Be situationally aware....

I’ve opened more integrated resorts than most, and while they were all integrated resorts, no two were the same. 

 

·      Each thing is unique.

·      No two are exactly alike.

·      Thus, we must always adapt

·      To the situations that develop.

 

The Mirage was the first: everything about that project was new and we thrived on developing almost everything from “scratch”. There were so many new concepts, each one much larger in scope than anything we had dealt with before. Everyday there were new problems to solve and new solutions to find. And when we got done, we felt like we’d learned enough to do it again. But when we started work on Treasure Island, Bellagio, and Beau Rivage, each had its own unique circumstances and situations, most of which forced us to adapt what we’d done before. Not completely, but enough that we couldn’t do them the same as we had before. And when Mirage Resorts was sold and we got back together to start Wynn Resorts, only the subjects were the same; not the people we hired or the specific situations we faced. Again, we had to be adept enough to notice the differences and adapt accordingly. That’s true in work and life. Sometimes you can’t go on exactly as you were before, so you must go on as you never have. Be aware of and flexible enough to respond to changing situations today.

 

Cheryl Strayed (born 1968): American writer and podcast host.

Start off on the right foot...

It’s the beginning of the year and I would be remiss if I didn’t give my annual encouragement about seeing the glass as half full rather than half empty.

 

·      Optimism

·      Is the attitude

·      We want in others.

·      Looking to be positive

·      Rather than being negative.

 

I often write here about hiring people who have a positive attitude; while that’s important, managers must also have positive attitudes to model that behavior for their employees. One complaint I often heard was that managers mostly focus on what employees do wrong rather than catching them when they do things right. I realize it’s easy to walk around acting like McGruff the Crime Dog, but that gets old quickly; employees usually try to do the right thing and leaders should recognize that. And while I understand that managers must address negative behavior or performance, we encouraged them to give out three commendations for every disciplinary or corrective action notice: that sets the employee relations’ tone in the workplace culture. And shows that they’re balanced in their approach to managing. Walk around looking for the good in others today.

 

Ellen Goodman (born 1941): American journalist, syndicated columnist, speaker, and commentator; she won a Pulitzer Prize in 1980.

Don't look back...

Once we get our heads around it being a new year, there’s no stopping our pursuit of the future. Don’t look back or lose heart.

 

o   The pursuit

o   Of tomorrow

o   Is very exciting.

o   Don’t try to stop or

o   Worry where it leads.

 

Most of my work in HR revolved around the process of change and how to help organizations and people manage it. Think about the changes related to starting a new job. Someone must decide to leave an old job which, good or bad, is leaving what’s known and proceeding into the unknown and starting over with new circumstances and people. Changes related to that occur on so many levels and assisting people at all of those levels is complicated. Similar in some ways to leaving one year behind and starting a new one: be aware of all the emotions and perceptions involved and help those involved navigate those changes successfully. Help them get off to a flying start and to be able to not look back or weep. Be positive and optimistic and let that inspire others to be the same. Bottom line: it's okay to let yesterday go and focus all your energy on today.

 

Zora Neale Hurston (1891 – 1960): American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker.

Get your ducks in a row...

It’s weird standing here at the beginning of the year, thinking about the endless possibilities ahead.

 

·      People mostly

·      Are reactive to the

·      Things going on around them

·      But in the beginning, it’s all about 

·      Getting started in the right direction.

 

We make resolutions, but those are mostly aspirational. We make plans but we’re mostly caught in the flow of things that are already on-going.  That’s why companies do budgets, and that’s why we recommend that our clients do strategic plans: setting goals, figuring out who is doing what to support them, and communicating them to everyone from top to bottom. I think employees like to be in on the company’s plans, so they have purpose and clear direction. Consider how you let employees know what’s going on, and what their unique contribution should be in achieving the company’s plan(s). I often repeat the Harvard Business Review story about someone asking the janitor in the lobby of NASA’s headquarters what he does, and he answers, “I help put a man on the moon”. That’s an excellent example of an employee’s sense of purpose: with that, they’ll loyal to the company’s brand. Make sure your employees are in on your company’s plans today.

 

Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936): English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. 

Consider where you're going...

People should be committed to whatever they’re doing. But if they don’t like the road they’re walking, they should start paving another one.

 

o   You should love what you’re doing.

o   If not, don’t be a hypocrite: 

o   Do something else.

 

Like it or not, people change their minds. In jobs, relationships, habits, hobbies, and even online sites you visit or subscribe to. Let’s focus on those online ‘subscriptions’ which, being candid, are a pet peeve of mine: they’re usually unwanted and nearly impossible to get rid of. If you’ve ever donated money to political causes, you’ve probably noticed what looks like an assault on your email inbox; you’re immediately subscribed to so many inter-connected sites that it’s practically impossible to unsubscribe. Or if you’ve searched for or visited retail sites, they too are seemingly impossible to get rid of; even though the holidays are over, promotions continue. We accept that current loyalties to and interests in jobs, relationships, habits, and hobbies are voluntary and may change; while we hope they won’t, human nature and tastes are sometimes fickle. But these online pseudo subscriptions are foisted on us and usually unwanted. So, if online life and the technology behind it is supposed to mirror life, why doesn’t it. Opting out of online political and retail solicitations should be easier and respectful of our own choices today.

 

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born 1946): American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman.

Don't wait...

Last night’s football game between the Bills and Bengals was a shocker. But not for the normal reasons.

 

o   What is normally a game, became a real-life tragedy.

o   Reminding us how precious our health really is.

o   It should never be taken for granted.

 

Sports are so pervasive in our society. We have favorite teams and players, and proudly display jerseys with their names and numbers. And because these games are so entertaining, we forget that they have the potential to become more than entertainment. They portray the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat: we’ve seen so many of both that we often forget those happen to real people. So, seeing the Bill’s player collapse on the field and the ensuing shock on the other player’s faces brought it full circle: life is precious. What would any of us do if one day we woke up and find that there won’t be any more time to do the things we’ve wanted. That sobering reality was on a lot of people’s faces last night. The dependability of health and life is indeed fragile. If there’s something you want to do, do it today.

 

Paulo Coelho de Souza (born 1947): Brazilian lyricist and novelist and a member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters.

Write on...

I suspect we’ve all just spent time over the holiday weekend reflecting about the year just passed. Now it’s time to pivot to the one ahead.

 

·      Thinking about 

·      Old habits and times

·      Is what we so often do.

·      But it’s okay to start now

·      To think about the future too.

 

First Monday of 2023 and I’m still in my 2022 head: I usually try to change the format of these messages each year, but I haven’t decided what I want yet. No surprise, I’m stuck in last year’s design, and like most people, I’m a creature of habit, loyal to what I think or do. But it’s a bright sunny day here in Vegas and I’m all about what’s ahead; I’m excited about the future and know the past won’t mind if I start to change. But one thing I won’t change is picking one of ten corporate values to write about each week. This week it’s loyalty; the others are ownership/responsibility, participation/engagement, passion, pride, professionalism, team spirit, excellence, innovation, and integrity – they follow in rotation in that order. I hope you enjoy reading and thinking about these as much as I do writing them. They inspire and motivate me. Find something that motivates you today.

 

Hillary DePiano is a playwright, fiction, and non-fiction author.