It’s often said that the gaming industry—or hospitality in general, actually—is a people business. During both the recruiting and the on-boarding process, company leaders stressed to me that success in this business rests primarily on your ability to interact with people. And not just the obvious—i.e. customers. As a matter of fact, some argue that your most important relationships and interpersonal interactions are closer to home—with employees (cue commercial for “The Service Profit Chain”. Get it now at an Amazon.com near you).
With that as the backdrop…
One of the aspects I enjoy most about my position is the interaction with front line staff. With theRIDGE in particular, I spent a lot of time with our Table Games personnel. From the Director of Table Games, to pit managers, supervisors, and dealers, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know this team. I must say, it’s one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. To develop relationships, to establish a rapport, to ask for their feedback and ensure they feel they’re a part of creating something special has been an honor. I spend so much time at theRIDGE that I’ve started to feel like part of the family!
Case in point: one afternoon, as I was walking out of theRIDGE (after one of my random check-ins), a dealer was returning from break. She stops me and says “you know, I’ve been meaning to tell you something.” Surely, I thought she was going to give me her thoughts about something within the space (“it’s too cold”, “we need some more dance music”, etc.—the dealers definitely aren’t afraid to give you their opinions. *smile*). Nope. She proceeds to take out her wallet and shows me pictures of her family—first her grandchildren, then her children. She was simply a proud matriarch and wanted to share that with me. This was totally unprompted; completely out of the blue—we hadn’t even talked about family before. And, it was honestly one of the highlights of my summer (I’m getting all emotional thinking about it now. Such a girl, I know.).
That’s the power of connection. And that’s the priority people have in this business. You’re analytical? Great. You can churn out forecasting models with the best of them? Super. Can you genuinely and effectively engage with the VP of Marketing, special events coordinator, security guard, and slot attendant all in the span of fifteen minutes? If you aspire to a position of leadership, the answer better be yes.
During a recent conference call one of our division presidents said: “when I’m at a cocktail party and someone asks me what I do for a living, I tell them I motivate, inspire, and lead people.” During my eight weeks here, I’ve found that there’s no truer statement. And given that my personal purpose/mission statement is “to teach, influence, and inspire people to reach their fullest potential”, I’d say there’s definitely alignment with the company’s values and I’m blessed to have had this opportunity.
Now, if I could just get used to having no windows…
Great post love!! 🙂 I truely believe life is about relationships, hence the reason I tend to always be socializing (much better word than networking).
I’m reading a book called ‘Never Eat Alone’, I’ll give you the full debrief when I finish. So far, so good.
Looking forward to SY.