Suit up...

Get ready: you’re in the middle of the game of life; you may not win them all, but you have to play to have that chance. Don’t let a little rain, or any of the countless other obstacles that life throws at you, slow you down. ‘Stepping up to the plate’ is one of those sport’s metaphors that people use to describe the chances we all have to do something right (or, following that same metaphor, ‘get a hit’). In baseball, they play in the rain; in football they play in any weather: we’ve all experienced hardships, and whether they’re weather related or worse, the things we learn by overcoming them are what make us better and stronger. If you’re playing alone: act with confidence and purpose; if you’re on a team: collaborate with others to leverage everyone’s abilities. Don’t worry if you aren’t as successful as you expected to be: take that stride up ‘to the plate’ and try your best to make it count today.

Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige (1906 – 1982): American professional baseball pitcher who is notable for his longevity in the game and the crowds that came to see him play

Happy Thanksgiving...

                                           

                              

"Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life. Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have." Catherine Pulsifer

Is the glass half empty or half full? I’m older than I once was, but still have lots of life left in me. My knees hurt, but I can still get around. Some friends and loved ones died this past year, but most are still around.  My voice cracks when I sing, but I can still hit many of the harmonies. My life took some wrong turns this year, but most of my roads are moving forward in a straight line. Is it all perfect – No, but is it good enough to still look forward to getting up each day – YES. My glass is definitely half full and I am grateful for that. On this national day of Thanksgiving, I am reminded to give Thanks every day, and to never take for granted all the blessings that life gives us. Thank you to all the friends, family, acquaintances and things that make it all worthwhile… today, and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving

Catherine Pulsifer: eZine author of Words of Wisdom and other motivational messages

Listen for the truth...

I once knew a General Manager who always let everyone know he was the smartest person in the room. After a while it got to the point that he was the only one talking: his managers stopped making recommendations or seeking advice, they stopped thinking creatively or planning strategically, and they deferred every question or problem to him. Basically, they just nodded their heads at whatever he said, and behind his back rolled their eyes and stopped trying. Although he was technically a pretty smart guy, he couldn’t do it all, and performance began to suffer: but he kept telling himself and everyone else how much he knew. As it often happens, he self-destructed: his replacement had lived thru that era and was promoted from within. It took a while, but the new guy convinced his team to stop telling him what they thought he wanted to hear, and to begin telling him the truth. Not surprisingly, morale, creativity and performance bounced back. Let your team tell you the truth today.

Eric D. Thomas, Ph.D. (b. 1970): American motivational speaker, author and minister.

Get ready...

The Mirage in Las Vegas opened 30 years ago this week: it changed the face of gaming and Las Vegas. Expectations were high and it didn’t disappoint. It was my first opportunity to hire, train and motivate thousands of employees: like most of the things it promised, we did it as a team. And even though lots of competitors and pundits said it could never succeed, we prepared extensively, and that gave us peace of mind as the opening drew near: it taught us the importance of being ready. Through the years I’ve watched dozens of our former employees achieve leadership roles in casinos all over the world, and more companies than I can count seek to emulate the culture we created. The article below talks about the success of the Mirage over the years: it created a legacy not unlike the great sports teams of our time. Get ready to support your team’s efforts today.

Peyton Manning (b. 1976): Former American football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League

https://ggbmagazine.com/article/botanic-volcanic-dynamic-historic-the-mirage-turns-30/

Work together...

For many companies, this is budget season: when everyone plans next year’s business initiatives and projections. It’s an intense time that calls for studying historical data, market trends, competitive landscapes, best practices and creative ideas. It’s also a time to remember that working together with others – those you interact with all the time and others that support you indirectly: it’s today’s adaptation of the old truism “two heads are better than one”. It combines resources and brings more to the planning and implementation efforts; it takes full advantage of multiple and diverse perspectives to help see and understand more; and it can produce quicker go-to-market strategies and results.  And it’s another opportunity to reduce business silos and myopic thinking. Being aware of the interdependence of things creates cross-functional caring and commitments: seeing, supporting, and appreciating how everything affects everyone else can be the ultimate team-building exercise. That awareness recognizes the critical interdependencies that exist, improves understanding of shared needs, aligns interests and efforts, and creates a more robust team environment. Keep an eye out for how you overlap with others today.

Thomas Merton (1915-1968): Theologian, Author

Keep the faith...

Employees want and need to trust supervisors to guide them in the right direction. When that happens, all is well; but, if a supervisor fails to show the way, even once, that faith and trust may be broken. That’s why knowing what needs to be done and communicating it effectively is so important: meaning being aware of the technical and operational things related to what’s being supervised, listening to questions, considering all the options, and giving clear and unequivocal instructions.  This same level of care and clarity applies to all written materials, including policy guides, instructional manuals and materials, FAQs, websites, newsletters, emails, texts, and any other way companies convey the information employees rely on to be able to perform effectively. We all know that when information is in print and wrong, the time it takes to correct and re-disseminate it can be ponderously long, and it’s during that kind of gap in time that rumors and confusion can abound. So, take the time to get things right and communicated appropriately the first time. That’s what it takes to maintain the faith that employees have in you today.

William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616): English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist

Tell it like it is...

Truth matters: even if it hurts at first, you will always be good with the fact that it was a “truth.” Like in performance reviews: telling the truth every day helps people accept to it in real time. Like in responding to questions: giving straight answers every day fosters robust dialogue about every topic. Like in leadership: having the courage to lead with the truth every day helps keep everyone in on the truth. So, think about what you say or write to others: is it thoughtful, clear, truthful and constructive, or does it leave some feeling left out, and others confused. After a long career I am more convinced than ever of the importance of communications: it’s the difference between effective and ineffective leadership, successful or failed projects, sensible or non-sensical policies and philosophies, understood or confusing messaging, engaged or disengaged employees, and robust or ho-hum cultures. Don’t prevaricate or leave some out, meaning: don’t mis-lead, mis-speak, or mis-represent. If you can’t ‘tell it like it is’, either re-think and re-craft the message… or maybe you shouldn’t say anything at all.  That’s how to make the people around you feel worth it today.

Mishaela is a powerful wizardess and prophet, Darksol's foremost disciple, and the principal antagonist of Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict