Catching Up: THIS is What Gets Me Going

It has been a little over a month and I’ve not had a chance to do any blogging. There were quite a few things about which I’ve wanted to write but, alas, I didn’t make the time. So, in the spirit of playing catch up…

Someone recently asked why I pursued a career in the hospitality/gaming industry. Amongst other reasons, one of the answers I provided:

It’s about the people. The opportunity to serve and connect with customers by creating unique and memorable experiences. And the opportunity to lead and engage team members and work with such a large and diverse workforce.

Building Relationships

I am present at most events we have on-property. This affords me the opportunity to greet frequent customers and to develop relationships. I’ve met quite a few guests but there is one couple in particular who are near and dear to my heart. Let’s call them Alice and Jim Miller*. They come down from NYC almost every weekend. When we first met, Mrs. Miller imparted wisdom with me about career, marriage, family, etc. It was as if she was talking to her granddaughter; and I indeed felt like I was getting schooled by a loving grandmother. Every time I see them, I am greeted with a big hug. At our New Year’s Eve party, I took a few pictures with The Millers. Two weeks later, I saw them on-property and they handed me an envelope. In it was a card, three pictures from that evening, and a piece of paper that read:

THE WAY I SEE IT# 101

The most valuable things in life are priceless. They are courage, compassion, wisdom, respect for ourselves and others, and a host of characteristics that we call the beauty of human spirit.

#touching

Diversity of Experiences

Last month, our company celebrated Chinese New Year by sponsoring a parade and a day full of activities. The parade started at my property and made its way down the boardwalk to two of our other properties and beyond. It was nice to be a part of something that celebrated the cultures of some of our customers and introduced other guests to said culture. It was quite a show.

PS: Extra shout-out for being able to participate this year since it’s the Year of the Dragon and I’m a dragon baby myself. 🙂

#multiculturalismatwork

Employee Engagement

The HR team, in partnership with the property leader, leads the charge on employee engagement. One of the fun ways they’ve developed to connect leadership with team members is through the executive photo wall. Located in the back of the house next to the employee dining room, the photo wall consists of headshots of each property executive along with candids from their personal life. It is fun to see team members look (and sometimes laugh) at the photo wall. In the annual employee opinion survey, one of the team members in my department commented on the wall and said how much she appreciated getting to know more about the leadership team. I’ve included below my first round of pictures. I recently submitted new candids so I’ll share a “picture of the pictures” when I can.