Stay focused...

fo·cus

/ˈfōkəs/

noun

1.

the center of interest or activity.

"this generation has made the environment a focus of attention"

2.

the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition.

"his face is rather out of focus"

 

Verb

1.

(of a person or their eyes) adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly.

"try to focus on a stationary object"

2.

pay particular attention to.

"the study will focus on a number of areas in Wales"

 

Building casinos, it was all about attention to detail: focusing on all of them – big or small.  It’s the same with everything you do – making a detailed plan, scheduling it out, and following it closely. Like planning dinner, or an event, or a project. I’ve always found that getting into the details is exciting, making the effort enjoyable. It’s not always easy but being passionately engaged in a project makes the time pass quickly. I don’t care what it is – if you’re not into something, it painful getting up every day and returning to it. And you can easily lose focus; once that happens, any number of things can go wrong. Because you’re not paying attention. And once that happens, you can easily lose control. So, focus on whatever you dreamed up or want to do, and keep that focus for yourself and everyone working with you. And keep your eye on the details. That’s how to be passionately engaged today.

 

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 – 1910): known by the pen name Mark Twain, he was an American writer, humorist and essayist. Some say the best American humorist ever.

Look around for the cause(s) of your despair...

·      If you can’t find or keep good employees, it’s probably not them.

·      The solutions to those problems might be right under your nose.

 

Too many people work at jobs they just don’t like, for companies that don’t seem to care, and bosses that don’t give them enough quality time. And because they don’t love what they do, they don’t do it with much conviction and passion. With so many jobs available today, that seems like a solution to their despair. But maybe not – maybe many of those open jobs are in companies where those unhappy people work. So, if you’re a manager at a company that is having trouble finding or retaining employees, look around. Do you have exciting and welcoming onboarding and orientation programs? Do you provide helpful new-hire training to your employees. Are there promotional opportunities for your employees? Are there coaching and mentoring programs that your employees take advantage of? Do your managers practice emotional intelligence? Are there effective communications strategies that keep everyone informed and engaged? And are you encouraged to catch your employees doing things right? If you can’t answer yes to all those questions, then the answers to your recruiting and retention problems are right in front of you. Go see your boss and passionately inquire what you can do to help jumpstart these very effective recruiting and retention strategies. The ones that make people love what they do. The ones that can make your employees committed and passionate today.

 

Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm (born 1972): American former professional football player, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion. Hamm was the face of the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional women's soccer league in the United States.

Every day is a blessing: don't waste a minute of any of them...

·      I’m always looking for good quotes.

·      Today’s made me think of my mortality.

 

You can look at a quote like today’s and think about how much time you have left. Or you can think that life is about filling whatever time you have with the things you love. And there’s no end to those, or the times we can fill with them. Like a friend of my daughter – she got married this past weekend and her 102-year-old grandmother celebrated the occasion by dancing with the groom – how inspiring is that? Or a friend who spends his time connecting people and their businesses and then sits back and watches the magic happen. Almost a year ago I cut the tips of my fingers off and was despondent that I’d never play the guitar again. Then I ran into a guy who makes guitars and, on the side, makes amazing finger protectors and extenders for people who have trouble playing them – and just like that I’m playing again and getting back into my rhythm. Whatever you do, or want to do, make sure it’s something you love. And just when you think there’s nothing more, look in the mirror and remind yourself to cherish your excitement while you have it. Then get right back to doing the things you love today.

 

Lucy Varna: American professional genealogist, astrophysicist-wannabe turned anthropology major, author, and blogger who lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northeast Georgia. Personal blog: The Knitting Writer

GiddyUp...

·      Honor your calling. 

·      Everybody has one. 

·      Trust your heart, and success will come to you. 

 

Some people just want to get their foot in the door. Others want to fast track to a management position. Either case, you won’t get there as fast as you want if you don’t harness your power to your passion. Think about that: doing what you love is the best and easiest way to achieve your goals. I used to love recruiting hospitality school graduates – they knew what they wanted and spent four years building their knowledge, skills, and abilities. All we had to do was show them a path, provide some coaching, give them a mentor or two, and then let them harness their power to their passion. Companies that say they can’t find good employees don’t know what they’re looking for or how to spot them – they should start looking in trade and specialty schools for people who are there because that’s what they love to do. Sure, they don’t have lots of experience, but they won’t have too many bad habits either, just a passion looking for a career. Find them, give them some training, and a chance to fly. It was easy to do in the hospitality business and can be the same in lots of other businesses too. Look for people who know what they want and are looking to fly; give them a job and some training today.

 

Oprah Winfrey (born 1954): American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor who was often ranked as the most influential woman in the world.

Make all your dreams come true...

·      Start each day with vision and hope.

·      And work hard to end it with achievement.

 

Today’s quote implies that a balanced approach to life is crucial. Much like beginning your day with a good breakfast to nourish and sustain you, hope fills you with enthusiasm and motivation to set our intentions and keeps us moving forward. But while having hope is great at the start, at the end of the day it won’t be worth much more than disappointment if your hopes aren’t realized. You must get actively involved with every facet of the plan to make those hopes and dreams come true. Whatever you’re doing – building something, working on a project at work, or having friends for dinner, it needs your focus and energy to make it happen. Make a plan, communicate it to others, work collaboratively, give and get feedback, provide coaching or training where needed, and celebrate small wins throughout the day. As one of my favorite colleagues used to say, ‘nothing comes easy’. But if it’s worth doing, then commit yourself to doing it well and finishing it. Nothing will get done without your active involvement today.

 

Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626): English philosopher and statesman who served as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England under King James I and led the advancement of both natural philosophy and the scientific method.

Put your heart and soul into whatever you do...

If I had a song

I'd sing it in the morning

I'd sing it in the evening

All over this land

I'd sing out danger

I'd sing out a warning

I'd sing out love between

My brothers and my sisters 

All over this land.  Words by Pete Seeger, Popularized by Peter Paul and Mary

 

The answer my friend is blowin’ in the wind. Bob Dylan

 

There but for fortune go you or I. Words by Phil Ochs; Popularized by Joan Baez Baez

 

My guitar-playing days started around the time that Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, and Peter Paul and Mary started playing their music and singing their songs. With titles like Where Have all the Flowers Gone, Blowin’ in the Wind, It Ain’t Me Babe, I Ain’t Marching Anymore, If I Had a Hammer, and There But for Fortune. Songs I could play with words that inspired me and others to want to get involved. Every generation has their “movement” and these troubadours led a generation of activists wanting to make things better. Because every generation sees the future with despair, their songs and words served as the call to action. And when you’re doing things with a purpose, feeling excited about the goals you’ve set, there’s no time for despair. It’s the same with life and work: if you think things are hopeless, or that your energy and efforts don’t make a difference, double down – get involved in discussions, lend you voice to the planning, volunteer your time to the work to be done, and approach it all with an optimistic, can-do attitude. Make the force of your presence felt and you’ll be energized. When there’s somewhere to go and something to be done there’s no time for worry and what-ifs. Let action be your antidote to despair today.

 

Joan Baez (born - 1941): American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice.

Let involvement spur you on...

For the people who grew up in the 60s, listening to John F. Kennedy say we were going to put a man on the moon in that decade sounded beyond imagination. But he challenged everyone to get behind that amazing goal: we watched as first rockets went into space and then astronauts followed, and before that decade ended Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did indeed walk on the moon. Some of those rockets failed and some of the early astronauts died, but the people working on the project didn’t see those as weaknesses, only greater challenges to overcome. 

·      When we opened the Mirage, one of our Casino Pit Managers, Sal Fazio, regaled us with stories of his prior career in the aerospace industry working on the lunar landing module. He too told of failures that lead to greater accomplishments; so, when we finally got that pace-setting new resort open he complimented us on having the same grit and drive as those moon landing teams. That was a comment that touched all who participated in that casino project. Big or small, getting involved in something and working as a team gives everyone the energy to overcome whatever happens and keep going. That’s a great way to feel alive and growing today.

 

Buzz Aldrin (born 1930): American former astronaut, engineer, and fighter pilot. He made three spacewalks as pilot of the 1966 Gemini 12 mission and was the Lunar Module Eagle pilot on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. He was the second person to walk on the Moon after mission commander Neil Armstrong.

Sweat the small stuff...

Managers want their employees to feel strongly about what they do:

 

in·tense

/inˈtens/

adjective

1.     of extreme force, degree, or strength.

2.     having or showing strong feelings or opinions; extremely earnest or serious.

 

Managers want their employees to be engaged in what they do:

 

in·volve·ment

/inˈvälvmənt,inˈvôlvmənt/

noun

1.     the fact or condition of being involved with or participating in something.

2.     emotional or personal association with someone.

 

Because intensely involved employees often produce extraordinary results.

 

ex·traor·di·nar·y

/ikˈstrôrdnˌerē,ekˈstrôrdnˌerē/

adjective

1.     very unusual or remarkable.

 

Talk to your employees about the kinds of results you expect. Teach them how to be intensely involved and intensely engaged in their work. Coach and help them to discover how they can best do that. Then catch them doing it right. Because where there is an intense level of involvement, even the small things can become extraordinary. Training and Coaching are the best ways to get the most out of your people. Intense involvement is best way to get extraordinary results. Consider this when managing your peeps today.

 

Sadhguru (born Jagadish Vasudev in 1957): Yoga teacher, bestselling author, founder and head of the Isha Foundation in India, and a frequent speaker at international forums.

Look in a window as you do in a mirror...

·      Not everything has a mixed meaning.

·      Most things are exactly as they seem.

 

In the world of art, it’s about what you see and how it makes you feel. In the world of customer service, it’s about how the guest perceives their experience. And in the world of management, it’s about how a leader makes others feel. In each it’s about making an authentic impression followed by genuine caring. At work, the culture sets the tone, and your actions should support it. Openness is supported by transparency. Trust is supported by respect. Integrity is supported by ethical behavior. Excellence is supported by attention to detail. Caring is supported by concern. Communication is supported by listening. Effectiveness is supported by clarity. In each, what you see often reflects what is seen in you. Be a role model. Practice emotional intelligence. Be as engaged as you want others to be. Get involved in making the workplace what you want it to be and what your employees hope it will be. A workplace culture - just like a painting or great service, happens on purpose, not by accident.  Everything is by design – good or bad. Look carefully and you’ll see what you see today.

 

Frank Stella (May 12, 1936 – May 4, 2024): American painter, sculptor, and printmaker, noted for his work in the areas of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction.

You don't always have to be so serious...

·      Some things just crack you up.

·      Others are more sobering.

·      Find the balance.

 

I used to love laughing it up with my employees – good times, for sure, and sometimes the joke was on me. Work can be humorless at times – treating serious business seriously is important. But sometimes it’s good to lighten things up – doesn’t need to be a joke, but the kinds of interactions that humanize the workplace are good. Even cathartic. Like being okay when your employees have some fun with you – on my 40^th birthday they decorated the place in black tombstones and roses, poking fun at the death of my youth. I loved it. No matter what, celebrate employees having a good time in good taste for good reasons. There’s a time for fun, and a time for seriousness – both are important at the proper times and, as a leader, you get to adjust the rheostat in search of the right balance. When work is fun the work doesn’t seem so much like work. People having a good time will do great work today.

 

Don Wright (1934 - 2024)>American editorial cartoonist who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his work.