Help others find their way....

W

hile opening Treasure Island and Bellagio we were visited often by General Norman Schwarzkopf. That’s when we learned about his 13^th Commandment: ‘when given command, take charge’. He’d tell this to the new managers and supervisors who had been promoted and were stepping up into leadership roles for the first time. We could have hired people from outside the company into these positions, but giving our own employees the chance to learn and grow was the right thing to do. We figured these newly promoted employees would be very committed and loyal to the company and that was well worth the extra effort it took to train, coach, and mentor them.  And we remembered someone giving us our first chance in a management role and how excited we had been to learn and grow into those positions. Understand the hopes and aspirations of your team and help them turn on their own lights today.

Earl Nightingale (1921 –1989): American radio personality and author

Be fearless....

R

osa Parks was probably scared when she took part in the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the mid-1950s: she and her fellow protestors were “tired of giving in”. That same spirit has triggered the #Me Too movement today: people finally finding the courage and support to come out against sexual harassment and assault at work. The laws that Parks and her colleagues helped precipitate in the mid-60s are only effective when companies are as vigilant about righting these and other wrongs as they are about protecting their otherwise clean reputations. During my career I learned that overcoming the fear of speaking up could often be as challenging as preventing the kinds of behaviors and actions that prompted the need to speak up in the first place: this applied also to the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) forms of retaliation that also took place. Everyone is responsible for creating the kind of environment where employees are never fearful about doing what’s right today.

Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005): The United States Congress called her "the first lady of civil rights" and "the mother of the freedom movement"

Do the best with what you have....

I

often hear managers say they can’t find good employees: that’s when I start to wonder if they know what they’re looking for. Many look for a perfect match, always hoping the next applicant somehow has better technical skills than the last. The truth is that technical skills aren’t nearly as important as attitude: skills can be taught, attitude can’t. I found it best to define the attitudes you want employees to have and make sure to hire only those that already have them. Then focus on what you do with them after they’re hired: orient them properly so they understand and really buy into the company’s values, train them effectively so they have the skills needed to be successful, communicate with them continually, and motivate and inspire them to do their best all the time. That’s doing the best with what you have; do that and you’ll never wonder about what you could or should have had.

Ernest Rutherford (1871 – 1937): New Zealand-born British physicist who came to be known as the father of nuclear physics

Be a role model....

A

title doesn’t always command respect: recent events and news stories attest to that. Everyone in a position of authority needs to understand that the first time they mistreat or deceive a subordinate is the last time they’ll be trusted: in this, actions speak louder than words. I want to be able to trust and respect the people I work with: that doesn’t happen automatically because I work with or for them – it happens because they earn it. Meaning they’re honest: saying what they mean and meaning what they say; have strong moral principles: they know the difference between right and wrong; fair: giving everyone equal and appropriate consideration and treatment; and ethical: doing what’s right. Some might argue that those behaviors and practices set a high bar, but in reality they’re just applying the Golden Rule at work: trusted and respected managers treat others they way they want to be treated. Work, like life, is a two-way street: ultimately we get what we give. Set the right tone at work today.

Aristotle (384–322 BC): Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist

Tell me more....

I

have a consulting partner who believes the phrase ‘tell me more’ is the key to better understanding. Think about it: aren’t you tempted but afraid to ask that when listening to instructions; and don’t you try extra hard to explain your ideas more clearly when someone asks you that? I’d have been out of luck if I hadn’t asked our computer people to tell me more about the things computers could or could not do: with that they were pressed to explain both the limitations as well as the underlying capabilities of the systems I wanted them to develop. That’s how I ultimately succeeded in getting a paperless HR environment at Wynn: my focused questions stimulated our team’s creativity. Don’t be afraid to pose well-worded questions and get to the heart of the things you and your team are working on. That’s the best way to unleash creativity today.

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

Keep your eye on the ball....

I

t doesn’t do any good to get mad when things don’t go right: especially when you’re trying to create something new and different. We had lots of problems handling the large volume of paper applications during the openings of Mirage and Treasure Island: our anger and frustration wasn’t directed at our employees but rather at the limitations of computers back then. We continued looking for innovative solutions to this problem as we began planning for Bellagio’s opening. Like most complex problems, the answers involved multiple strategies: a new HR computer system, online forms that could be stored electronically, and allowing applicants to input their own data using computers rather than paper applications. Innovation is often affected by a lack of available resources: thinking ‘out of the box’ and focusing on solutions rather than excuses can be helpful in situations like that. Keep your eye on what you need to accomplish when seeking solutions today.

William Arthur Ward (1921–1994): One of America's most quoted writers of inspirational maxims

Stretch goals spur creativity....

N

early everybody bet against the Mirage while it was being planned and built: they cited the total cost, the daily operating expense, and a relatively unproven management team. We didn’t know if we could actually succeed against those odds until we got into it: our confidence began to grow as things started going right.  We handled 55,000 applications, 7500 new employees, and 35,000 day one visitors; then Steve scheduled a championship boxing match two weeks after opening and we handled 17,000 fight fans: the customers just kept coming as we learned to operate that big new facility and dozens of other challenges on our way to a first year that nobody thought possible. Lots of people go to work each day and are challenged by stretch goals: the best way to accomplish those is to do the simple stuff well, the hard stuff without fear, and the new stuff with confidence. Challenge yourself against the odds and see what you’re actually capable of today.

Mary Abigail Wambach (b. 1980): American retired soccer player, coach, and two-time Olympic gold medalist