Message for our team: New Year brings new opportunities for success

As we all finish shaking off the rust from the holiday season, and start to get back into the swing of things – I wanted to offer some thoughts on where we’ve been, where we’re going, and how you can best be a part of that direction. None of these ideas are department specific, but rather some general ideas that have kept me moving, and kept me learning over the last year and into this new year.

Change is inevitable

• People are a funny species. We crave equal parts certainty and change. In reality, we crave certainty in the things we need (safety, security, housing, basic needs), and change in the things we enjoy (clothes, food, nights out, etc).
• Our ability to manage change, roll with it, and find ways to enjoy it will make lifes little changes feel more like certainty and less like threats.

We have a right to great leadership.

• Often times, when something doesn’t go well, we look above our pay grade to lay blame. “Its my bosses fault because…….” Sometimes its true
• Every single person in this building, no matter your role, seniority, or otherwise has a right to be led by great leaders. To ensure this, every single person here has a right to question leadership and ask for clarity. We speak about the “why” of what we do often, but if a leader fails to clearly articulate the “why,” ask them. If your direct report can’t provide what you need, go above. 
• Don’t take this to mean that everyone has a right to hear what they like. But you do have a right for: clarity, direction, tools to achieve, training, goals AND your “why.”

We have an obligation

• Be motivated.
• Care about your success and your teammates success.
• Seek to learn and understand outside of work (Inc.com, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Business Insider, podcasts, etc)
• Bring new ideas to the table. They won’t all be used, but the more you bring ideas to the table, the more likely you’ll continue to be invited to sit at the table when new ideas are needed.

Know how each of our successes impacts everyone else on our team.

• Every single person here impacts our success. That’s not lip service. You’d be surprised at how each of our individual contributions affects our teammates. Stop and think about it. What happens when you do your job really well? What happens if you don’t? 

Every opportunity seized today pays dividends for more days in our lives.

• This is sort of like the finance lesson I shared last summer on compounding interest. The sooner you learn a skill or ability which helps you succeed, the more days you have ahead of you to make that skill work for you.
• In the book “outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell, he determines that it takes 10,000 hours to perfect a skill. Those who achieve those 10,000 hours well in advance of others are the ones who get a head start. Those with the head start rarely give up that lead if they continue to gain experience. Using your time wisely to gain your 10,000 hours quicker will give you experience that no one can take from you, and almost no one can catch up with you!

Be curious

• This is my last and perhaps most important point. Having had the amazing fortune of working for two owners, both self-made, who both reside on the Forbes Billionaires list; I’m struck by their similarities. Despite both of their enormous successes, almost every conversation we have is one where they are asking me questions. Tirelessly. They both beg for more knowledge and want to be consistently updated on what I’m seeing, what I’m learning, and what our team is doing.
• No matter where your interests lie, endless curiosity will likely lead to endless success

(Addendum based on a terrific note by Chris Payne, a friend and amazing emcee for Reno Aces & Reno 1868 FC)

• I'd like to add a something to this message: Make sure they have passion.
• Passion is what drives me every day I set foot through the gates. Passion is what inspires me to always be 'on' whether we have 1,000 guests or a sold out house.

If you made it to the end, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What about this do you like? What doesn’t make sense? How could I better articulate these ideas? Perhaps most importantly; how might you use any of these thoughts to grow in 2019?