Be open to change and true to yourself...

Fads, like shiny pennies, can easily catch your attention – you can’t ignore them, but you should be appropriately wary... that’s easier said than done. But then there are real shifts in trends – like Elvis, Dylan, and the Beatles in music, some catch on and endure. When we were opening the Mirage, computers were beginning to gain traction, but my boss cautioned us to stick with proven practices and processes that had served us well for years… eventually they proved their value. But those are just things, and the pace of innovation continues at a dizzying speed. But values – they are the beliefs and principles that guide behavior and decision-making, reflecting what is considered important, proper, or desirable. They are a compass for individuals and groups, shaping priorities and actions. These too can change, but respect, honesty, and integrity should never go out of style - they are the bedrock of civil discourse and human interactions. They are based on the things that all major religions have taught forever – like love thy neighbor. These may be challenged at times, but you shouldn’t cut one’s conscience to fit this year’s trends. And even though the pendulum swings naturally, it always comes back towards the center. My long-haired, hippy days certainly challenged my parents, but they lived long enough to see my behaviors and hair styles become more corporatized and conservative. Be big enough to accept the changes happening around you and wise enough to ride with the tides. Keep your eyes open and your wits about you today.

 

Lillian Florence Hellman (1905 – 1984): American playwright, prose writer, memoirist and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway.

You've got to stand for something...

This week’s quotes and messages will be about integrity, something we looked for in the people we hired – all of them, line, and leadership: it was part of our hire for attitude and train for skills philosophy. If you look in thesaurus it lists similar values like trust, trustworthy, trustworthiness, respect, honesty, and reliability, things you’ll most likely find in people with integrity. Looked at holistically like that, it gives an overall picture of the kind of people you want to employ, no different from those you’d want as friends, colleagues, or leaders. People whose respect for themselves guides their morals – those with a conscience that makes them behave in a way that is believed by most people to be good and right. People whose respect for others guides their manners – those generally considered polite, respectful, and considerate, demonstrating good etiquette in their interactions with others by showing courtesy and awareness of others' feelings. Those are the people you want to be around, and what to look for in supervisors and leaders.  But nobody’s perfect – if you, or the people you’re around, fall short of any of these, you should, and expect others, to own up to their shortcomings, apologize, and move on without judgment or animus. That too is a measure of integrity – without the willingness to do that, there is no integrity of character. Hold yourself and others to that today.

 

Laurence Sterne (1713 – 1768): Anglo-Irish novelist and Anglican cleric.

The answer is blown' in the wind...

Change is everywhere – learn to go with it. Lots of people say they’re good with change – most of them are lying. Change is hard – it upends the order of things, creates lots of uncertainty, and tends to be chaotic. If you’re going to change things, plan it carefully, start by setting objectives, include everyone involved in the process, figure out what may hold you back, and make plans to overcome those obstacles. When those winds of change blow, be the driving force that overcomes the restraining forces. And once you start, keep communicating, be sensitive to others’ concerns, help where you can, and lead with a clear head. That’s how to build windmills when the winds of change blow today.

 

pro·verb

/ˈpräˌvərb/

noun

1.     a short pithy saying in general use, stating a general truth or piece of advice.

Encourage curiosity and creativity...

·      Nobel earned 355 patents in his lifetime. 

·      A man named Shunpei Yamazaki in Japan holds the Guinness World Record for the most patents, at 11,353. 

·      Dr. Spencer Silver, a chemist at 3M Company, invented a unique, low-tack adhesive that would stick to things but also could be repositioned multiple times... called the Post-it Note. 

·      Since the UNLV International Gaming Institute's Center for Gaming Innovation launched in 2013, students have filed over 60 patent applications, with 25 resulting in issued patents and over 50 commercialized products. 

 

It’s interesting to note all these patents, but most of the good ideas many of us come up with never achieve that status. Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep trying. But it does mean that managers should encourage their employees to think about improvements to the things they do every day – improvements big and small that can impact productivity, customer service, and profitability. And when they find something, make a big deal out of it.  It’s called critical thinking, the benefits of which include enhanced decision-making, improved problem-solving, increased creativity, and the ability to evaluate information objectively. In promoting this, let them know that if only 0ne out of a thousand ideas turns out to be good, you’ll be satisfied – make that thrilled, at their effort. These are the things that stand out in great companies. And it starts by encouraging curiosity and creativity in your employees today.

 

Alfred Nobel (1833 – 1896): Swedish chemist, inventor, engineer, and businessman. He is known for inventing dynamite, as well as having bequeathed his fortune to establish the Nobel Prizes.

Inspire people to be ingenious - find new ideas for old problems...

Creativity and innovation, the two sides of the same coin, can happen in both big and little increments. You’ve heard me talk about the work of Jon Ponder and Hope for Prisoners (H4P), helping ex-felons successfully reenter society and a productive life. The flip side of this issue is helping young people avoid a life of crime. The same creative thought process that spawned H4P has led to some ingenuity at the other end of the spectrum. A new restaurant opened in my neighborhood that only employs disadvantaged and/or troubled youth and others who may be on the way towards but have not yet been incarcerated. Led by an owner-manager and chef who fully understand the challenges their employees face, they use work to provide structure and discipline to their charges’ troubled lives. Through my work with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), I applaud their approach to helping those employees who’ve been in the foster care system to learn about things like the importance of keeping schedules, learning new and productive skills, and taking care of others. The looks on their faces when customers appreciate and compliment them is a picture of that transformation in action – learning about values and living them in a real-world work environment makes them tangible and real. There’s no shortage of young people to help and no end to the benefits that can be derived. There are CASA organizations in every judicial district in the US (https://www.casa4kidsinc.org/what-we-do/the-role-of-casa.html) - find one in your area and look into helping out today.

 

George Smith Patton Jr. (1885 – 1945): American general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, then the Third Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.

The best traditions can inspire the best innovations...

One of the worst excuses anyone can give is “that’s the way we’ve always done it”. Not that it might or might not be true, but with that attitude one will never know if improvement is something to be considered. That’s why it pays to be curious about what you’re doing and alternative methods that might be better. I should know – it’s uncomfortable being the only one talking about process improvement, like I was with paperless systems. I know – you’re thinking ‘here he goes again’ talking about those crazy systems he championed at Mirage and Wynn. Ok, I get it, but I will never stop talking about them if there’s a chance it might influence someone to feel emboldened to take a well-considered chance. That’s the way improvement happens. And that will only happen in an environment that encourages people to dream, one that respects individual effort, and allows cross communications that foster brainstorming. Don’t be afraid to let your employees look into things, talk among themselves, and approach you without fear of being put down. The best ideas come from the people doing the job – don’t allow tradition to get in the way of innovation. There’s a need to respect the past, but it’s a mistake to revere your past. So, listen to, nurture, support, and allow your employees to consider if the past can be improved today.

 

Robert Alan “Bob” Iger (born 1951): American media executive who is chief executive officer (CEO) of the Walt Disney Company.

Take a good ideas from thought to finish...

It’s one thing to dream up new ideas, and quite another to put them to work in a project, company, or life. Lots of people have lots of good ideas – but most end right there, stuck in their heads for lack of a plan or the means to move them forward. Those kinds of plans take hard work, time, money, and luck to get implemented somewhere. But if we accept the premise that people have good ideas, leaders should organize regular sessions with their employees to discuss them, to get them out onto the table where they can be dissected and studied, and to see if they rise to the level of things to be considered. This is a great exercise to get employees engaged in and thinking about what they do every day, and whether there are opportunnities that make sense to try and develop and implement. That’s how to get ideas from the creative phase to the innovative phase, where new things get done. It doesn’t have to be anything great or complex, sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference. It’s all part of continuous improvement, and when employees think their ideas and efforts matter, they’re more fulfilled… and that makes them more satisfied and loyal. Give your employees the opportunity to take something from thought to finish today.

 

Theodore Levitt (1925 – 2006): German-born American economist, professor at the Harvard Business School, and editor of the Harvard Business Review. He proposed a definition for corporate purpose: "Rather than merely making money, it is to create and keep a customer".

Play large on life's stage...

I’ve often told the story that when opening the Mirage, we spent nearly a year studying dozens of companies that had opened something new. The #1 thing we learned was the importance of training employees – formally planned, professionally designed, and skillfully conducted training. Not a haphazard buddy training, but one facilitated by trained trainers who know how to teach skills and processes, could explain why things had to be done a certain way, and were capable of coaching employees through a practice regimen.  That, they told us, was the best way to set people up to perform at the highest level. We wanted the Mirage to be not only successful, but the best. And that’s what happened. Because we were confident that it wouldn’t be the building that won over the guests, but the staff. With service excellence. Performed by proud and skilled employees. What we did there was like a play: it wasn’t the length, but the excellence of the acting that mattered. People like to perform at those high levels, to meet the challenge of excellence, and to shine in front of their colleagues and customers. It’s the same in every business – large or small, and with any task – big or little; give employees the tools they need, the training to use them, and the license to do their best, and they will. Let your employees put on an award-winning performance today.

 

Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (4 BC – AD 65): Known simply as Seneca, he was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome; a statesman, dramatist, and in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature.

Wear your reputation on your sleeve...

Those who know me know I’m a dog lover – I even joke that I was a dog in a previous life. Since living in Las Vegas, we’ve had 17 dogs and cats and all of them have had the same Veterinarian. One who sends birthday cards to, exchanges text messages with, and calls to check on our pets. He’s given us his personal contact info in the event we need anything. When checking out after an appointment, the receipt and meds are placed in a bag with our pet’s name printed on it. Our concierge medical doctor (who we love), doesn’t treat us humans that well. But I get it: the world is full of pets and Vets vying to take care of them – it’s a very competitive profession and our Vet does these extra things to win our hearts and loyalty. Loyalty that’s spanned 39 years, several moves by us and his practice, and countless solicitations by other Vets and their clients. But we’ve stayed true blue because they know that their reputation is plainly printed on the bottled essence of their behavior. Everyone has a reputation, and it’s tied to the things they say and do. It takes forever to build a good reputation, one based excellence. And not much time to lose it when you cut corners and take others for granted. Whatever you do – make it your best today.

 

Logan Pearsall Smith (1865 – 1946): American-born, Harvard and Oxford educated British essayist and critic. 

Excellence must be intentional...

My wife was operated on in Las Vegas’ Mountain View Hospital last week. It was an incredibly good experience – from pre-registration, check-in, the operating room staff, nurses in recovery and on the floor, and check out. It was so much better than the other 4 hospitals we’d experienced in the past several years that I went in search of finding out why. 

·      The first thing I noticed was a large graphic in the main lobby that said We Show Up – for our patients, for our communities, and for each other. When I pointed to this, a nurse proudly told me that management is there for them and that inspires them to be there for their patients. Engaged managers inspire employees to be engaged.

·      Another graphic spelled out iCARE – Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Excellence. Lots of companies display their values, but far too few live them every day, in every way. The best way to measure these is by being a customer: we found compassion and respect in every interaction and felt like everyone really cared. 

o   Service is too often superficial and perfunctory – it’s easy to spot that phoniness and there was none there. Genuine smiles, concern, and caring - they were never too busy to happily go above and beyond. Hospitality in healthcare was on display throughout our stay and it was abundantly obvious that excellence is a continuous process there and not an accident. 

It doesn’t take any extra effort or time to be thoughtful, caring, and thorough; as a leader or customer, when you see employees anywhere doing that, take time to compliment and thank them today. 

 

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931 – 2015): Indian aerospace scientist and statesman who served as the president of India from 2002 to 2007.

Service excellence starts with you...

As I write this, I’m on hold with an off-shore call center for a major technology company – it’s my 4th call to them in the past 2 weeks, this one to cancel my subscription.  It would take too long to describe the run around I received during the previous calls – suffice it to say that’s why I’m trying to cancel. This experience is compared to a call I had yesterday with Apple support getting help with setting up a new computer. One call, no run-around; one agent who promised to help me and spent the next two hours working through multiple problems to resolve all my issues. I grew up with Land’s End and Zappos, companies that did all their business online – with happy customer agents and excellent service. That’s why I like and appreciate Apple. And that’s why I am so frustrated and disappointed with those that don’t (and don’t get it), because once you experience excellence (and know it’s possible), you will never be content with mediocrity. Excellence can be achieved – with proper staffing and effective training, by letting employees be themselves, empowering them to take care of customers, and proving in everything they do that they truly value their customers. I’m on hold, waiting to cancel because of the service, not the product. Apple is a shining example (like Land’s End and Zappos) that customers can be thrilled with both products and service. There’s nothing more important that keeping your promises and providing excellent service. Every company is in the service business. Every leader is responsible for producing excellent service. Make sure you do that today.

 

Thomas Spencer Monson (1927 – 2018): American religious leader, author, and the 16th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Excellence starts with you...

I was fortunate to work for a company that was known for service excellence. But excellence isn’t something you can demand of the workers expected to produce it… they have to want to work and produce at that high a level. And that begins by creating a workplace culture that nurtures and reinforces that:

 

Ø  Where trust and respect go both ways – just like the Golden Rule says.

Ø  Where people are informed – in training, coaching, and feedback.

Ø  Where good deeds are recognized – inspect and reward what you expect.

Ø  Where employees come first – as in servant leadership.

Ø  Where awareness and caring count – as in emotional intelligence.

Ø  Where everyone pitches in and is aligned – teamwork produces great work.

 

These are the management philosophies and practices that create the kind of culture that makes people demand excellence of themselves – because they understand it’s the right thing to do for their colleagues, the company, and their customers.  Note, I said “their” customers, because in that kind of culture they own the customer experience. And the proof is seen in the quality of the goods and services that are produced. Managers at all levels need to realize and understand this – their actions make or break the kind of workplace environment where excellence thrives. Demand that of yourself today.

 

Emmitt James Smith III (born 1969): American former professional football running back who played 13 years as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and is the league's all-time leading rusher.

Reflect on how you got to where you are...

Like most, whenever I move to something new (school, job, city), I hang back to get a ‘lay of the land’. And to see who’s already there and knows some of the local history. When I started in the gaming business, I broke in in Atlantic City – a new job, in a new industry, in a different part of the country from where I grew up, and I naturally gravitated to Golden Nugget colleagues to learn how things worked. In addition to spending time with my boss Boone Wayson (who grew up in Steve Wynn’s father’s bingo business), I spent a lot of time with the company’s Security and Surveillance directors who had been New Jersey State Police Captains; their stories lent color to my new surroundings and work. By the time I moved to Las Vegas, I knew a lot about the business but not how things worked in Sin City. I was sent to meet long time Nevada gaming execs and their stories added much needed background about the work here. They were gracious with their time and advice and one, an old-time HR guy who’d worked for the Dunes when it was run by reputed mobsters, told me not to drive home the same way twice (now that was scary). But the people I worked with – Steve and Elaine Wynn, Bobby Baldwin, Marc Schorr, Billy Weinberger, and Charlie Meyerson (a one-time bookie and World War II hero who was a longtime casino host at the Mirage), and countless others, told me much about how the business operated here. While I’ll save their stories for another time, suffice it to say I was given the benefit of being able to stand on the shoulders of giants. And that’s the best way to learn how to be good at what you do. Never pass up an opportunity to learn from others, to put things into context, to learn about the other players, and to gain insights into how and why things are the way they are. With that, you can become a more competent, confident, and effective teammate today.

 

Sir Isaac Newton (1643 – 1727): English polymath active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author. Newton was a key figure in the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment that followed.

Let your corporate culture show who you are...

·       Corporate culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, behaviors, and practices that characterize an organization, influencing how employees interact and perform their jobs.

 

Hiring the right people sets the tone for a company’s culture – we looked for people that were optimistic, flexible, and resilient at Mirage and Wynn Resorts and it showed in their commitment to each other and service excellence. Training them to be competent and confident shows a commitment to their well-being and career – and it showed we cared. Providing management training to the mid-level of the hierarchy shows employees you’re focused on their treatment and overall satisfaction – employees stayed because they trusted and appreciated their direct supervisors. Empowering employees to have a say in their work shows you trust them with the keys to the place – and they treated it like they owned it. Always explaining why gets people in on the decision-making process – that’s why they were engaged. Making sure that internal communications matched the caliber of how you communicate to the external world is critical – ours was focused, spoke with one voice, used all available channels, and made sure they were informed first. And catching people doing things right proves you are fair and interested in excellence – it was our #1 focus and employees appreciated it. Creating this type of culture gives employees a reason to be committed and loyal, to work together, and to do what’s best. Because it isn’t just one aspect of the game; it is the game. Work to make yours a culture of excellence today.

 

Louis Gerstner Jr. (born March 1, 1942): American businessman (McKinsey & Co., RJR Nabisco), and best known for his tenure as chairman and chief executive officer of IBM.

Work and play well with others...

Today’s author, like so many others, started with very little and ended up with a lot. That’s the American dream. That’s usually achieved by a complex combination of hard work, interwoven relationships, and a bit of luck. 

·      The hard work part is well understood – start early, keep at it, keep your eyes open and your wits about you, and push to your limits. 

·      Relationships – suffice it to say, two heads are better than one and you should appreciate all the help you can get. 

·      Luck – it’s there, but you often make your own by being prepared and ready to go. 

George Shinn owned private colleges and sports teams – in both, he parlayed hard work and teamwork into successful endeavors, reaching his goals with the help of others. I can relate to that – opening casinos is also a complex undertaking achieved through the hard work and teamwork of countless committed individuals. In fact, everything good can only be achieved with that. Look back on your life and career and spot how that applies to what you’ve achieved. The lesson is simple: learn to work well with others, treat them the way you want them to treat you, and always look for ways to combine your efforts with theirs. Work at reaching your goals like that today.

 

George Shinn (born 1941); American businessman, author, and philanthropist.

The best work is teamwork...

I’d like to add to yesterday’s hiring for attitude and training for skills message: that was mostly about hiring for attitude.  Today’s message will look at the training for skills part of that concept. The Mirage new employee training program went into great detail about the what, why, and how of the technical skills needed to perform effectively. But then we took it further, teaching employees about the things other departments they regularly worked with did. So that they could see how their efforts complemented one another. And be able to see exactly where, when, and how they could best support each other. We called this “intersection training”, where one job crosses over another. It cemented the concept that they all must work together – as in teamwork, to provide a comprehensive and collaborative customer experience. So, nothing fell between the cracks. And it lifted everyone’s performance – because if you want to lift yourself up, lift others up. Making everyone responsible and accountable. Prior to this, our service training was conducted as if every department was separate; when combined, the multiplier effect was noticeable: seeing employees from multiple departments talking service and how they could do it better together. It unleashed teamwork and team spirit in all the right ways. It took a little extra time, but it was worth it. Don’t just ask your employees to work together, show them how to do it effectively today.

 

Booker T. Washington (1856 – 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and one of the founders of the National Negro Business League.