A Workplace Isn’t “Great” Until It’s Great for Everyone...🤝

                                      

This isn’t a political statement. It’s a reminder of what it takes to create a great place to work. Whatever our personal views, both management and employees understand the importance of collegiality, teamwork, and a shared commitment to excellence.

·      Collegiality — cooperation and companionship among colleagues who share responsibility.

·      Teamwork — working together toward common objectives.

·      Commitment to Excellence — supporting and encouraging each other to be their best.

When these values are alive in an organization, two outcomes follow:

·      Corporate Success — employees understand the role they play in achieving profitability and results.

·      Employee Security — employees believe (until proven otherwise) that their efforts will be rewarded with stability and financial well‑being.

For generations, there has been an unwritten compact between management and employees: if you work hard, you will be appreciated and taken care of. Sometimes unions help safeguard that compact; sometimes management upholds it through consistent leadership. The pandemic — and the layoffs that followed — fractured that trust. But the best organizations, the ones that build cultures of excellence and earn Employer of Choice reputations, have worked intentionally to rebuild it.

So ask yourself: What is the trust level in your organization?

And more importantly: What are you doing to reinforce it every day?

Trust cannot be assumed. It must be nurtured. A workplace will not be a good place for anyone until it is a good place for everyone today.

Theodore Roosevelt r. (1858 – 1919): American politician who served as the 33^rd Governor of New York, 25^th Vice President, and the 26th President of the United States (1901-1909).

Stop Waiting for Purpose to “Reveal Itself” — Go After It 🔥

Before you can struggle toward your goals, you first have to struggle toward understanding your purpose.

Purpose is the reason something exists or is done — the intention behind an action, the aim that gives effort meaning. It’s the “why” that guides choices, shapes identity, and helps you decide what kind of life you want to build.

In career terms, purpose begins with a simple but powerful question: What do you want to be known for?

Once you can answer that, you can start filling in the blanks of who you want to become. Fill them in again and again. Study each possibility. Talk to people who live those paths. Find mentors. Try on several versions of yourself. And eventually, follow your heart toward the one that feels true.

My own path wasn’t linear. I volunteered with Head Start, coaching at‑risk youth. I played and sang in a band, discovering the magic of teamwork and harmony. I majored in organizational behavior and collective bargaining, learning about the world of work and workers. I followed a dream to law school — which ultimately led me back to the deeper question of purpose. That journey pointed me toward Human Resources.

That’s my story. What’s yours. Don’t avoid the difficult questions — of yourself or others. Don’t shy away from reflection — it’s how you find where your passions live. And don’t give up. Good is easy. Great is always a struggle.

The truth is simple: discovering your purpose takes effort, courage, and time today.

Chadwick Boseman (1976 – 2020): American actor and playwright.

Success Should Be Shared — Always💡

Success never happens in isolation. It’s the result of planning, creativity, hard work, and the resilience of the people who show up every day to make things happen. When success is achieved, those people deserve to feel that their contribution mattered.

At the very least, appreciation should be visible and consistent. Employee surveys repeatedly show that people often feel under‑appreciated for their efforts. A simple hello at the start of a shift, a thank you and goodbye at the end, and genuine, meaningful dialogue throughout the day are powerful motivators. These small acts tell people they belong, they’re known, and their work isn’t happening in the shadows. Never let your people toil in obscurity.

The “share” people receive doesn’t have to be large. What matters most is fairness, respect, and the thought behind the gesture. When those are present, any additional token becomes the cherry on top. But recognition should still match the achievement — it should make the recipient say “Wow” and inspire others to reach for that same moment.

Examples are everywhere:

• When The Mirage opened, all 5,500 employees received company stock.

• Bellagio employees received a keepsake Yearbook featuring every one of the 11,000 team members.

• Perfect attendance earned employees what they gave up achieving it — a paid day off.

• And I’d love to hear your examples — share them in the comments.

Every company has its own style. Use yours to show gratitude. And if your organization doesn’t have one, create your own. I once knew a shift manager who handed out chocolate $100,000 bars to standout performers — corny, maybe, but people still talk about it 40 years later. Find your version of that moment today.

Michael Ironside (born 1950): Canadian actor with over 270 film and television credits, including his breakthrough performance in the 1981  David Cronenberg film Scanners.

Engagement Isn’t a Work Skill — It’s a Life Skill ⚡️

We admire people who achieve extraordinary things. But even the most iconic figures remind us that success in one area doesn’t automatically translate into fulfillment in others. Balance doesn’t happen by accident — it requires engagement.

To live a balanced life, you have to be present enough to notice when something is off, intentional enough to adjust, and committed enough to follow through. Balance is not a static state; it’s a practice. And like any practice, it demands your attention.

Engagement is the engine of balance

·       Mental & Physical Well‑Being: You must be engaged with your own needs — noticing when you’re tired, stressed, or stretched too thin.

·       Purposeful Living: You have to actively choose to invest in interests that recharge you.

·       Healthy Relationships: Staying connected requires effort, presence, and genuine attention.

·       Boundaries & Flexibility: You must be aware of your limits and willing to protect them.

How to engage with setting your own balance

·       Identify Core Values: Engagement begins with clarity — knowing what matters most.

·       Self‑Assess Honestly: Pay attention to the areas of your life that feel neglected or overloaded.

·       Define Personal Well‑Being: Your balance is yours alone; staying engaged means honoring that.

·       Practice Mindfulness: Regular check‑ins keep you aligned, not just active.

If you’re feeling out of balance, the first step isn’t to reorganize your calendar — it’s to re‑engage with yourself.

Balance isn’t something you find. It’s something you create through awareness, intention, and consistent engagement today.

 

Freddie Mercury (1946 – 1991): British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen.

Love the Work. Lead the Way… 🔥

That truth applies not just to individuals, but to entire teams.

The best jobs challenge people to learn, grow, and stretch together. When teams feel supported, trusted, and inspired, they don’t just complete tasks — they take pride in the work and elevate the standard.

Leaders play a crucial role in creating that environment. It’s not enough for leaders to love the job themselves; the real impact comes when they help others feel the same.

Coaching is a partnership focused on unlocking potential. It’s about listening deeply, asking thoughtful questions, and helping people build self-awareness and ownership of their development.

Leading requires emotional intelligence, clear communication, and integrity. Effective leaders build trust, foster collaboration, navigate conflict with fairness, and empower people with autonomy and purpose.

Inspiring others means connecting work to meaning. Inspiring leaders model the behaviors they expect, communicate with authenticity, and create a sense of shared purpose that energizes the team.

Every level of management offers opportunities to coach, lead, and inspire. Set the standard. Invest in your skills. Build environments where people grow. And foster a genuine love for the work today.

Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011): American businessman, inventor, and investor best known for co-founding the technology company Apple Inc.

Excellence Isn’t Hired—It’s Cultivated 🎯

Most organizations discover a familiar pattern in their workforce:

·       Most employees meet expectations and do their jobs reliably.

·       Some consistently exceed expectations and go the extra mile.

·       A smaller group struggles to perform and needs support to improve.

For hiring managers, the challenge is predicting which applicants will fall into each category. The smartest strategy is to hire people who reliably meet expectations—and then build a culture where many of them choose to go the extra mile.

When preparing to open the Mirage, I researched best practices and spoke with leaders from a company that tried a very different approach: they attempted to hire exclusively Type A personalities, expecting a team of nonstop high achievers.

·       They used professional personality testing and successfully hired exactly the group they wanted.

·       They soon discovered the team was nearly unmanageable.

·       Type A individuals bring ambition, drive, and urgency—but also impatience, stress, and a tendency toward burnout.

·       Managers struggled to balance these strengths and weaknesses and couldn’t create a cohesive, sustainable team.

That experience led us to a different insight: optimism is a far better predictor of success in service roles. Optimistic employees tend to be flexible, resilient, gritty, and naturally inclined to deliver great service with a positive attitude.

But even the most optimistic employees can’t sustain that energy in a culture that stifles communication, creativity, or appreciation. Excellence doesn’t survive in a vacuum. It thrives when front‑line managers:

·       Build trust and respect

·       Catch people doing things right

·       Recognize both solid and exceptional performance

·       Support teamwork and team spirit

·       Foster a culture of shared excellence

The real leverage point in any organization is the mid‑level manager. Equip them to be strong communicators and effective coaches. Give them the skills to navigate positive and negative situations. And don’t forget to recognize their efforts—because they’re the ones keeping the performance traffic flowing smoothly today.

Roger Staubach (born 1942): American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy and won the 1963 Heisman Trophy. 

Rule #1: Own Your Energy🔥

I recommend putting this quote into employee handbooks. Under “A”, for accountability. 

Framing personal accountability around the energy each person brings to work is one of those deceptively simple ideas that can quietly rewire an entire culture. It shifts the conversation from rules and enforcement to ownership and contribution — it’s a powerful way to motivate workplaces that want to feel alive rather than merely compliant.

Consider it as a north star for behavior, performance, and culture. Unlike legal boilerplate or abstract values, this one is visceral. Everyone knows what it feels like to work with someone who brings great energy — and what it feels like when someone doesn’t.

The Cultural Impact of Making “Energy Accountability” Rule #1

Attendance, punctuality, and absenteeism

• Consistent presence: When people see attendance as part of the energy they contribute, it stops being a compliance issue and becomes a commitment issue.
• Reliability as a cultural norm: “Be there, on time, every time” becomes a shared expectation, not a rule imposed from above.

Teamwork, team spirit, and commitment

• Shared responsibility for morale: Teams stop waiting for leaders to “fix culture” and start generating it themselves.
• Mutual uplift: When everyone owns their energy, collaboration becomes smoother and more generous.

Attitude, positivity, flexibility, resilience, grit

• Emotional professionalism: People understand that their mood has an impact, and they manage it with intention.
• Adaptive mindset: Flexibility and resilience become part of the job, not optional personality traits.

Customer experience, satisfaction, competitiveness

• Energy as a differentiator: Customers feel the difference immediately — energy is contagious.
• Consistency across touchpoints: When every employee owns their energy, the customer experience becomes reliably positive.

Performance, effectiveness, excellence

• Intrinsic motivation: People perform better when they feel responsible for the tone they set.
• Excellence as a habit: High energy fuels high standards.

Why this works better than traditional handbook language

Most handbooks start with legal disclaimers because they’re written to protect the company, not inspire the employee. This is flipping that script. It’s saying: “Before we talk about rules, let’s talk about who we choose to be.”

That’s a very different opening message — and a far more human one. It’s a single principle that cascades into dozens of positive behaviors without needing pages of policy.

When you weave this idea into every workplace activity…it stops being a slogan and becomes a cultural operating system. People start asking themselves: “What energy am I bringing into this conversation, this shift, this customer interaction, this team?”

That’s the kind of self-check that transforms workplaces.

This is not just adding another rule to a handbook. It’s proposing a cultural anchor — one that’s memorable, actionable, and emotionally intelligent. It’s the kind of principle that can genuinely reshape how people show up today.

Oprah Winfrey (born 1954): American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. By 2007, she was often ranked as the most influential woman in the world.

Success Happens Because People Refuse to Quit 🏆🔥🚀📈

                              

Turnarounds aren’t just sports stories, they’re human stories. Cignetti’s quote resonates because it strips success down to its essentials: disciplined effort, the right environment, and a refusal to coast on talent alone.

Grit isn’t glamorous. It’s not the locker‑room speech or the highlight reel. It’s the daily grind, the uncelebrated reps, the willingness to stay committed long after the initial excitement fades.

Key Components of Grit

·     Passion: A sustained, meaningful commitment that doesn’t evaporate when things get tough.

·      Perseverance: Showing up again and again, especially when progress feels slow.

·      Long‑term focus: Choosing the marathon over the sprint, even when the sprint looks tempting.

·   Resilience: Recovering quickly, learning from setbacks, and refusing to be defined by them.

Why Grit Matters

·     Predicts success: Research consistently shows grit outperforms raw ability in long‑term achievement.

·      Drives achievement: Gritty people don’t just start strong — they finish strong.

·     Builds character: It shapes people into reliable, courageous contributors who elevate those around them.

Grit vs. Other Traits

·      Grit vs. Talent: Talent is potential; grit is execution.

·      Grit vs. Conscientiousness: Conscientiousness organizes the work; grit sustains the mission.

Every leader eventually learns that capability and willingness are not the same thing. Some people have the skills but not the drive; others have the drive but need development. The magic happens when leaders know how to unlock both.

And that’s where coaching — real coaching — becomes transformative. The best leaders don’t just demand more effort; they inspire people to want to give more. They create belief, direction, and purpose. They make people feel that their extra effort matters.

That’s how underdogs become champions. That’s how losing seasons become undefeated ones. And that’s how organizations turn potential into performance today.

Curt Cignetti (born 1961): American college football coach who is the head football coach at Indiana University Bloomington.