May 16, 2014
The very best people define
themselves through ...
intangible qualities that everyone can put into
practice.
Hey Ravers!
Yessir ... it's time to get some of those thoughts running around in my brain out on
paper. Time to set them to print so that you, dear reader, can ruminate over the
fodder cluttering up my grey matter on this lovely May day. You see, I've been
reading some interesting stuff lately, and several passages from different articles
have caught my eye. Here, in no particular order, are a few of them:
Great Leaders Love the Little Guy (and So Do I)
I am a classic rocker, a lover of the sound of the sixties and seventies, a real rock
and roll oldie. And if I had to name my favorite from those days, well, it just might be
Carlos Santana.
His music has inspired and driven me for years. Why, back in my college days, we
never missed a chance to see him every time he came anywhere near our school.
He is a leader in the music industry, a purveyor of excellence and passion unlike any
other. His music has bridged almost all genres, from Latin to island, from rock to
blues, from R&B to pop. And he has played just about everywhere and with just
about everyone. I even watched him perform at a disco "booty-call" concert in
Denver, Colorado, in 1977. I had no idea why he would do such a thing, but forsaking
my hatred of disco, I went anyway and soon understood why he played with such
mindless drivel as Bootsy's Rubber Band and Bobby "Blue" Bland. You see, when
they introduced him, the crowd actually booed. They wanted the headliners, they
wanted the disco beat. By the end of his set, they were on their feet with a standing
ovation and calling for more. He doesn't care where he plays or who he plays for, he
knows that the passion and excellence and purity of his music will turn them around
and inspire all who listen.
And so it was with some amount of anticipation that I picked up a magazine recently
that featured an interview with the maestro himself. And while reading, I chanced
upon a passage that gave me a great insight into why the man has become so
legendary, why he has achieved such great heights in his chosen profession ... I got
a personal glimpse inside his character.
The interviewer mentioned Santana's recent inclusion by President Obama as a
Kennedy Center honoree, and he asked what that meant to him. Carlos' reply was
astounding:
Oh, thank you for that question. It means the USA has given me a big hug. And at
the same time, by hugging me, you hug all those invisible ones. All the women and
men who change sheets, clean toilets, babysit -- the gardeners, dishwashers, cooks
-- all the people who we don't see, that are there every day doing things for the
United States. There's a lot of people I call the "invisible ones." Every time I walk the
red carpet, I always go to the kitchen, and the first people that I thank are the
dishwasher, the chef, the waiters and the waitresses, because I came from them. So,
when the President honors me, he honors them.
I was astounded, struck dumb by the simplicity, purity and truth in his words. What
does every great leader share but that same sentiment, a passion for, and an abiding
love of, all the people who share in their vision and help to make it a reality? The
people we don't see. The ones who make the wheels turn ... the invisible ones.
I was immediately reminded of some of the great ones in our own gaming industry,
like Phil Satre, a man just as comfortable talking with the dishwashers in the kitchen
as he was presenting to the directors in the boardroom. And Jack Binion, a man
known for supporting, interacting with, and honoring his employees.
I have known others who practice this type of passion, who spend time out on the
floor interacting with and supporting the frontline staff, the invisible ones. People like
Larry Close, retired now, but beloved by many who worked for him (myself included).
Others I've had the pleasure to work with and for, like Art Navarro at BlueWater
Resort & Casino who actually listens to his employees, and Jon Lucas who took the
IP Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi from the bottom of the market to a market leader, and
who now spends time on the floor on Friday and Saturday nights with his employees
at the newly opened Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. General Managers like
Ron Badouin at Cher-Ae Heights Casino and Randy Takemoto of Cache Creek
Casino Resort, who sit down to break bread at dinner every Friday night with some of
their customers. Directors like Bruce McClure, who dresses up in a chicken suit to
have fun with his best players and employees. These are people who I believe
understand where they came from and have never forgotten that it takes a team, it
takes everyone, to achieve excellence in a world in which perfection is only a dream.
So, thank you, Carlos, for illuminating so clearly one of the key attributes of great
leaders, a love of your fellow men and women, the invisible ones who do the work
that makes our world turn.
Fun Is Might ... and Might Makes Right!
Baseball season is well underway, and I am happy to report that both of my teams,
the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's, are once again leading their divisions. I
have always loved the idea of the underdog using wit and guile to beat the heavily
favored opponent at their own game. And the Oakland A's have readily fit that
description for many years now.
With the smallest payroll in baseball, in an underserved and underperforming market,
and playing in an antiquated stadium that's designed for an entirely different game
(football), they continue to achieve excellence with the deck perennially stacked
against them. Now you can talk Moneyball, a great farm system, draft day prowess,
but for my money, the main ingredient in their success is their camaraderie and
teamwork, all driven by a desire to have fun at what they love doing. Forget the
superstars with their multi-million dollar paydays, entourages and paparazzi hangerson, these guys are simply ball players who have a passion for what they do and love
HAVING FUN DOING IT. Take this excerpt from a recent article that I read about this
year's prospects for success:
The final piece of the winning formula has been the A's dedication to having a good
time. Whether it's trying out crazy new hairstyles and growing mustaches, rocking
green and gold Zubaz pants, or whipping hockey slap shots in the clubhouse, it's
clear Oakland has fielded a team as committed to staying loose as it is to working
hard. "We have a clubhouse where it's fun to show up every day." starting pitcher
Jarrod Parker says. "Year-round you're with the same people, and anything you can
do that is fun and exciting is good, those things make you closer as a group." First
baseman Brandon Moss, describing the team's carefree attitude, told USA Today last
season, "Our identity is a bunch of goof-offs who play the game hard and don't care
about the stigma of some things we do being portrayed as bush league. We just have
fun."
It goes on, talking about not only player hijinks, but how they get their fans involved
too, but you get the point. If it isn't fun, why do it? I have been mouthing that platitude
for years, but it is true ... and it leads to a championship attitude (not to mention
championship results). So they haven't won a World Series in over twenty years.
They've made the playoffs multiple times over the last ten years, and they know a
great part of that success is from having fun while working hard.
So, there you have it, dear readers, a couple of meanderings from my brain that once
again add up to not much ... not much, except the following ...
The best of us define themselves through the intangibles that are available to
everyone, namely, passion for what you do, a love of your fellow man, and a belief
that fun is part of what makes anything worthwhile. These are qualities that everyone
can put into practice every day, be you leader, or follower, or even just sitting on the
bench.
Build those qualities into your work, your play, your very life.
I just know it will improve your ride ... not to mention our world!
See ya next time...
Steve (picking up little gems wherever I go) Browne
President, Raving Service
[email protected]
PS -- Consider the following five-point test:
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Do you work the floor on busy weekend nights with your crew?
Do you spend valuable time and much effort trying to find ways to put fun in
the places you manage?
Do you reach out to your frontline every day with a message about how
important their work is ... and how important THEY ARE?
Do you personally thank your staff for their efforts (with handwritten letters and
cards, or small gifts of appreciation)?
Do you thank your staff every time you catch them laughing and/or visibly
enjoying themselves while working (or perhaps telling a joke to a customer or
two)?
Well, how'd ya do? If you answered yes to three or more, you passed. If not, well get
to work and start studying, so you can pass the next time that you take the test.