Live, prepare, reflect, and learn...

For me, there are two tough parts to any day. You might think those would be associated with something difficult at work, but you’d be wrong – like many professionals, I knew my business and was prepared to be good at it. 

·      The first tough part is in the morning when I’m brushing my teeth – standing in front of the mirror looking back at the person looking at me. Thinking: am I ready and prepared to face whatever comes my way? That’s where knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitude come into play – and trusting that those attributes are sharply tuned and focused on the road ahead. One can never be too prepared, so a continuing commitment to learning, listening, adjusting, and adapting is necessary to being ready to meet the day’s challenges. 

·      And the second comes late at night while staring at the ceiling and rehashing all that happened in the previous however many hours since looking in that mirror. Going back over the things that were said or not said, done or not done. Were they right; was I right? Hindsight, like any debriefing is worthwhile, not to second guess but rather to reflect and learn. One can never be too aware of things past, present, and future. Do a quick nightly scan: affirm, learn, and prepare for the next go round. 

Realizing and accepting that this is the world you’ve made for yourself; now live in it wisely and well. Take stock at the beginning and ending of every day to make sure you’re the best you can be. Live in your world that way today.

 

Nina Simone (1933 – 2003): American singer, songwriter, pianist, composer, arranger, and civil rights activist.

don't let your emotions run wild...

e·mo·tion

/əˈmōSH(ə)n/

noun

plural noun: emotions

1.     a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others. 

a.     "she was attempting to control her emotions"

2.     instinctive or intuitive feeling as distinguished from reasoning or knowledge.

              a.   "responses have to be based on historical insight, not simply on emotion" 

I feel like starting today’s message by saying “I resemble this quote”. Full disclosure: I’m an emotional leader, using that to engage and inspire people. While I like that style, I understand that it might not be as effective as I need it to be, and I realize that sublimating my emotions to the work at hand might be more comfortable for those I’m leading. Like any leader’s style – it must be explained so people understand where it’s coming from, and the leader should always be aware of how their words, actions, and style(s) affect those they lead. And it should go without saying that one leadership style does not fit all situations, thus the need to vary them according to the situation and circumstances at hand. In that case, an emotional approach should always be used only after careful analysis and clear communications. That said, a leader’s commitments and objectives should be clearly explained to the people/group they’re leading; once that is accomplished and everyone is on the same page, being engaged, passionate, or otherwise emotional will probably be more acceptable, effective, and successful. Bottom line: make sure you don’t allow your emotions to diminish your effectiveness today.

 

Bruce Koslow (born ????): Every now and then I find a quote by someone who I can’t identify. This may be the 2^nd or 3^rd time in 15 years – sorry about that, but I still like the quote.

Listen to your Mother...

Hiring managers should ask applicants about their values and where they got them. Most will say they got them from their parents – that’s not uncommon, since much of what we learn growing up comes from them. Years ago I found a book called “Momilies – As My Mother Used to Say” (https://www.amazon.com/Momilies®-As-Mother-Used-Say/dp/0345492102) - many of these are applicable at work. Things like “stand up straight”, “comb your hair”, and “tuck in your shirt” – how about those for your attendance policies? Things like “I’m only doing this for your own good” – how managers should feel about their employees. So, I like today’s quote – Ginsburg’s mother giving her advice about how to be an effective professional: think for herself and use common sense. Truth be told, much of what most employees believe comes from their mothers as they help shape their children’s values and thinking. Ask candidates about their values, what they believe, and where those came from – if they tell you they learned them at home, that’s a great topic for future discussion. Because mothers know best. Don’t be embarrassed to inject some Momilies into your culture and management policies – they will resonate with your employees today.

 

Joan Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933 – 2020): American lawyer and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1993 until her death in 2020.

Hire for attitude and train for skills...

Recruitment is all about finding the right person for the job. Many hiring managers think that means looking only at the candidate’s experience – that’s certainly easy to see. But unless they have the right attitude, that experience may not be enough.  I realize that screening for the attitudes you want can be difficult, but it’s easier than you might imagine. Just ask your candidates what they might bring to the job – if you see excitement in their eyes, hear commitment it in their voice, and feel intensity it in their body language, you’ll know they have a passion for what they do. They’ll have optimism, grit, flexibility, resilience, and common sense – the stuff you want in your employees.  If you then train them how to do the job you expect, you’ll have a professional that will have the skills and attitude to exceed your expectations. Hiring for attitude and training for skills is a great formula for getting the right people and setting them up for success.  It may not be the easiest way to put a great team together, but the time you spend coaching them is better spent than trying to erase old habits. And it starts with a good attitude. Learn how to spot the attitudes you want to hire today.

 

Thomas Alva Edison (1847 – 1931): American inventor and businessman.

Revel in your parental pride...

There is no pride like a parent’s pride. My mother wanted me to be a lawyer and I suspect she was disappointed when I became a business executive instead. At least that’s how she appeared until I became a VP of HR at a big fancy gaming company – after that, she never failed to tell employees she’d meet there “I’m Arte Nathan’s mother”. Food servers, valet parking attendants, slot attendants, whoever. At first, I didn’t think that was appropriate, but then I understood that you don’t have to be famous, you just have to make your mother and father proud of you. And then I was thrilled that she felt that way. During my career there, this was validated many times over: I often met the parents of our Employee of the Year winners, and the pride on their faces was obvious and glowing. And when I’d see an employee showing their parents where they worked, I’d greet them by name; they were so proud that a company executive knew their child by name. I catch myself feeling the same way when seeing my daughter’s and granddaughters’ successes – there’s no better pride than that. Next time you see someone with their parents, tell them how much you appreciate and respect their child. That’s one of the best ways to make a parent’s day today.

 

Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born 1949): American actress who has received 21 Academy Award nominations, winning three, and 34 Golden Globe Award nominations, winning eight.

Make up your own mind...

cha·me·le·on

/kəˈmēlyən/

noun

1.     a small slow-moving Old-World lizard with a prehensile tail, long extensible tongue, protruding eyes that rotate independently, and a highly developed ability to change color.

2.     a person who changes their opinions or behavior according to the situation

 

Whoever, whatever, whenever, and wherever you are, stand tall and be proud of yourself. Sometimes things will go awry, or you’ll make a mistake, or suffer any of the other countless unplanned things that happen, but shake them off, learn from them, and move on with a commitment not to do any of those again. That’s called resilience. You may get interrupted but rolling with those punches is all in a day’s work (or life).  That’s called flexibility. And things can get tough but being determined and persistent is what it takes to get through the day. That’s called grit. Those are all part of life – long or short, and you can be proud of dealing with them effectively. Because living a short life as a proud person is more worthwhile than living a whole century as a chameleon. Our values should be guideposts for our lives; our opinions may vary but they should never conflict with our values; and our behaviors should always reflect a deep and abiding respect and concern for others – supporting, not contradicting, those values. Period. Not to bend with the times or wind. Knowing that what we do and say always reflect who and what we are. Take time setting your values and then spend your time living them today.

 

Eraldo Banovac (born 1955): Croatian educator, politician, scientific researcher, and author; he served as Commissioner of the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency from 2005-2009.

Work your butt off...

After 5 months in the rural Adirondack Mountains, I landed back in Las Vegas on Monday night. Early Tuesday I started attending G2E, the annual gaming industry conference and expo. In attendance were professionals from all over the world, many of whom I know from my 25+ years as a casino executive. As I observed the crown and talked to attendees, today’s quote jumped out at me. In attendance were people who knew, understood, and lived by the code that the key to success is that there is no key – be humble, hungry, and always be the hardest worker in the room. I’ve seen the proof of this in so many industry luminaries and colleagues, people who chase excellence every day, continually raising the bar to maintain that high level of performance. That certainly was our ethic at Wynn – if something was worth doing, it was (and still is) worth doing with the commitment to being your best. I think that’s the most challenging and fulfilling way to work – leaving nothing left undone. In big things and small. Not because somebody’s pushing you, but because that’s just the way you are. That’s the key to success today.

 

Dwayne Johnson (born 1972) also known by his ring name the Rock, is an American actor, professional wrestler, and businessman. 

Learn more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwayne_Johnson