Commit to physical and spiritual self-improvement

·      A little bit better can be a big improvement.

·      So, don’t overlook the small stuff.

 

I spent a lot of time during my career perfecting new hire onboarding and training. The focus groups we conducted with employees consistently told us that a key retention strategy included training employees, so they felt competent, confident, and comfortable. We made sure that employees in every job received this and then we started hearing that they wanted to learn more about the jobs they intersected with so they could help others and find ways for others to help them. It’s where two jobs overlap, each one providing a part of the overall development of something or service to someone. An example would be on a casino floor where dealers, their supervisors, cocktail servers, general cleaners, security, and slot attendants all have a hand in making creating the overall experience of a casino guest. So, we then included that overall information, and training how to use it, in the effected employee’s training. It was a little thing, but it resulted in making those intersections better without creating something completely new and different. And it started because we asked if there was anything we could do to improve the effectiveness of their training.  The moral of this story: ask employees how to improve things and they’ll give you lots of little suggestions. And that’s how to get improvements started today.

 

The Business Warrior’s Dojo is a blog dedicated to the path of improving business performance @ https://businesswarriorsdojo.com/about/

Don't be afraid to try something different...

·      Most new things we take on tend to be scary.

·      Success comes when you work through your fears.

 

After college I started out working in my family’s business. It was something I’d known my whole life. It was challenging, but because I knew it, it was comfortable. That business was sold when I was in my early 30s and I made a huge leap into the unknown world of gaming. Exciting, yes; but outside my comfort zone. And it was scary; but I knew that I wanted it, so I had to work through my fear. I knew HR; I liked working with people; I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives; and it was an opportunity to do something different. It was a great lesson: changing jobs and careers is scary and I learned the importance of making people comfortable going through that. It was lesson in on-boarding, and it has stayed with me throughout the rest of my career. Be aware of what others are going through when they’re making changes in their lives – support them, listen to them, coach them, and be there for them, with a friendly smile and a willing shoulder to lean on. Show them there’s nothing to be afraid of today. 

 

George Washington Adair (1823 – 1899): American real-estate developer in post-Civil War Atlanta.

Don't believe everything you hear: sometimes the best ideas get the most pushback....

ab·surd

/əbˈsərd/

adjective

wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate.

"that idea is patently absurd"

 

In 2003, I wanted to find a way out of getting buried in applications, HR forms, and personnel files. People thought my idea for a paperless HR environment was absurd: mostly because computers weren’t yet designed to do things like that. I thought Xerox might be interested – but they were more into copying than reducing paperwork. I thought Microsoft would have some ideas – Word docs could be saved, but not online job applications and HR forms. I asked Peoplesoft – they weren’t interested in configuring their system that way. But then I found some IT developers who were willing to think outside the box with me – Derek at Recruitmax, Bob at Infinium, and Mauricio was a Peoplesoft developer who loved the challenge of seeing if he could make that system do what it was designed to do but was never allowed to. People who knew that crazy was good. People who didn’t mind being called crazy. People who wanted to push the boundaries farther. People who kept telling each other it could be done. And we did it. Many were amazed that we were able to turn absurd into absolutely. Don’t let your crazy ideas keep you from trying to create something cool today.

 

Albert Einstein (1879–1955); German-born theoretical physicist who is widely held to be one of the greatest and most influential scientists of all time.

There's nothing like a second-chance...

·      I’ve been credited with several HRIS innovations.

·      But I’ve also had my share of HRIS failures.

·      The second helped drive the first.

 

While working on the Mirage opening, we tried building a combined Finance, HR, and Payroll system. During that project, we learned a lot about developing the specifications for a new system’s components – we felt confident they would result in a system better than any others we saw on the market at that time. We turned those over to a team of developers in another city and quickly learned that project management was maybe more important than the design – their shoddy work resulted in a system that failed dramatically right after the property opened. That failure drove us to conduct a wide-ranging review from which we learned much; unfortunately, the company didn’t allow us to do it over. We quickly bought an off-the-shelf program that, while stable, didn’t offer the depth and breadth of functions we had been hoping to have. And from that failure came the understanding and confidence to try again for the opening of Bellagio and again for Wynn Las Vegas. Those innovative projects would not have been possible without the failures we experienced with the first project. Period. Learn from your failures today.

 

Casandra Brené Brown (born 1965) is an American professor, author, and podcast host known for her work on shame, vulnerability, and leadership.

Set lofty objectives...

as·pire

/əˈspī(ə)r/

verb

1.

direct one's hopes or ambitions towards achieving something.

 

If you have ambitions towards achieving something, aspire greatly. Start by making a personal commitment to doing the best you can – that won’t always be easy, but the results will be worth it. I’ve watched tens of thousands of people start with that in mind on their first day of employment and never let up. They get what they want because they stay focused, continuously learning to be better and more effective, and never settling for less than stellar effort. A first-in-her-family college grad who went on to become an employee of the year; an ex-offender who earned and made the most of his second chance became a manager, homeowner, and wonderful father; a housekeeping attendant leveraged his multi-lingual skills to become a popular and effective casino marketing executive; a landscaper who was dedicate to learning horticultural skills went on to lead her department and then start her own successful company; and the list goes on and on. These and many others aspired greatly and knew that anything less than a commitment to excellence would become an acceptance of mediocrity.  Set lofty objectives and don’t give up until you achieve them. That’s the best way to manage your ambitions towards achieving something today.

 

Brian Tracy (born 1944): Canadian American motivational public speaker and self-development author.

Find satisfaction in your achievements...

·      Excellence is a real accomplishment.

·      One that stays with you for life.

 

It’s been more that 25 years since Bellagio opened here in Las Vegas and not a week goes by that I don’t hear from one of the more than 11,000 employees and contractors who opened or worked on that property with me. The message that every one of them conveys is how demanding and fulfilling that experience was; most say it’s the best thing they ever did. I wholeheartedly agree with that and love seeing the spark in their eyes when they talk about what we accomplished back then. We pushed ourselves to the limit with the knowledge that the excellence was in the details. The mosaic marble throughout the lobby and retail promenade, the Chihuly chandelier in the lobby, the conservatory of floral exhibits, the grandeur of the casino, and the iconic fountains out front. To me, the stained-glass dome in the employee entrance, the carpeted back of house hallways, and the employee dining room were emblematic of the company’s focus on the excellence of employee relations. There’s something in all of our lives that represents the best we ever did – when it happens, you’ll know. It’s the kind of thing that fills you with a pride that stays with you forever. Wear your excellent achievements like a badge of honor today.

 

Gregory L. Sullivan (1934-2022): American Air Force veteran and School Principal in the Dudley-Charlton (Mass.) Regional School District.

Do your best every time...

·      Don’t distract your people by demanding perfection.

·      The more appropriate goal is excellence in everything they do.

 

Zero tolerance, zero defects, and failure isn’t an option are some of the objectives that companies declare. They’re laudable, and make great sound bites – but like perfection, they are almost never attainable. They set a standard, however, something to strive for, and it’s that standard, when applied to every effort of every person working to achieve it, that drives people to be the best they can be. That’s a motivator, and it’s good for production and morale. But be careful not to set perfection as your goal, because when it isn’t attained, people might feel like they failed. But if they strive to make everything they do as good as it can be, and each result is praised when success is achieved and studied when it falls short, they’ll learn along the way, grow stronger by their experiences, and ultimately achieve excellence. And they’ll feel like they hit it out of the park (or whatever metaphor works for you). The casinos I opened were pretty darn good, but far from perfect. But people loved them, and we felt great with what we accomplished. Motivate your peeps with good goals, recognize their achievements, coach them as needed, and keep them focused on excellence today.

 

Vince Lombardi (1913 – 1970): American football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). Lombardi is considered one of the greatest coaches and leaders in the history of all American sports.

Find something you'd love to improve...

·      We spend most of our time doing ordinary things.

·      You’re spending the time doing them.

·      Why not try to do them better.

 

During my career I did lots of cool things – most were just trying to make them a little bit easier or better. I got involved in building applicant tracking systems because I wanted a better way to store, track, and retrieve data. Everybody got involved with their own reasons and ideas. One of my colleagues came up with what I thought was the simplest idea that, one that made everyone happy: he suggested that when hitting the return key, the cursor would automatically go right to the next space on the app: sounds simple, but remember, this was in 2003 and things like that were almost revolutionary. When that project launched, everyone was amazed – but to us it was just doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. In life and work, we’re surrounded by things that seem mundane, but they’re full of opportunities to take one simple thing and make it as extraordinary as we can imagine. Chances are it won’t be that hard – incremental improvements rarely are. But the thrill and wonder of seeing them competed is worth it. Make something ordinary into extraordinary today.

 

John W. Gardner (1912 –2002): American educator, politician (Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) under President Lyndon Johnson), and founder of Common Cause.

Get ready in every way for each new day...

·      We all get bored doing the same things every day.

·      Self-improvement gets rid of that boredom.

 

Every time we opened a new hotel, we looked for ways to improve on what was done before. Each opening was followed by a period of review and reflection, and those notes became the basis for future planning. One doesn’t have to participate in big projects to participate in these kinds of reviews. Take time at the end of each day to take stock of what just happened and make a mental note about what was good or not, and what could be improved. Some keep a diary, others record notes to self on their smart phones – however you choose, it’s a good way to continually improve your personal and professional effectiveness. And at the beginning of a day or week, these can be used to better set and prepare for your daily or weekly activities. Share your thoughts with those you work or collaborate with and use this format to energize and motivate yourself and those you’re with. Don’t get stuck in a rut – strive for excellence today.

 

Dr. Harriet Braiker (1948-2004): American social and clinical Ph.D. psychologist, best-selling author (The Type E Woman: How to Overcome the Stress of Being Everything to Everybody).

Give credit where credit is due...

·      In the context of work, how many times do you say “I”?

·      Now reflect on how many of those should have been “We”? 

 

It’s a common mistake. Food servers who say “I have” rather than “We have” a menu item. Substitute any job and the same happens often. I think it’s a mindset, one that can be set straight by leaders. Stress the benefits of working together AND acknowledging one another – discuss those benefits and continually recognize the “We”. Talk about the many ways that people and jobs intersect with each other to create the whole product or service – like automobile intersections, getting it right takes practice. Catch people using “We” and gently correct people using “I” – not by calling them out, but by recognizing and rewarding all the times you hear “We”.  And every time you use “I”, stop and apologize – be a role model for “We”.  At the end of the day, the ratio of We’s to I’s is the best indicator of the development of a team. It’s a work in progress, but one you should reinforce today.

 

Lewis B. Ergen: for only the 2^nd time in my 15 years of writing these daily messages, I can’t find any bio info on an author. Let me know if you know who he is.

Make sure everybody gets there...

·      The team that pulls together, wins together.

·      That concept applies equally to sports and work teams.

 

In the mid 1980s, the Las Vegas Parks Department began sponsoring Olympic-style games called the Corporate Challenge in which most local businesses fielded employees to compete against other corporate teams. The Golden Nugget saw this as a great team building exercise and teams of employees competed in more than 25 categories. We were coached by an executive who had been a 4-letter athlete in college and an employee who had played professional football. The first event was tug-of-war, and they fielded a team that practiced relentlessly – they wanted to set the tone for the rest of the games. The rules called for a team that had a maximum weight limit – their plan was to pick generally smaller players, so they had more total bodies than other teams. More bodies meant more legs and their mantra was that nobody could win unless everybody wins. The other teams scoffed at us, but in the end, the gold went to our team. And that lesson was applied to work teams throughout the company and became a part of our corporate culture. Everybody pulling together, helping each other, and winning together. Manage with the conviction that nobody can get there unless everybody gets there today.

 

Virginia Burden (1919-2008): American author (The Process of Intuition).