TEDx

TEDx

It’s been a week since I delivered my TEDx talk.  I needed a whole week to digest the experience and be able to discuss it somewhat objectively.  But make no mistake: the emotional high is still there.

TED is all about Ideas Worth Sharing and I was honored that they thought mine might reach that level.  And presenting with (and having watched) others who are lawyers, doctors, teachers and rocket scientists made me seriously question my credentials to talk among them.  But they were persuasive and I presented.

They wanted a 12-minute presentation and I’m not usually that disciplined; I’ve given lots of speeches but none that were going to be filmed and published on You Tube.  I’ve often told stories from my days as Steve Wynn’s HR guy but wasn’t sure they’d be of interest to this audience, and worried that my non-traditional style could prove awkward in such a high-profile setting. 

So I took the stage and told stories of some non-traditional recruitment strategies I dreamed up for the openings of Mirage, Treasure Island, Bellagio and Wynn, and the lessons learned.  The gist of it was that Wynn and his companies were so popular that we easily garnered more than 3 million applications during my tenure: while we were certainly flush with them, we never stopped looking.  We didn’t need more, but looked because it was the right thing to do.

At lunch, waiting to present, I sat with a 14 year old who gave a talk last year that’s gone viral and is now the 3rd most watched video on the TEDx You Tube Channel: he was cool, I started to get butterflies.  And then it was show time: all of the talks were great: some had Power Points - I had me; some had great theories - I had real-life experiences; all got applause - I got a standing ovation. 

Some things in life are notable because we’re at the right place at the right time; others are memorable because we get something from them; this was inspirational because I came away with a greater sense of awe at the power of thought. 

I’d tell you more but don’t want to spoil the ‘punch’ line.  I’ll let you know when the You Tube link is live.

My message this week is about getting out there and doing things:

“Life is for participating, not for spectating.”  Kathrine Switzer

We’re often reminded that people have to play in order to win.  Problem is we’re often not invited or made to feel that way, but that doesn’t relieve any of us of the right or responsibility to prep up, step up, and be ready to get actively involved when called. So no matter what the situation, you must remember that life is for participating and not for spectating.  That means you always have to be ready, which pre-supposes that you’re always preparing and keeping up to date, and that if  (not when) the opportunity arises, you’re ready.  Your friends, colleagues and career demand that you remain constantly ready and able; that’s how to make sure you’re in a position to win.  So stop watching and get involved in the things going on in your world today!

Stay well!

Starting Over

                                                       

 Starting Over

  

How often do you get to start over every six months?  Throughout my former career in HR I focused on longevity and continuity, using both to promote consistency and customer satisfaction.  Here on the faculty, with the beginning of each new semester, the momentum and continuity is more personal. And I’m starting to see similarities between the two.

In the world of work I tried hard to make those around me smarter and more effective; the longer they stayed with the company the better they became.  And we leveraged that continuity to help create consistently great experiences for customers.

Here at school, we try to make ourselves smarter and more effective, and to use that self-improvement for the benefit of each semester’s new students. And for each group of new customers (read: students), it’s like the old Eastern Airlines motto: We earn our wings every day.

In both worlds it really is about making sure each of us, whether manager or teacher, is as good as we can be.  It’s about doing whatever it takes to continuously learn and improve, to be better tomorrow than we are today, and to openly and honestly assess and address our strengths and weaknesses. 

Self-reliance, self-direction, self-motivation, personal responsibility and accountability are the characteristics of effectiveness and success in everything we do.  So I guess starting over is really about seeing every day as an opportunity to improve our own personal effectiveness.  

My message this week is about being responsible and accountable for our actions:

“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves -- to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today.”  Stewart B Johnson

Ever hear it said: “if you’re not moving forward then you‘re falling behind…”?  Most business owners (and managers who feel like owners) feel that way – so they work extra hard at creating ways to sell or do more while spending the same or less. But after a while, that gets progressively harder because you run out of ideas.  That’s when it’s good to look around for best practices, listen to and learn from others, and fearlessly try new things.  It’s even good to go back and re-look at what you might have done before and could do more of, or what didn’t work quite right and could use a little tweaking.   So act like an owner and go break some of your own records today!

Stay well.

Polar Vortex

I’m 60something and had never heard the term Polar Vortex until this past week.  The meteorologists were having a field day predicting the dire consequences of this latest once-in-a century weather catastrophe.  How’re they going to top this next year?

The weather was really cold everywhere, and there were wild temperature swings around those frigid blasts.  Snow piled up, winds howled and waterfalls froze.  The 24 news and weather channels showed pictures of treacherous conditions over and over as if they were actually continuing rather than being repeated.  People got out their warmest gear, schools and cities were closed, and everyone was encouraged to stay home and be safe.  You’d think nobody ever experienced winter before.

I know I’ve blogged about this in the past because like everyone else I’m driven to being obsessed about the weather.  Maybe that’s why the Weather Channel is the most watched cable station.  But rather than sit indoors and worry about the scenes on the TV we should get up, bundle up and go out and enjoy them.  Maybe this polar cyclone (that’s what a polar vortex really is) is a call from Mother Nature to come out and play.

We all recall winters’ past when records were set and proudly declare how we experienced and survived them.  Remember leggings and boots and mittens and mufflers? Remember seeing the snow swirl in the glow of the streetlights at dusk?  Remember digging tunnels and forts in the snowdrifts and seeing the snow have a blue tint?  If we had stayed indoors back then we wouldn’t have those great memories today.  But we didn’t stay indoors back then because there were no 24-hour news and weather channels telling us not to go out: we looked and decided for ourselves.

I think the 24-hour news cycles are out of control and making us a little bit crazy.  And the last thing we need today is someone making us a little crazier.  So: don't be vexed by a Polar Vortex - turn off the TVs, shut off the computers, and go out and enjoy whatever weather you’re experiencing.  The memories will be worth it.

My message this week is about participating in life to the fullest:

“Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance.” Scout Cloud Lee

What have you hoped for?  As kids, we all dreamed of what we hoped to become when we grew up, and now as adults we’re hopefully living that dream.  Whatever we are, it’s important that we get involved as much as we can to become as much as we can.  There will be good days and bad, happy and sad, more and less exciting and rewarding – and they will all add to whatever we are. So think back on the dreams you had, and while the here and now may not be all that you had hoped for, you should make the most of it.  Smile, be in the moment, extend random acts of kindness, bring joy and happiness to others, and make today and every day all that you want it to be. Do that, and then go ahead and dance!

Stay warm…. and well!

Another Resolution

Another Resolution

How many New Years resolutions have you made in your life?  Most of us make at least one every year, but it’s not how many you make; it’s really how many you keep.

We’ve all made the one about losing weight.  If that were so easy we wouldn’t have to make it a special one, and if we were successful we wouldn’t have to keep repeating it.  And we’ve all made the one about being a better person.  Again, don’t you think that would be one that wouldn’t need repeating?  Or: how many times have you heard or read one and said: “that’s the one”?  Just goes to prove that there’s not much new in the universe.

So what’s the deal with these resolutions anyways?  Presumably they focus us on something that will make us feel or act or be better.  Sure it’s good to have goals, but if any are good to have then there’s no reason to wait for a special occasion to declare and commit to them.

What if every day we got up and just reminded ourselves about: being nice and kind and honest and humble, doing what’s right, smiling and laughing more, saying please and thank you, honoring our mothers and fathers and other elders, speaking well of others, promoting fairness, learning new things, and countless other efforts that help us to be better tomorrow that we are today?

So maybe all of those will be my resolutions for 2014.... and beyond.  And if every morning I remind myself, and if every day I catch myself, and if every evening I remind myself then just maybe I’ll become the person I aspire to be.  And like most things in life, that will be a continuous work in progress.

My message this week is about trying to become the person you want to be:

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you.” Lao Tzu

Are you content?  That could refer to money, profession, family, or stature; but it could also refer to whether you’re content with yourself.  Possibly one of the hardest things in life is to like who you are: the person that you see when you look in the mirror.  Do you say and do the appropriate things: the kinds of things that others respect and trust?  Are you kind and considerate: the kinds of characteristics that others appreciate and follow.  Can you be counted on when called upon: the type of person that others can rely on no matter what?  To do any or all of these you must be content with yourself, so don’t compare yourself to or compete with others.  Be open and honest in your dealings with others and everyone will respect you.  Consider this as you begin to live your New Year’s Resolutions this week!

Happy New Year!

Holiday Giving

               Holiday Giving

So it’s the holidays and everyone looks forward to the season of giving.  And while I was probably somewhere between naughty and nice this past year, I still got what I wanted.

Everyone told us that the best part of being a parent is having grandchildren, and when that day finally happened for us we gladly gave up heaven at the beach and moved back to the heat of Las Vegas.  First Olive, and then 18 months later came Ella, and now we’re blissfully surrounded by all that grandchildren have to offer.

Don’t get me wrong: we love being back here with family and friends.  My mother is still going strong at 92, my daughter and her husband are great parents that we love to watch and admire, my big brother and his wife are around for all the good big-brother stuff, and the good friends we made back when are still our good friends now.  But it’s those two granddaughters who make it all worthwhile. 

I’m still awkward when holding a new born, and nobody calls on me to change diapers or give baths…. but when it comes to reading books, being silly, and taking long walks, my name is near the top of the list.  And thanks to the miracle of smartphones with cameras, I have pictures to prove it.

If anyone had asked what I wanted for the holidays, I’d have asked for someone to call me Pop Pop.  And thankfully my wish came true.

My message this week is all about the joys of giving:

“For it is in giving that we receive.” Saint Francis of Assisi

So what did you get for Christmas?  That’s the big question this week and the answers run the gamut from ‘nothing’ to ‘everything’.  If you’re like me, you probably got some cool things you wanted or needed, and others that were unexpected but appreciated, and then some that made you scratch your head and wondered.  And those you gave gifts to probably felt the same even though you most likely put a lot of thought into each.  People have good intentions and try to find things that please, but that’s not always the case.  So I guess it’s best to remember that it’s the thought that counts and that it is in the giving that we receive.  That’s why this or any gift-giving season is a time to give what we can and to be appreciative and thankful for all that we receive.

Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good life!

Commencement

I learned something this semester: there are similarities between school and everything that comes after, but they need to be explained.

In school, students want a syllabus in order to know exactly what to plan for; in life that clarity rarely happens and so they need to learn the art of flexibility. In school, students want to know with certainty what’s going to be on the final exam; in life things are not so well defined and so being broadly prepared is a critical skill to learn.  In school, it’s all about the grade; in life it’s really about whether you can apply what you’ve learned.  And in school there’s a commencement at the end; but, like in the real world, the end is just the beginning.

I explained these and other concepts to my students in the course of our Strategic Management Class: while strategy is often thought of in terms of business, maybe it’s also needed when planning one’s life; and while SWOT analyses are good when determining a business’ direction, it’s also good to know their own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats; and while the clarity of a mission statement is important to making sure every stakeholder in a business is clearly informed, their individual missions need to be carefully crafted and articulated too. I got the impression that in this, their last semester, these concepts took on a deeper and more urgent meaning within the context of their imminent entry into the real world and the relatively unforgiving nature of life’s multiple-choice options.

The semester came to an end much more quickly than I expected, and I suspect the students were equally as surprised that the end of their academic lives was upon them.  Two busy weeks filled with formal reviews, final exams, final grades, final GPAs and teary hugs as they put on their caps and gowns and prepared for Commencement – the end of college and the beginning of the rest of their lives.

I could see the uncertainty in their eyes as they walked across that stage and into the real world.  Nothing really prepares any of us for that kind of change but maybe now the lessons they learned in class will begin to make more sense.  Maybe that’s why I’m getting requests from so many of them to connect on LinkedIn.  I’m really looking forward to hearing about their experiences in the real world.

My message this week is the one I gave to my students on the last day of class:

“Take pride in who you are as a unique individual by trying to be more today than you were yesterday, more tomorrow than you were today.” Edwin Mamerto

What will you try to be today?  If you’re not trying to be better than you were yesterday then you might end up being worse.  The competition is always looking to see what the new baseline in service and pricing might be, and then developing strategies to outdo you and others. And the best way to avoid getting caught unaware is to keep your eyes and ears open and to continually strive to learn and be more. If it’s leadership: watch other leaders and emulate what you see; if it’s service: visit the competition and see whether they’ve come up with new practices that you should consider; if it’s pricing: always look for process improvements to reduce costs; and if it’s personal style and effort: take pride in who your are and try to be more today than you were yesterday.  That’s how you and your team can be more tomorrow than you were today!

Stay well!

Who Knows Where the Time Goes

Who Knows Where the Time Goes

We saw Judy Collins in concert last month and couldn’t help but reminisce.  And wonder where the time’s gone.

This year’s almost gone and all the times we’ve had in the past 11 months are getting ready to be stored in 2013’s archive.  There’ve been good times and bad, good family young and old, good friends we have or have lost, and good music from then and now. And there was Sweet Judy Blue Eyes telling tales from back in the day and singing songs from along the way.  We closed our eyes, swayed with the music and enjoyed the scenes of our lives as they floated along with the tunes.

Some of the songs she wrote, and some that others wrote.  Her play list took us down memory lane:

Someday Soon

    I would follow him right down the toughest road I know

    Someday soon, going with him, someday soon.

Both Sides Now 

    I've looked at life from both sides now,

    From win and lose, and still somehow

    it's life's illusions I recall.

    I really don't know life at all..

Suzanne

    And you want to travel with her

    And you want to travel blind

    And you know that she will trust you

    For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.

My Father

    On his dreams like boats

    We knew we would sail in time.

The Last Thing on My Mind 

    Are you going away with no word of farewell?

    Will there be not a trace left behind?

    Well, I could have loved you better,

    Didn't mean to be unkind.

    You know that was the last thing on my mind.

Who Knows Where the Time Goes

    For who knows how my love grows?

    And who knows where the time goes?

These are the songs I grew up with.  And in hearing them again all the memories from all those long ago times flashed before me.  Those were good and bad times; they were the times of my life.

Every moment in time can be one of the good times, and add up to become the times we remember.  Maybe that’s what ‘being in the moment’ is all about and why memories are like treasures.  Our times make us what we are and in thinking about them I find myself being thankful for having had those times.  I guess that’s part of what Thanksgiving is all about.

My message this week is about living life to the fullest and being all we ever wanted to be:

“It is never too late to be what you might have been." George Eliot

What do you want to be? Most people have dreams, hopes and aspirations, and they try to accomplish them while also tending to their everyday responsibilities.  And it can happen that those responsibilities take up so much of our time that we might lose sight of what’s needed to stay on track with our dreams.  That’s why it’s important to have goals and a plan to achieve them, to communicate with others so that they don’t inadvertently do, say or assign things that might create a conflict, and to regularly remind us why our goals are important.  Doing these kinds of things can also rekindle the passions we have for the things that are important because, even when they tend to drag on longer than anticipated, it’s never too late to achieve our goals or become what we might have been.  So find and let your passions guide you to be what you want today!

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving. 

Stay Well!