Know what it takes to get there...

I always thought I was born to be in HR – not sure if that’s a holdover from a previous life or growing up in the 50s and 60s. As far back as I can remember I was drawn to helping others – I was doing it before I knew what it was. I think most people know early on what kind of things they’re attracted to, and in interviews I wanted to learn about them. Asking questions like ‘who’s your favorite historical figure, and why’. Helps candidates realize what’s important and know what they like and want. It’s akin to any goal setting process – in this instance it’s personal rather than organizational. Start with the end in mind, knowing where you want to go. Then make plans, identify milestones, and set timelines to get there. The kinds of things that you'll feel fulfilled and proud of when you get there. So, make time to know what you like and want – short and long-term - create a plan and a timeline for yourself. I think you know that tune, so pick up the music and start playing today. 

 

Milton Teagle "Richard" Simmons (1948 – 2024) was an American fitness instructor and television personality. He was a promoter of weight-loss programs and aerobics videos.

Just be honest...

In any situation, it’s always best to tell the truth, especially when the truth is ‘I don’t know’. I’ve often seen people attempt to make up an answer rather than just admit that they don’t know. Like there’s some stigma about not knowing something, even when getting the answer is relatively easy. When I taught college classes I was surprised how students today readily take out their phones to find information – that was then, but now it’s common to do that. And nobody seems to care. Because the bottom line is to get whatever information that’s needed, quickly and easily. And keep going. Used to be people bragged about knowing most everything, but now it’s about just in time information from wherever. As leaders, we must recognize the initiative to get the information as much as the ready knowledge. Don’t wear yourself out trying to be a smarty pants – know what you know and know where to look when you don’t. And never be embarrassed to say ‘I don’t know’ today.

 

Karola Ruth Westheimer (1928 – 2024): better known as Dr. Ruth, was a German and American sex therapist and talk show host.

Enjoy a good laugh...

Keep a tally of good and not so good things that happen in one of your normal days – if it’s 50.01 to the good, or better, that’s good. The remainder has the potential to get you down – that’s why it’s good to find things to laugh about.  Bad things, or at least not so good things, can happen at any time – how you deal with them is what’s important. If you’re responsible for it – be aware, learn, and move on. If you’re just dealing with it – treat it as one more thing to do and move on. Recognize your successes, laugh about and celebrate them, and be proud of them. And don’t spend any time waiting for someone else to mention them – if they do, great and, if not, it’s still all good. Whenever my good friend and colleague Jim Poetese and I discussed things gone wrong, he’d suddenly stop the chatter with “don’t get me started”, and the laugh that ensued helped us move on. Getting back into the rhythm of doing good stuff. Being proud that we shook things off and moved on with a purpose. Because, if you can laugh you can get though it today.

 

George Robert “Bob” Newhart (1929 – 2024): American comedian and actor who has received three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2002.

Focus on your own goals...

I love watching the Olympics, mostly for the competitions, but also for the moment in time when everyone seems to get along, when people have goals and work so hard to achieve them. They remind me of the people I worked with throughout my career, who set career goals based on what they wanted, not what someone else wanted for them. I wouldn’t normally include the two in the same message, but as I watch the events on TV, I continue to get countless social media messages from former Mirage colleagues who are reminiscing after the property’s recent closure after 34 years. One thread was from the mother and daughter who stayed up all night to be first in line when the employment center first opened, and how I met them and offered them a job right on the spot for proving they wanted it so much (BTW – the mom went on to proudly become an Employee of the Year). Another thread was about deciding which employees would be able to transfer to Bellagio – we had more employees from our other properties who wanted to go than there were jobs available, so we came up with the idea to hold a lottery. When the results were in, we were shocked that another Employee of the Year was not selected – I wanted to start over and find another way, but he graciously said he was proud to stay at the Mirage to help keep the magic going there. These, and so many others, made up the team of employees that I was proud to work with. Because their pride, like that of these Olympic athletes, was derived from dreaming big and staying focused. Focus on your own goals today.

 

Kathleen Genevieve “Katie” Ledecky (born 1997): American competitive swimmer. She has won seven Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals, the most in history for a female swimmer.

Treat others like you want to be treated...

The messages this week have been about kindness and compassion, 2 types of actions that I’ve suggested leaders should be passionate about. Doing them with employees creates a workplace culture that runs on trust and respect and results in employee and guest satisfaction. The reward is knowing you are treating people the way they want to be treated, and the bonus is that they’ll then double-down on dedication and loyalty. It’s the antithesis of managing by fear, something found in too many organizations. The acts are most often small and personal, like greeting them by name at the start of a shift, talking to them and listening to their ideas and feedback, recognizing their efforts, coaching them to find what they want, and saying goodbye at the end of the day. Small things that are focused and memorable. The things you wanted when you were in their shoes. And which now that you’re not you must remember to do. Make your organization stand out by treating your employees with kindness and compassion today.

 

William John Bennett (born 1943): American politician and political commentator who served as secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 under President Ronald Reagan and director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under George H. W. Bush.

Keep an eye on the good stuff...

·      Pay attention to the things you want repeated.

·      That attention breeds repetition.

 

Effective leaders are passionate about doing the things it takes to be effective. That was not intended to be a tongue-twister – just a thought to ponder. It’s not just mastering the technical elements of the job – many of which got you promoted. It’s also those other things that are learned and practiced throughout days of engaged activity with your team – things like: providing clear instructions, working with them, actively listening to their feedback and input, coaching when needed, monitoring performance, recognizing where appropriate, adapting to changing situations, and showing care and concern. If you do these things effectively, your peeps will feel understood and supported, and that will breed the excitement to continue going. I like to say that managing and supervising is a full-contact sport, with you in the middle. I know you have so many other administrative things that tie you down behind a desk or computer screen, but your best work is on your feet. That, alone, breeds excitement, so stay on your toes today.

 

Annie Lennox (born 1954): Scottish singer-songwriter (Eurythmics), political activist, and philanthropist.

Put yourself in someone else's shoes...

act

/ak(t)/

verb

1.     take action; do something.

 

kind·ness

/ˈkīn(d)nəs/

noun

1.     the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

 

Put yourselves in your employee’s shoes. Remember what it was like when your boss gave you a kind word and how that made you feel. In that context, you’ll realize that there is no small act of kindness. Each carries meaning, motivation, and inspiration. Each one makes large the world of those receiving them. So, slow down, walk around, and act kindly to those you work with. There’s no telling how much good that can do today.

 

Mary Anne Radmacher (born 1957): American writer and artist who conducts workshops on living a full, creative, balanced life, teaches Internet writing seminars, and works with individual clients.

Be fair and open minded...

People make judgments all the time and many are influenced by relationships and stereotypes. Effective leaders are open minded and make business and employment related decisions based on objective criteria. That’s a concept they should stress to new supervisors and managers they hire or promote. 

 

Coach them to: 

·      Get to know the people they supervise – meet in small meetings, exchange introductions, discuss operations, solicit feedback, and exhibit your interest in teamwork. 

·      Spend most of their time “on the floor”, observing, working together, and learning to better understand and trust each other’s perspectives. 

·      Understand the jobs that their peeps do to inform them of their effectiveness and value. 

·      Use this time to take a measure of and really get to know each other. 

 

Mentor them to respect that we are all different; don’t judge, understand instead. 

·      Explain how and why (1) that’s the foundation of good working relationships, (2) it supports informed and objective decision making, (3) promotes a fair and open work environment, and (4) becomes the basis for trust and respect today.

 

Robert T. (Bob) Bennett (1939 – 2014): American attorney, CPA, and political executive who was the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party.

Do something unexpected...

un·ex·pect·ed

/ˌənəkˈspektəd,ˌənekˈspektəd/

adjective

·       not expected or regarded as likely to happen.

 

 

kind·ness

/ˈkīn(d)nəs/

noun

·       the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

 

Most employees don’t expect acts of kindness – that’s why you should include them in your repertoire when managing your peeps. It can be something as simple as saying ‘good morning’, ‘thank you’, and ‘good night’. Or as spontaneous as catching them doing things right. Or as planned as recognizing employee excellence in your regular meetings. Those are the kind of things that set a tone and help create a culture of caring and engagement. And because they are unexpected, they’re the most powerful, least costly, and most underrated agents of human change. When your managers complain they don’t have things to give their employees, remind them of these; encourage them to use these; and recognize them when they use these kinds of powerful tools. We all want our employees to be passionate about their work – it starts with you being passionate and compassionate and builds from there. Show some unexpected kindness today.

 

Joseph Robert “Bob” Kerrey (born 1943): American politician who served as the 35th governor of Nebraska and as a United States Senator from Nebraska, and as a United States Navy SEAL officer In the Vietnam War was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in combat.

Remembering The Mirage...

In 1990, shortly after The Mirage opened (and 1 year before today’s author graduated from high school), I gave a presentation to a group of global Coopers and Lybrand executives - they were the company’s external auditors and wanted to learn more about our opening. I explained how we hired for attitude and trained for skills and spoke about our philosophy that employee relations drove customer relations, which together drove profitability. And then I went on to describe the many programs that fueled our positive employee relations practices and programs, including catching employees doing things right, explaining “why”, extensive new-hire and management training programs, back-of-house employee areas that were every bit as nice as the front-of-house customer areas (including an employee dining room that was free for employees who could also bring guests for free), The Management Associate program (recruitment of recent hospitality college graduates), a program that rewarded perfect attendance, programs that recognized and rewarded community volunteerism, a concierge program for employees, and a landmark collective bargaining contract with the Culinary Union. These were spotlighted in my presentation, later covered extensively in industry and academic publications, and eventually copied by many other companies – big and small, around the world.  The Mirage closed its doors this week to make way for a new Hard Rock Casino Resort. The media was filled recently with stories about its incredible 34-year run and how it revolutionized Las Vegas and the gaming industry – in part because of its size and scale and volcano, but more importantly because of its employee relations concepts and happy employees. You may not have a volcano, but you can and should have programs that ensure happy employees today.

 

Simon Sinek (born 1973): English-born American author and inspirational speaker on business leadership. His books include Start with Why (2009) and The Infinite Game (2019).

Never take your peeps for granted...

vol·un·teer

/ˌvälənˈtir/

noun

·       a person who freely offers to take part in an enterprise or undertake a task.

 

We recruit people and hope they become good employees and often forget that they essentially volunteered for the role. We employ them within the context that they are paid to do a job, but that doesn't mean that we should take them for granted. In fact, if you consider them as volunteers, then you should do everything to make them happy that they did in fact volunteer. If you look at it this way, the concept of servant leadership makes excellent sense - where we do things to meet their needs and improve the chance that they'll stay. The best way to do that is to be actively engaged with them every day, exchanging ideas, listening to their needs, and making them want to be engaged in return. Never ignore the value that they bring to your team. Look at it as making a monetary and an emotional investment that can pay dividends every day. That's what it takes to get your employees to freely offer to take part in your enterprise and their work today.

 

Peter Drucker (1909 – 2005): Austrian American management consultant, educator, and author, whose writings contributed to the philosophical and practical foundations of modern management theory.

Create a culture of excellence...

Great people will do great work if their workplace culture supports that. And they won’t if it doesn’t. The kind of culture I’m referring to is driven by values, respect, and trust. By giving people meaningful work and the support to complete it. By knowing their importance and worth and treating them accordingly. By being engaged with their activities and letting them know you appreciate and value them. By trusting them. These are the basics – you might want to make sure your managers have the skills to do these things – skill like effective communications, coaching, emotional intelligence, and adapting to situational complexities. Meaning: invest in your people. Meaning: catch them doing things right. Meaning: be actively engaged in what’s going on. These are not costly items to add to your budget. This is about showing up, being there, and caring. These are the things that high-performing companies – big and small, do to create a great place for great people to do great work. I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record this week but won’t stop until everyone realizes how simple and important this is to your company’s performance and success. Walk around and talk to your employees and start to create a high-performing company today.

 

Marilyn Carlson Nelson (born 1939): American businesswoman, the co-owner and former chairman and CEO of Carlson https://www.carlson.com .

Keep your promises...

Companies seem to put all their energy into recruiting new employees – some do it well, others not so much. But either way, that recruiting pitch is intended to get new employees to their first day of work. After that, it’s often downhill. I find it incredible that companies would waste all that good will by not having a clear plan to keep it going for as long as it takes to turn those new employees into trusted, trusting, motivated, engaged, and loyal lifers. It takes a plan and everyone in management must be in on it and fully dedicated to making it happen. And it takes continuous effort – train your managers and supervisor to be effective communicators and coaches, focused on helping new employees find what they were hoping for on that first day. The last thing you want is a bait and switch that leaves them wondering why they took the job in the first place: understand what they want and make that happen. Because all the money you spent on advertising, recruiting, interviewing, on-boarding, and new hire training demands the kind of return on investment that long-term, engaged, and loyal employees produce. Employees that are emotionally connected to your organization. That’s what good companies do; that’s what I did at Mirage and Wynn; and that’s what you should be doing. And guess what: the cost of not doing this has a much higher impact on retention, customer service, overall performance, and your bottom line. Looking at it this way: you can’t afford not to do this. Make sure you’re doing this already; if not, start today.

 

Jill Christensen: American best-selling author and keynote speaker – she is a former Fortune 500 Corporate Communications business executive with a Six Sigma Green Belt, and understands how organizations operate, and what they need to do differently to attract, retain, and engage employees. 

Care enough to make others care...

·      Employee engagement describes the level of enthusiasm and dedication a worker feels toward their job. 

·     Employee engagement can be critical to a company's success, given its links to job satisfaction and employee morale. 

·      Engaged employees are more likely to be productive and higher performing.

 

Companies want engaged employees – many leaders say it but aren’t willing to do what it takes to make it happen. Not that making it happen is all that hard – it takes a plan, focus, and a disciplined approach. I heard Jim Clifton (Gallup’s Chairman) speak more than twenty years ago about the status (then) of employee engagement – he claimed that more than 20% of all employees were actively disengaged or, worse, actively working against their company’s goals. I was shocked – that was not my experience at Mirage and Wynn Resorts, and I couldn’t fathom how it could be different at other companies. That caused me to go back and review the things we did to drive employee engagement – what I found wasn’t rocket science, just old-fashioned understanding of what motivates people. Basically: care about them and they’ll care about doing a good job for the company. Teach your managers how to do that, make it a key element of how their performance is measured, and recognize and reward them accordingly. Simple. Straight-forward. I’ll examine this in greater detail over the next four days. To get started: ask yourself – do I care about my employees and how will I show them that I do today.

 

Gallup: Measuring the Global Indicators of What Matters Most at Work and in Life: We use our understanding of the human experience to help clients solve their greatest challenges and seize their greatest opportunities.

Be an inspiration to others...

The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary defines a she-ro as a woman regarded as a hero. For most, that’s reserved for their mothers, me included. But this past year I’ve had a 3-legged she-ro who helped me get my head around my recent finger amputations. Some background: she came to us 4 years ago as a rescue dog, right after her owners threw her out of a car on a busy highway and she had one of her front legs amputated. The rescue people told us she really didn’t know or act like she’d lost a leg – said she just wanted to bring her energy and love to a loving home. We provided that and she’s rewarded us with loyalty, love, and a positive outlook on life – pretty cool, I thought, for a three-legged rescue. It was indeed like they said, she looks beyond the obvious and makes the best of using her other three legs to live her life to the fullest. And that’s what she taught me after my accident – take control, adapt, move on, and make the most out of what you have. Indefatigable. A wonderful role model. My she-ro. So, I was crushed yesterday when she tore an ACL on her opposite side hind leg, the one that propels her body and heart. I worried this might be one obstacle too many, but she proved me wrong again – she’s already adapting and looking to do the things we do, even if they’re a little different and take some getting used to. Role models come in all sizes and shapes and become heroes and she-roes to countless others. If this sounds like someone you know, reach out and thank them; and if the opportunity presents itself, be a hero or she-ro to someone who needs one today.

 

Maya Angelou (1928 – 2014); American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist.