed included a guide for the manager to use – it included a summary of the course materials, discussion points they could utilize in their regular meetings with those employees to see if they understood and were using them appropriately. The kinds of things supervisors are already doing. And it didn’t hurt that the video courses were only 60 minutes in length and came in easy to grasp 10-minute chapters. That inspiration led to some exciting ideas and the development of Tiny Classroom Training. Now I can’t wait to see what I’ll come up with next. Look for ways to improve the things you’re already doing today.

 

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born 1946): American singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman.

Learn more about her: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolly_Parton

Stay true to your vision...

When Wynn bought the Desert Inn from Caesars, it came with PeopleSoft as it’s HR system. They thought the system would be adequate when in fact its version was so old it had to be totally updated. We went back and forth with them and became frustrated when they were unwilling to make the kinds of upgrades needed to satisfy my paperless and self-service expectations. I didn’t want to abandon my vision for HR and they were unbending – I worried I might have to abandon my dream. But I found some PeopleSoft program developers interested in making that system do what the PeopleSoft execs didn’t want it to do. Opening all of Wynn’s casinos presented many challenges and this one was my biggest; and that’s when I realized that to strive with difficulties and conquer them was the highest form of professional contentment. Made more so by working with really smart and committed people, giving them the space to do what they do best, and having the patience to let ideas develop. Don’t abandon your good ideas just because someone tells you it can’t be done. Collaborate, communicate, commiserate, and stay true to your vision. Good things happen to those who have the courage of their convictions today.

 

Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784) English writer, poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicographer. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography calls him "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history".

Drink water and take breaks...

Exhaustion can be the enemy of progress. The excitement of being involved in exciting things starts at the beginning and, unless managed, can drain a team and its members of the strength and will to go on. This was one thing we learned when studying other openings as we prepared for the Mirage project. Giving breaks and insisting on days off and vacations was written into our plan, but then we succumbed to the stress to get things done and weren’t as vigilant as we should have been. The result was people working long days, struggling to get more than one day off at a time, and ignoring vacations – the pressure to be on time with things clouded our plans. And it wasn’t just our employees – their families didn’t get the full benefit of their mother or father or spouse. Kids started acting up, doing poorly in school, and the strain on families showed in our employees and their performance. We started allowing parents to bring their children to work for supervised study halls so they could see their parents and what they did; and we started enforcing days off and vacations. Companies must clearly show their active support for whatever work-life balance techniques support their employees and their families. It’s good business – employees with a balanced life are happier and more productive. Don’t let exhaustion steal your employees’ morale and productivity today.

 

Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821):. He led the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804, then ruled the French Empire as Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1814, and briefly again in 1815. He was King of Italy from 1805 to 1814 and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine from 1806 to 1813.

Look before you leap...

Life is full of opportunities, some planned, others serendipitous. Either way, we must have the courage to consider them. The courage to consider is as importance as the courage to seize them because that’s the first step, and those are usually the hardest. Do your research, talk to others, make it your business to know the facts. And because not all opportunities will be right – timing, interest, and abilities must be weighed where you are versus where you want to be. Some just may not be right for you and you must have the courage to accept that and wait for more appropriate ones. And then have the courage to grab the one that fits you, your interests, and skills. If it’s something that’s only for you, don’t bother looking at what others might do – their reasons apply only to them and shouldn’t concern you. That describes my decision to join the Golden Nugget. If it’s something that involves your whole team, group dynamics kick in and that’s more complicated, meaning lots of discussions and giving everyone their say. It can’t be forced – if it’s right, it’ll happen. That’s how my team decided to get into the paperless HR project. When opportunities happen in real time, it’s often hard to know what to do. But as I get on in age, I can look back and see how my life shrunk or expanded by whether I had the courage to do things. On balance, I think I grew more than not. What do you see when you look back? My advice: keep your eyes peeled for opportunities today.

 

Angela Anaïs Juana Antolina Rosa Edelmira Nin y Culmell (1903 – 1977): French-born American diarist, essayist, novelist, and writer of short stories and erotica.

Learn what you need to change what you do,,,

Everybody says they like change. In my experience, however, people almost universally dislike change. Because most are creatures of habit, comfortable in what they know, in the things they do, and the places they go. For this message, I’ll focus on one aspect of change – taking a new job. That’s almost always a leap of faith – for both parties. 

·      The company’s hiring process and hiring managers look at what candidates have done, hoping they’ll be good at doing the same thing in the future. I don’t think that’s enough – they really need to know if the candidate has the right attitude – are they optimistic, flexible, and resilient, and do they have enough grit to see their way through the learning and growing process of a new job. Get those things right and almost anyone can learn to do the job. 

·      And the employee knows little or nothing of the company’s values or the style of their prospective boss. Some of that information could and should be provided on the company’s website and during the interview process. And there should be a lot more if they are hired – that’s what onboarding should be all about, giving both parties the information needed to learn if they made the right choice.

In both cases, if they want to be successful at the change then they’re going to have to get involved. As in doing research (online and in person), asking good questions, taking time to process all the new information, then asking more questions, and continually processing all of it. The more you know, the more successful each side will be during the job-changing process today.

 

Cindy Lou McCain (born 1954): American diplomat, businesswoman, and humanitarian who is the executive director of the World Food Programme (https://www.wfp.org). 

There should be no partisanship in patriotism...

                      Put your country ahead of your politics today.

 

Be cheerful...

Here’s something to think about: when you’re feeling blue, smile at someone and their return smile will light up your day. Making eye contact and smiling is a sure-fire way to light up a room. Practice these simple techniques at work and light up your whole department. And get everyone doing it and you’ll light up your customer service. That’s how work should be. I’ve been reviewing job descriptions for a client this month and they were surprised when I added a section called Post Hire Expectations, among which I listed: 

·      Ability to: Maintain a positive attitude, be flexible and resilient, be dependable and flexible, and smile and make eye contact. 

We talk about these things but often forget to call them out in our company policies and practices. Look at your company handbook – anything in there about that? Look in your performance evaluations – do you talk about these. When you conduct an interview – do you practice these and see if the candidates will then practice them too? Like most leaders, you get engaged with your employees for all kinds of reasons – in those moments, be cheerful. Make smiling a part of your job today.

 

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910): American writer, humorist, and essayist known by the pen name Mark Twain. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has produced", with William Faulkner calling him "the father of American literature.