Dig deep to overcome challenges....

One of the questions I liked asking college recruits was which class did they find especially difficult and what was their final grade in it? I was always impressed with those students who told of having to work especially hard in the class they mentioned in order to get a passing or better grade. Life is full of challenges like that and the people that overcome them are those who won’t much flinch at the difficult times or duties found at work. For me, that class was Statistics: I wasn’t very good at math but the professor’s explanation of why the subject was important helped me to understand it better. You’ll most likely have employees who struggle with some things at work, but rather than giving up on them, double down on explaining why when teaching them how: that’s the best way to help them overcome a lack of natural talent and find the motivation to work especially hard to get things right today.

Derek Jeter (b. 1974): American former professional baseball player with the NY Yankees, businessman, and baseball executive 

Remember the good times....

Corporate Challenge is a large amateur sporting program sponsored annually by the City of Las Vegas: 18,000 employees from more than 125 companies compete in nearly 50 different events. It builds morale, camaraderie and community for employees of some of the major employers and small businesses in the Las Vegas valley.  Back in the day, my HR department organized our company’s efforts: we were highly competitive, spirited, and successful. I’m not sure I remember all the different medals we won over the years, but I vividly remember the people who competed and the fun we all had. One memory stands out: me, dressed in a clown costume, riding on the shoulders of our Safety Director at the opening ceremony in the late 80s – although it’s been years since then, he and I recall that memory every time we see each other. We competed in every one of the 20+ years I worked there, and while it was fun to bring home all those trophies, in the end we all realized that the real prizes were the memories that continue to last forever. Do stuff with the people you work with that will create memories today.

Mary Lou Retton (b. 1968): Retired American gymnast who won a gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the 1984 Summer Olympics

Live your life completely....

Last night I attended the annual Cornell Chapter Holiday Party here in Las Vegas: it was a real treat to see so many folks from my alma mater. More than 30 years ago I came to Las Vegas and attended that year’s party: I think there were 5 or 6 in attendance – an engineer, two doctors, two lawyers, and me. I was so surprised: I figured with all the hotels here there would be more: but Cornell’s hotel school back then didn’t think gaming was a proper place for their graduates and the companies here weren’t much into college recruiting. So, I contacted the School’s career placement office and began speaking in classes and actively recruiting interns and their graduating seniors. Fast forward to last night: there were several dozen in attendance – most from the gaming industry; the Chapter now has hundreds of members and has been the fastest growing for more than a decade. The attendees ranged from old folks like me to young professionals (many of them) starting families to new arrivals – all making their lives here. If you have the chance, help others find and make the life of their dreams today.  

Paul Simon (b. 1941); American singer-songwriter and actor

Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited....

Like many, I watched yesterday’s funeral for former President George Herbert Walker Bush: it was a fitting tribute for a great person, statesman and leader. The eulogies and sermon portrayed a man almost larger than life – while reminisces often do that, in this case it was truer than not. Adept at foreign affairs, committed and concerned about the national welfare, and kind and considerate to all were some of the many traits mentioned. The term “CAVU” was used several times, an aviator’s acronym meaning “Ceiling and Visibility Unlimited”: in the context of the day it portrayed an individual of unlimited vision, optimism, good intentions, and one who cast a big shadow at all times. One could not listen to what was said without seeing the parallels to the professional way we should act every day when carrying out our duties at work, at home, and in our communities. Someone once told me that leadership is best learned by observing how others conduct themselves: we would all do well by trying to emulate this wonderful man when conducting ourselves today.

Lin Yutang (1895 – 1976): Chinese writer, translator, linguist, philosopher and inventor

Think about how this affects The War for Talent....

In yesterday’s headlines: China is facing a labor shortage, and low unemployment in the US is making it hard to fill open jobs - the war for talent is seemingly worldwide. Business leaders everywhere are debating what to do: in China they are debating whether to stop forcibly relocating workers; in the US we are debating whether to raise the minimum wage. Maybe governments should think about equalizing living wages everywhere to stop the flight of businesses in search of cheaper labor, and business leaders should think about how they treat their employees. This last point screams for more effective on-boarding and new-hire training programs, and more transparent management practices that create commitment and loyalty: together these have the potential to reduce the number of people looking to leave jobs in search of ones they hope might be more satisfactory. The buzz words throughout the world’s economies are productivity, equity, fairness, engagement, and employee satisfaction: if we truly want to improve those then professional managers everywhere need to create workplaces that attract recruits and promote retention. The bottom line: doing little or nothing for workers is leading to the undoing of businesses today.

Horace Mann (1796 - 1859): American educational reformer and politician dedicated to promoting public education

Stay the course....

One of my former college recruits – who has since become a good friend - was talking the other day about the benefits and challenges of creating an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) at the company where he’s the COO. Lots of business people talk about the need to improve employee engagement - mostly by gimmicks and less than effective policies, programs, and practices - but this guy understands the dedication, commitment and hard work needed to get employees involved to the point that they truly take their work seriously: in this instance meticulous planning, total transparency, real patience, and unbelievable stick-to-itiveness were needed to achieve the plan’s goals. Professionals often spend too much time worrying about the short-term impact of their decisions and lose the will to wait for the long-term effects of good planning and strategy. In my friend’s company, their selfless commitment became a powerful method of influence and his employees are now experiencing the high engagement, low turnover, great teamwork, feeling-of-ownership environment created by this ‘stay-the-course’ thinking.  Believe in your good ideas with all your heart and soul and let that inspire others to believe in them today.

Stephen R. Covey (1932 – 2012): American educator, businessman, and author of the popular book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Use your time well....

In honor of his passing, here’s my favorite George H.W. Bush story. 

Years ago, George and Barbara Bush were invited to speak at one of our Employee of the Year celebrations and he wanted to assist in presenting the award. The winner that year was a young Laotian woman whose family emigrated to the US after the Vietnam war: they were grateful for their new lives here and hoped to be able to someday formally express their thanks. When the winner was announced and invited to the stage, she brought her mother and father with her to receive the award: after the presentation, her father bowed, took the former President’s hand, and kissed it in appreciation for all the excellent opportunities that America had given them. The room became silent: The Bushes, and nearly everyone else in the audience, had tears in their eyes.  It was one of those times when we had the chance to offer something special and used that opportunity to create a very poignant moment, and memory. Look for a chance to do something special for someone today.

Steven Paul Jobs (1955 – 2011): American business magnate, investor, and chairman, chief executive officer (CEO), and co-founder of Apple Inc.