Just set yourself free...

I saw in the news that someone has designed a clear mask that allows people to see the wearer’s mouth: to be better able to see their expressions. These often fail to show when you’re wearing a mask.  Sure, there’s body language that helps understand someone’s emotions or intent, but that’s iffy. You certainly don’t want to fail to convey what you’re thinking or feeling. I walk around with my mask on, smiling and nodding at people, and often forget they can’t see my face.  So, I make sure to remember to tell them. Who knows, maybe wearing masks will make us become more vocal about our feelings and intentions… and that might be a good thing. Maybe that’s a silver lining in this pandemic’s cloud. If they make a clear mask, I’ll order one because I like showing my feelings; but, maybe I’ll may be more vocal about them too. After nearly 5 months of this we need to find the good things, small as they might be, in this crazy situation. So, don’t let a mask get in the way: free up your feelings by telling others what you’re thinking today.

 

Regina Rene King (born 1971); Academy Award winning American actress and director

You don't need to discuss much...

Good corporate citizenship is important in good times and bad. Throughout my career, gaming companies were early adopters of funding problem gaming programs, pioneering employee assistance practices, promoting volunteerism, adopting diversity initiatives, and supporting local causes. Those were good business decisions. In the past 5 months, these same gaming companies mostly paid all their employees throughout their closures, and many sponsored Covid-19 tests for their employees and communities. And when they got the green light to re-open, they implemented large-scale safety procedures to protest their employees and guests. Like many other leading companies, they’ve limited their businesses to allow for social distancing and made wearing masks mandatory for all. These are uncharted waters and the decisions they made were heavily researched and well-intended.  They could have just done the minimum, but they rose to the occasion and leveraged their influence to benefit their key stake holders. They were thoughtful, responsible, creative and committed. They didn't need a lot of discussion to know these decisions were good for everyone, including themselves. Step up and make decisions that are good for everyone today.

 

Lily Zheng: Diversity, equity & inclusion consultant, on entering the age of Corporate Social Justice

No need to be coy, Roy...

The Native American casinos in Oklahoma re-opened last month with policies that required masks and social distancing and their loyal customers rewarded that wise move with record business. Delta Airlines and Southwest Air committed to leaving the middle seats open and their loyal customers thanked them with their travel purchases. Walmart, CVS, Home Depot, Kroger, and many other retailers risked the ire of their customers with stringent safety policies and were rewarded with robust sales. And even though the media has focused on those bars and beaches that didn’t enforce safe practices, the majority of small businesses did what was right in order to re-open… and their loyal customers rewarded them with their business. Leaders, consumers, and individuals all have choices and the best thing they all can do right now is to put humanity above the almighty dollar. To limit their business, to practice restraint, to put others first. Now is not the time to hold back from making these tough choices… because they’re the right ones. They’re the surest and swiftest way out of this pandemic today.

 

Adam Zeitsiff: President and CEO of Gold's Gym

Make a new plan, Stan...

Doing things like you “used to” and are “supposed to” might not work in these complicated Covid-19 times: both might hold you back from the innovations needed to successfully transition to a new normal. This might be a good time to double down on employee engagement, asking employees to help with ideas about things like deciding where and how to work and meet, determining schedules that work for everyone, developing communication protocols that really do get the messaging across, and creating productivity guidelines and goals that are clear and practicable. A simple example might be agreeing to start meetings on time: since most meetings are Zoom-based these days, making remote attendees wait beyond the scheduled start time can cause confusion and anxiety: meeting hosts should be aware of this, discuss it with everyone involved, come up with an acceptable plan, and follow through on what you all agree to. Resetting work policies and practices is never easy and requires good change management skills: involve your employees in any changes and get their buy-in. Making decisions this way will help you all determine what should be done today.

 

Karen Uhlenbeck (born 1942): Mathematician, professor and first female winner of the prestigious Abel Prize for outstanding mathematicians

Make time to unwind...

Back in the day, my boss preached to us the importance of ‘re-potting’ ourselves every few years. To some, that meant changing companies or jobs and re-booting your career; to others it meant a ‘time-out’ to reflect on the past and create a new plan for their future. These days, the idea should be to stop and re-think how you’ll run your business, do your job, or manage your schedule in the post Covid-19 new normal. Working from home (WFH) was around before as an exception, but now companies are adapting to it by re-designing offices and workspaces, using technology to help people be more productive from anywhere, communicating more clearly, and learning to manage from a distance. The old Management-By-Walking-Around philosophy has been turned on its head by WFH strategies that physically separate people and teams… but the explosive growth of Zoom technology makes it potentially easier, albeit in a completely different format. And teamwork and employee engagement  are harder when at arm’s length, but smart companies and managers are connecting in multiple ways to create those same results. If you find yourself a little confused, take a time out, unplug for a few minutes, and get the full effect of your own personal re-boot. Almost everything will be better understood if you try that today.

 

Anne Lamott (born 1954): American novelist, writer, political activist, public speaker, and writing teacher

Be thoughtful...

I’m worn out from writing 96 messages already about this pandemic: I just want it to be done so I can go back to writing about corporate values. I feel like these have been a run-on sentence. I’ve tried to be thoughtful… but maybe they’re just words.  I’ve tried to be helpful… but after a while maybe they’re just more noise in these crazy times. Of course, they’re all just my opinion… and the media is full of opinions these days. Thankfully, we all have the freedom to speak our opinions… but that goes hand-in-hand with the freedom to be thoughtful and respectful. So, let me be clear: I think people should be careful and safe for themselves and others so as not to potentially spread this virus. Period. I don’t want to get sick and I don’t want to possibly make someone else sick. No other reason or agenda.  Not meant to be political. Just a simple adaptation of the old Golden Rule. Speak to others the way you want them to speak to you today.

 

Socrates (470 – 399 BC): Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, and Western ethical thought

Recognize the good in others...

I started writing these daily messages in 2008 for the pre-opening team at The Resort at Pelican Hill. I was inspired by the grandeur of that property and the vision of its leaders: they were able to see a resort on that site that nobody else had thought of before. They found motivation in my messages and encouraged me to keep writing them… and so I’ve continued for all these years. It’s amazing what a little reinforcement can do. I think of this often when I see others doing selfless things: I always thank Police and  Firemen for their dedication and commitment to our safety; I thank essential grocery store workers each time I shop; I thank healthcare workers when I see them in their recognizable scrubs; and I thank people for wearing masks (these days, that might be the most selfless thing a person can do). We all should be inspired by people who give of themselves to help others and remember to thank and reinforce their selfless actions. Don’t overlook the noble actions of others: think of a special way to thank them today.

 

Albert Szent-Györgyi von Nagyrápolt (1893 – 1986): Hungarian biochemist who won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937

Be a good host...

This quote makes me think of the butterflies and hummingbirds and lightening bugs that grace the woods around our Adirondack home. Each year, we buy geraniums to go with our perennial flowers, and these creatures return as if these were beacons for their journey. All we have to do is sit on our porch and enjoy their beauty. This year, we’re especially thankful for these visits amidst the relative isolation of these mountains, and for the safe practices that everyone around here adheres to. Unlike many places we see in the news, the small business proprietors around here encourage masks and distancing: they don’t want the virus to surge and be forced to close again. So, they tend their shops like gardeners tend their plantings and these practices attract the customers. It isn’t magic: people, like all nature’s creatures, will go where they’re welcome and safe. Mend and tend to your gardens today.

 

Mário de Miranda Quintana (1906 – 1994): Brazilian poet and translator.

Figure it out...

The most successful people and companies are the ones that admit they don’t know everything: they’re the ones that work hardest to discover what they need to do. Years ago, when we built and opened The Mirage, we had to admit we didn’t know everything about building the volcano and the atrium, hiring 5000 employees, and running a 3000 room resort.  We had to research and practice and learn. That took courage, a commitment to excellence, developing planning and implementation skills, being flexibile and willing to adapt, and coming up with excellent change and communications practices. None of those things came easily. Today, it’s dealing with a pandemic: nobody really knows what to do, so we all have to listen and learn and try to figure it out.  These things take being able to continuously say “I don’t know” and then using that attitude to help find new and creative solutions. I’m not suggesting that opening a hotel is the same as dealing with Covid-19, but the process of getting from point A to point B is the same. It’s not easy to admit you don’t know something, but it’s a good way to get inspired to figure things out today.

 

Maria Wisława Anna Szymborska (1923 –  2012): Polish poet, essayist, translator and recipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature

Know the facts...

When I was a kid, there was much talk of “acid rain” here in the Adirondacks: it was caused by pollution from coal plants and was seriously affecting this area. Environmental legislation was passed, and it saved the pristine beauty and health of these mountains and lakes. But starting in 2017, this pollution has started to come back because of changes to those regulations. Some people think all regulations are bad and I suppose there are some that have gone too far, but some actually are good.  But like with many things (like masks), it’s easy to generalize about stuff we don’t know enough about: that’s why making sure you know all the facts before making up your mind about something is so important. The internet and 24-hour news cycles bombard us with so much information that it’s often hard to know what’s right; but that same internet also offers access to really find the facts. Take the time to find out what you need to know before you go off half-cocked about something. That way you’ll be able to follow this interesting variation on the Golden Rule today.

 

Wendell Berry (born 1934): American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer

Make it or break it...

Unlike Peter Pan in Never-Never Land, we grow up in the real world and take on a growing list of life’s responsibilities and are responsible for our own actions. Yesterday I read  in the news that health care workers in Georgia and Florida are pleading for people to be safe and responsible so that they and their hospitals aren’t overrun with new Covid-19 patients. The spread of this virus has been proven to mostly occur when people without masks are in close proximity to one another, so it seems like a reasonable request that the rest of us adopt these simple practices, to promote them with people we know and work with, and to stop complaining that they’re an infringement on our personal liberties or a political attack. I know that there’s a lot of debate about this, but the fact that this outbreak is nearly out of control in more than 40 states means we all should consider our personal actions. And while I agree that this is a pain in the butt, compared to getting sick and being hospitalized, this seems to be the lessor of two evils. Lives are at stake and it’s in each of our hands to make or break this pandemic today.

 

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892 – 1973): English author (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings), poet, philologist, and academic. 

Good advice matters...

Walmart just announced they’ll require their customers to wear masks. The Oneida Nation here in upstate New York opened their casino before the Governor here allowed other businesses to do so… not just because they’re a sovereign nation, but also because they promised to require their customers and employees to wear them. There was a shortage of them early on, but now they’re available in all kinds of styles to fit everyone’s temperament and personality: the blue medical ones, bandanas, N-95s, tubes, homemade ones, cloth ones that are now available all over the internet, and even fancy designer ones. I have one with a smile on it (when necessary, I can wear it upside down as a frown). The number of new cases where masks were not advised or mandated clearly validates their use and the consensus (or grudging acceptance) finally seems to be moving in favor of wearing them. Get over the false politicization of masks and do your part: wear one yourself, encourage family and friends, make them mandatory where you work, celebrate their use, even make a game of it. It’s good advice, for sure, and should be followed by everyone, in their own way, today.  

Vidal Sassoon (1928 – 2012): British-American hairstylist, businessman, and philanthropist

Step up your game...

The world is struggling to re-open and air travel is big part of that. My niece traveled on American Airlines (AA) last week and told of crowded gates, full planes, and stressed out airline staff and customers. Alternatively, my daughter flew yesterday on Southwest Airlines (Southwest) and claimed it was professional and reassuring: they relocated their gates away from potentially crowded walkways, boarded in small groups to insure clear jetways and aisles, and the gate and cabin crews teamed up to successfully reinforce safety in their trademark upbeat style. Two different carriers and two different experiences, proving that seemingly vexing re-opening challenges can be overcome by creativity and teamwork. Leaders can’t take a half-hearted swing at these problems: they must advocate the right kinds of solutions, communicate effectively to all of their stakeholders, train and motivate their employees to work together to sell these solutions to their customers with commitment and passion, and stress the importance of teamwork and collaboration.   AA, in the first example (above), failed in their efforts and their business and reputation will possibly suffer from that; Southwest, in the second, pulled it off and will most likely continue outpacing their competition. Use teamwork and collaboration to help your company achieve its re-opening goals today.

 

Mattie Stepanek (1990-2004): Poet

Play the game...

Like a lot of people, I’ve started killing time by playing apps on my smartphone during this Covid-19-related isolation.  One I particularly like is game that challenges players to find words in scrambled letters: interestingly, the majority of the words often start with the same letter while a few begin with a  different one – I get lulled into thinking and seeing things one way and often can’t think to see the new formation.  The trick is keeping your mind open and discovering something you didn’t expect. As with a lot of things in life, we get so used to seeing, hearing, or doing things one way that we then have difficulty seeing alternatives. We’re not accustomed to wearing masks – so getting used to remembering to do that isn’t automatic.  And because it’s different, we might not see the value in it. But whether you agree or not, it’s hard to refute the fact that in those states and businesses that didn’t enforce this practice enough, the virus is now seemingly out of control (again)… and that wasn’t what was expected. Don’t get hung up on personalities and politics: look to find what you really need… and not just the things you expected. This may be one of the keys to being safe today.

 

Martha Grimes (born 1931): American writer of detective fiction

Be a team player...

I started writing these daily messages 12 years ago, all about corporate values and personal experiences: since Covid-19 hit, I’ve focused these on the leadership challenges related to this pandemic.  Had I not switched my focus to the virus, this week would have been dedicated to teamwork, a value that seemingly applies to both the virus and teamwork.  Because it’s becoming more and more apparent that teamwork is what it’s going to take to stop this from spreading. Whatever you think, this is a nasty virus that can be fatal – more than 130,000 Americans have died since March. If you don’t think that’s a lot, would you have wanted one of them to be someone in your family? Or a friend? Or a colleague? It may not have affected many in your neck of the woods, but there’s no denying what’s happening in Florida: everyone there wanted to go out, and yesterday they set a one day record of 15,200 new cases.  And it’s the same in more than 35 other states: like it or not, we’re all in this together. The only game plan that matters now for Team USA is to wear masks and practice social distancing. Those should be your team’s marching orders today.

 

Ted Danson (born 1947): Actor, Producer

 

Figure out what's right...

These days, it's difficult to figure out what to do in the face of this pandemic: is it right to isolate people or let them out to do what they wish; Or is it right to close businesses and keep people out of work or open the economy and let nature run its course? Each of those choices is an either/or proposition. But as with most things, the middle ground – one that requires collaboration – can be a reasonable compromise. In matters of life or death, which is true of Covid-19, reasonable people should opt for life; business leaders should opt for that also. That might not satisfy everyone, but it will certainly provide a path for businesses to reopen, people to go back to work, employees and customers to be protected, and this virus to be contained to a practicable degree. Figuring this out means listening to the science: wear masks and practice social distancing. The key is collaborating and creating a win-win for everyone. Know and do the right things today.  (Sorry if I again sound like a broken record.)

 

Lyndon Baines Johnson (1908 – 1973:  American politician (commonly referred to by his initials LBJ) who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969

Stay up to date on the facts...

Being home so much these days, I have the opportunity to talk to lots of family, friends and colleagues and one of the most common themes I hear from them is how much has changed during this pandemic. People are seemingly more aware of their surroundings, more attuned to other’s heath and well-being, more empathetic, and more open to changing their habits. Of course, there are some who won’t admit to any of this, feeling like they have something to prove by acting the way they’ve always acted, not giving an inch to the possibility that this virus might actually be dangerous or harmful. At some point, even the staunchest supporters of the status quo admit, if only to themselves, that they might be wrong. There’s nothing noble in thinking you’re better or smarter than others; true nobility is being smarter and better than your former self.  Effective leaders support continuous learning, and this is no different: even if you have to wade through a lot of information, it’s important to discover the latest about this virus every day. Learn, and be wiser and safer today. 

 

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961): Novelist, Nobel Prize Winner

Safety matters...

Carl Reiner, who passed away last week at the age of 98, was an entertainment genius in every sense of the word: immensely funny, and terribly successful, and wildly popular. Given his success and long life, we would be wise to take what he says seriously: that the key to longevity (and happiness and success) is to interact with other people. We’re all social animals to some extent, and the energy and satisfaction we gain from interacting with others is key to how we see ourselves and perceive the world around us. So being locked down was the exact opposite of what we know and how we live. Maybe that’s why people are flocking to get back to that thing we all need: social interaction.  But there is a much better and safer way to do that than what we’ve recently seen in scenes from bars and beaches and nightclubs and parties. Do whatever you want… but wear a mask; go wherever you wish… but wear a mask. That’s the key to interacting with people and protecting your health and longevity today.

 

Carl Reiner (1922 – 2020): American actor, comedian, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned seven decades

Open your mind...

Adapting to change is always difficult – even more so in times of ambiguity and uncertainty.  This pandemic has left many of us with questions: what’s real and what isn’t, what should we do and not do, and who should we listen to. The ambiguity related to these questions is more a matter of unclear and contradictory information: this is a challenge that leaders need to address. The uncertainty related to what we all should do is based in large part to mixed messaging: it’s not so much who’s right or wrong, but rather one of conflicting goals. There are enough good and bad examples of how best to re-open our economy and communities and also stay safe for us to now learn from. I’ll again refer to the Native American casinos that mandated masks for employees and customers as soon as they decided to re-open: strict enforcement, while controversial, has been effective in limiting the spread of Covid-19 there.  The businesses and communities that did not require masks are today suffering from heartbreaking numbers of new cases. Learn from these lessons – whether you like them or not -  and adapt appropriately today.

 

Ann Mukherjee: South Asian global marketing professional and current Chairman and CEO, North America at Pernod Ricard

Make up your own mind...

 

These days, there are a lot of people professing to know what’s right: that can make it hard for the rest of us to know what to do. I learned a long time ago that it’s unwise to make up your mind too quickly and, once you do, to be humble enough to know when that might be wrong. We all make choices based on many things – not the least of which is believing the people we like: that can make thinking or acting differently uncomfortable. Leaders should weigh all the facts and issues before deciding what’s the best course of action to take and then communicate their decisions clearly and unequivocally: people relying on them are owed that diligence.  This pandemic has been going on for 4 months: in that time, there have been several often contradictory instructions on the need to wear masks. The number of new cases now exploding around the country seem to support the need to do so. No matter what you’ve believed in these past, now seems to be the time to decide (and, in some cases, swallow your pride) and put on a mask for your own health and safety or, if you’re not particularly worried about that, then for the health and safety of those around you.  In my humble opinion, that seems to be the right thing to do today.

 

Confucius (551-479): Philosopher

Happy 4th of July...

“I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom.” Bob Dylan

 

July 4^th  - Independence Day – is the perfect time to reflect on the meaning of freedom and responsibility. Throughout America’s history, there have been countless heroes who’ve made our country what it is today. The founders that crafted a Constitution that has endured the test of time and many tribulations, the men and women who’ve served throughout the past 244 years, and so many others, including the essential workers who’ve kept America going through this current pandemic, all loved their country more than themselves and understood what it costs to preserve the freedoms we all enjoy. Whatever they believed, when it came time they put that aside to make sure “We the People” remained “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all”. In my lifetime, there have been many trying times: in each, heroes made sure that liberty and justice were preserved. Salute the flag this weekend – not the political parties and people that lead them, and re-commit to the degree of responsibility that comes with the freedoms we enjoy. Be a hero today.

 

Bob Dylan (born Robert Allen Zimmerman; 1941): American singer-songwriter, author, and visual artist 

Practice good citizenship...

Some things that are just plain scary.  When we were kids, we played in the basement of my parent’s house: when done, we nervously bolted up the stairs as if some unseen menace was after us. Nothing ever happened, but we never got over imagining that it could.  I still get the willies when thinking about dark basements, but the fear of getting this virus and being hospitalized alone is much worse. I wear a mask and practice social distancing to cut down on the chances of getting infected and, more importantly, so that I won’t infect others. That’s part of the good citizenship principles we teach our children and preach to employees: leaders need to stress those now more than ever. Unlike imaginary basement monsters, this virus is real, and the chances of catching it grow immeasurably when common-sense safety guidelines are not practiced. Just because someone hasn’t been infected yet doesn’t mean they never will. Don’t ever forget that what we do affects others. Practice good citizenship and common-sense safety today.

 

Harold Pinter (1930 – 2008): British playwright, screenwriter, director, actor, and Nobel Prize winner

Don't take unnecessary chances...

“Luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and not many people can keep their balance on it.” Hunter S. Thompson

 

I know a bit about luck. I was a keen observer of it for many years while working in the gaming industry: the odds there are always in the house’s favor. With Covid-19, however, luck is a very thin wire between survival and disaster, and a growing number of people seem unable to be keep their balance on it. The CDC just reported that they now know that this virus can be transmitted simply by talking around other people (in addition to the previously reported sneezing and coughing). Given that, the odds related to drawing cards, spinning a ball or shooting dice are much different than taking your chance in a crowd without a mask. In casino games, you might lose your money; in a match-up with the virus, you stand to lose your health or life, or those of people you love. Is it worth it? I respect that each person has their own opinion, but as a leader in business, you have to consider the odds… and err on the side of safety, not luck. Continue to diligently enforce all recommended safety precautions – don’t take any unnecessary chances and have your luck run out today.

 

Hunter Stockton Thompson (1937 – 2005): American journalist and author, and the founder of the gonzo journalism movement