Only make promises you can keep...

‘Keep the Promise’ was Mirage Resorts’ mission statement – for guests and employees. When initially building that brand, large signage at the construction sites teased the public about what was to come. Making big and bold promises of beautiful spaces and amenities. The Mirage volcano foretold a Polynesian themed splendor that whetted the appetites of future visitors; same with the fountains at Bellagio. The anticipation drove marketing and recruiting excitement. Meanwhile, internal communications stressed that while a building might draw guests once, it was the promise of outstanding service that would keep them coming back. Brands making promises to customers, like management promises to employees create bonds that establish trust and loyalty. For employees, those promises included extensive job and professional training, career opportunities, an enlightened management style, and employee workspaces and dining rooms that rivaled guest décor and amenities. Because happy employees make happy guests. Today’s business environment is filled with competition for both, and because customers and employees can vote with their feet, it’s good business to consistently deliver on the promises made to them. It's been my experience, however, that while customers expect promises that are kept, employees are more wary based on mixed experiences they’ve had or heard about. Whatever business you’re in, it pays to make and keep meaningful promises to your employees today.

 

Bernard Kelvin Clive is a distinguished author, speaker, lecturer, and corporate trainer, recognized as Africa’s foremost authority on personal branding and digital publishing.

https://bkc.name

Plan for the long haul...

This reminds me of all the casino properties I opened – each felt like a marathon. During the first, The Mirage, we were so filled with enthusiasm that working 12+ hour days seemed fun. Then one day we learned that a middle school child of a husband-and-wife management couple was falling seriously behind because neither of the parents were home enough to supervise his studies. The news hit us like a two-by-four – we were unbelievably oblivious to the impact our work was having on our employees’ families. Sitting here writing about it embarrasses me all over again. We mistakenly praised unchecked perseverance… and it happens in many companies, big and small. That incident kicked our appreciation for work-life balance into overdrive: we set up study halls so parents could be with their children and children could see their parents at work and gain an appreciation of what they did. And it taught us the value of pacing the demands we placed on managers and being more open to creative scheduling. Today there are software programs that allow employees to swap shifts if needed, a great policy improvement that benefits everyone. Don’t get so caught up in your work that you lose sight of the other important things in your life. Think of work not as a long race but as many short races that can be more easily managed today.

 

Walter Elliot (1888 – 1958):  A politician of Scotland's Unionist Party prominent in the interwar period.

Work at working together...

Life is about compromise – that’s the art of getting along. While that concept seems to have been abandoned in politics, in workplaces everywhere it’s alive and well. Where people work together to get things done, to keep production moving, and to meet expectations (customers, colleagues, management, and other stakeholders). Whether things go as planned or must be improvised, it’s a constantly changing choreography where each employee gives and takes happily and fairly, for the greater good. Where no one’s keeping score. Leaders oversee more than supervise this because it’s more process than policy – some may be scripted, but most is intuitive. Those who fight it might be harmed; those who go with the flow get along and ahead. It’s called teamwork and it works because of the training, practice, real-time communications, and reinforcement… it’s what makes work… work. Something you want to get up and go to every day. Loyalty to this is shown by an active willingness to participate. And it’s rewarded with loyalty in return. I’m always amazed that the same people who might not see eye-to-eye outside of work, get along, acting unselfishly and with genuine commitment and concern. Because of the shared objectives related to what they do together there. Make work a place where psychological safety encourages teamwork and loyalty today.

 

James Oliver Rigney Jr. (1948 – 2007), better known by his pen name Robert Jordan, was an American author of epic fantasy.[1]

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[1] He is best known as the author of The Wheel of Time series, which comprises 14 books and a prequel novel. The series is among the highest selling book series of all time, with 90 million copies sold.[2] In his earlier career he became one of several writers to produce original Conan the Barbarian novels; his are considered by fans to be some of the best of the non-Robert E. Howard efforts. Robert Jordan was the most well-known of several pen names he used, adopting different monikers for different genres.

 

The time to be bold is now...

While my daily quotes may seem focused on world events, they speak to me about the lives and careers of employees in companies big and small. People who must work to support their families, at work every day, trying hard, looking to get ahead, and hoping to be treated fairly. Work, in good times and bad, presents challenges and opportunities and all they want is a chance to show what they can do and get ahead. So much of their lives is bound up in the skills of their managers and supervisors who, for me, are the unsung sheroes and heroes in every company. Many get promoted from within because they’re good at what they do and are always there. For them, the job is neither easy nor comfortable, stuck as they are between their employees and their employers. The best companies know of their importance and focus on providing both soft and technical skills training for them. So they can dare to be great – being coaches, mentors, and role models; and can endure the ups and downs that they must smooth out to keep their peeps focused and motivated. Effective leaders make time for these troopers – visiting them on the floor where and during the shifts when they work, talking with (and not at) them, and building loyal relationships with them. The moral of this story: strong mid-level managers make strong companies today.

 

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874 – 1965): British statesman, military officer, and writer who twice was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 

A promise made should be a promise kept...

This was one of my mother’s favorite sayings – to her, keeping your word was the hallmark of a good person. It’s also in a book I love called Mommilies (https://momilies.net)  – things your mother used to say, some of which apply to work. Saying you’re going to do something creates expectations, a reliance that you’ll finish it, other companion actions, and countless ripple effects if you don’t finish it – one of which is that people won’t trust your subsequent promises. I once saw a survey that claimed the #1 reason people were or were not loyal to their boss was based on whether they did what they said. Remember: you always have a chance to consider whether to make a promise like this – before you do, consider all the circumstances, get advice if needed, and let others know if and why you can’t or won’t; but once you do, finish it. And if for some reason you then can’t finish, let everyone know immediately. Don’t be so cavalier about making promises – too often, people say yes to something before thinking it all the way through. I’m sometimes guilty of that. But if you do say yes, give it your all and finish it. Don’t dawdle – that’ll only make you feel worse. Finish what you start today.

 

Epictetus (c. 50 – c. 135 AD): Greek Stoic philosopher.

Be good and do good work...

con·science

/ˈkänSHən(t)s/

noun

an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior.

 

Watching Jiminy Cricket sitting on Pinocchio’s shoulder and whispering things about right and wrong in the puppet’s ear was probably the first introduction to the concept of a conscience that kids (like me) growing up in the 40’s and 50s had.  Schools, both public and religious, played a part, but those children’s movies and television shows then, like music in the 60s, Sesame Street in the 80s and 90s, and social media today seem to have more influence with introducing values to young people. Not that parents don’t try, but the media has certainly had an impact on broadcasting values, both good and bad. Maybe that’s why the values that companies introduce along with their mission and vision statements resonate with employees. Interestingly, Tribal enterprises have a long and rich tradition of keeping their Nation’s culture and values alive and bringing them into their workplaces. The challenge is finding ways to apply those values throughout the workplace culture those companies work so hard to create. I advise clients to include them in their policies and practices – like inserting them in job descriptions and job postings, discussing them in interviews with potential employees, talking about them in orientation programs, including them in coaching sessions, and referencing them in performance evaluations. Because we want and need employees to have good values, see their relevance in their work life, and consider them when performing and making decisions. And to appreciate the importance of letting their conscience be their guide today.

 

Jiminy Cricket (created 1940): This character is the Disney version of the Talking Cricket, a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book The Adventures of Pinocchio, which Walt Disney adapted into the animated film Pinocchio in 1940.

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

Nothing beats trust...

Not sure who this quote is talking to, so let’s just apply it to people at work. And build on yesterday’s message of the workplace as a special place. Where we hire people for their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Where I say we should also hire for attitude. Put all of those together and that’s a good employee. The challenge then for managers is to keep them and their work mates (or, as some call them, teammates) focused on the work, the objectives, and the measurable outcomes. Working together and building trust around these shared purposes. Talking about and through their shared opportunities and challenges. Keeping eyes on that ball and leaving anything else at home. Sharing the moment with people they may not share with otherwise. Because if employees don’t, can’t, or won’t try to trust one another, all business objectives are defeated. It blows me away to think that despite what’s going on around us, work is a safe haven for camaraderie, civility, and the courage to believe in and trust people. Seems like a big ask. Seems like a lot to expect. Seems like a lot to manage. But when businesses and managers get this right, it can build a culture that attracts and retains the best talent. What they call a great place to work. It all starts with building trust today.

 

Alison Croggon (born 1962): Australian poet, playwright, fantasy novelist, and librettist (one who writes text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera or musical).