Every step counts...

Most of our lives are fairly stable – no great interruptions or surprises. But you never know.

 

Life is a mystery.

   We never know

      What awaits us

         From day to day.

 

I figured my life would follow a path like my father’s – he’d worked for his father, and I worked for him. After working there for twelve years, we sold the 75-year-old manufacturing business, and I was recruited into the gaming business. That profound change highlights the kind of impact a job can have on someone.  People have all kinds of experiences – good and bad, big and small, but I think one of the biggest ones can be related to changing jobs. It can be full of hope and excitement or uncertainty and anxiety. Much of that transition depends more on one’s boss than on the work involved: he or she can be warm, welcoming, and supportive or aloof, demanding, and disconnected. On-boarding refers to the process of bringing someone into an organization. Remember your first days on a new job and whether it made a good first impression. That experience can alter the trajectory of your career, one way of the other. Make someone’s first days on the job a great experience today.

 

Devendra Obi Banhart (born 1981): American-Venezuelan singer-songwriter and visual artist.

Support creativity...

Sometimes you just must nurture creativity; otherwise, an idea may be diminished or lost. 

 

Ideas

   Come and go.

      Leaders need to

         Nurture and support them.

 

The best ideas often come from teams of people working together. Sometimes, the idea comes from a single individual, other times from a group effort. In either case, leaders are responsible for supporting them. The Wynn paperless application system is a good example. Over a ten-year period, I kept dreaming about ways to avoid the problems associated with huge volumes of paper applications – inconsistent data input and filing issues. My dream started ahead of the technology needed to make it happen – despite that, my boss was supportive of trying non-technical solutions like adding people to the process and improving their training. But still the problems persisted. I then requested a budget that allowed travel to visit technology companies and hiring consultants to assist. Those increasing budget requests were matched by return on investment (ROI) projections that were carefully prepared and vetted. My point is that even though I seemed to be the lone dreamer behind this long-term project, I never could have succeeded without support at all levels. Most problems spawn dreamers and ideas – watch for them in you organization, listen carefully, and support the best ones. Don’t allow your dreamers to lose heart or give up today. 

 

Ai Weiwei (born 1957): Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist.

Pay attention to what you do...

Everything we do matters. It all makes up who and what we are.

 

Everything 

   We say and do

      As managers reflects

         On us and our company.

 

You don’t get proficient at anything without learning and practice, and it also helps when someone is there to coach and mentor you. When I started at the Golden Nugget, I had no experience in casinos and gaming – fortunately for me, there were people there to explain things and guide me along. As I look back, I’m not sure that I listened enough before trying to find my own way – I suspect that’s a common problem that people have. And when I transferred to the Mirage project, I again started acting before learning enough about that new project. Interviewing other companies was a strong reminder about the importance of listening and learning. It’s often difficult to see where we might end up but knowing that our legacy is written one day and action at a time is the best way to approach life. With that realization comes the awareness that what we do today, right now, will have an effect both on all our tomorrows and on that final reckoning. Pay attention to what you do today.

 

Alexandra Stoddard, (born 1941): American author, interior designer, and lifestyle philosopher.

Don't be afraid to try something new...

Anything new can be terrifying. That’s certainly how I saw the challenge of the Mirage.

 

Trying 

   Something

      New is scary.

         Everyone will tell 

            You so; and they’re right.

 

Not a lot of people I know will admit they’re terrified of some of the new things they get involved with at work. Well… I will. I signed on early to the Mirage team – there were five of us and I thought the others had way more experience and confidence than me. But I learned that they really didn’t – they just didn’t show their concern. And that’s a valuable lesson. Be honest about what you know and don’t know, be curious about the things you don’t know, keep an open mind when learning new stuff, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Others will help if they think you want to learn but they’ll sense if you’re insincere. I often tell the story about visiting hundreds of companies that had opened anything in the 5 years before the Mirage – we were honest with our questions and the people we met helped us overcome our insecurities and inexperience. To this day we stop and answer questions about anything if people ask. Don’t let your insecurities stop you from asking questions that will help you learn and grow. Don’t be terrified of the unknown today.

 

Amy Chua (born 1962): American corporate lawyer, legal scholar, and writer – she is also known as “the Tiger Mom”.

Spend your time doing worthwhile stuff...

Life is all about the living. And living is best spent serving others.

 

Service

   To others

      Is an important

         Part of living life.

 

I’m writing this message after a nice Independence Day here in the mountains. The day was spent outdoors, doing stuff with and for our lakeside community. And right in the middle was a boat regatta complete with holiday-themed bunting and flags: half the lake paraded while the others watched and waved dockside. It was arranged by a voluntary Lake Association, the kind found in many communities – one where neighbors serve for the benefit of the hood. We all have opportunities to serve – on boards, in schools, on work projects, and in our communities. While sometimes thankless, they more often provide opportunities to get involved with colleagues and neighbors in fulfilling our desire to serve. They’re part of the framework of life – people helping others in the spirit of camaraderie. It’s a purpose more than a style, and it’s based on the simple premise of being part of something that helps others. That’s how great things are accomplished. Do your part in serving others today. 

 

Criss Jami (born 1987): American author, poet, philosopher, creator/designer of Killosopher Apparel, and the musician for the metal project Crymson Gryphon.

Wave the flag...

“America is a tune. It must be sung together.”  Gerald Stanley Lee

                                                                                        Happy July 4th

Everything counts...

It’s important to do your best every day. Not some days. But every day.

 

Be 

   Your best,

      All the time.

         That’s important.

 

When someone asks: “what are you going to do today?”, respond: “the best I can”. Whether there are big things or small, they all deserve your best. No matter what, everything we do affects someone, and they deserve our absolute best efforts. Meaning: approach each task as if your life or livelihood depends upon it; cut no corners, take no shortcuts, maintain maximum focus, and give it your best shot. If you can’t – don’t do it. Because there’s no such thing in anyone’s life as an insignificant task or unimportant day – they all count. So be prepared – eat right, get exercise, rest up, and be ready to put your best foot forward. That’s what you expect others to do, so don’t let them down. If you approach everything you do with the mindset that it’s going to be your best, then you’ll have no regrets. Make excellence important today.

 

Alexander Humphreys Woollcott (1887–1943): American drama critic, commentator for The New Yorker magazine, an occasional actor and playwright, and a prominent radio personality.