Monday Motivation: Build A Better You

If you read last week's post, you are ready now to navigate back into the workforce. If you need to catch up with us  read here. In order to prepare effectively you must think about what you bring to the table. Oprah Winfrey is quoted as saying "When you bring excellence to a room. they will find you a seat." I will share two points we can add that will make us appealing to a new opportunity or invaluable to the employer that furlough you.

If you are looking for a new job situation, be prepared to practice "The Power of Nunchi”. This is a book written by Euny Hong. The word "nunchi translates into eye measure and listening skills. This can be incorporated into a job interview. It enables you to make assessments about a business or social situation quickly. Your chances of success increase when you can read a room, make connections, and come across as well informed.

The listening aspect of Nunchi is utilize by hearing what the interviewer wants from you and being able to convey that you can deliver. Be prepared to offer a solution in case you are ask a hypothetical question. Do some research that goes beyond the job posting that got you in the room.

If you are navigating a return to a place or industry of prior employment, bring flexibility back with you. The thought of "I 've been doing this for 5,10 years or longer and I know what I am doing" may have been acceptable in March. Now factor in social distancing, wearing a mask and the other possibilities that await you. Are you ready? A limited capacity is projected initially in hotels, casinos, and entertainment venues. The measure of flexibility may extend to you. Ask yourself how flexible you can be if you could return next week. That would give you time to mentally prepare. An NFL coach can motivate an entire 53-man roster to get ready for a game in 6 days. We only have to motivate ourselves.

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Monday Motivation: Plan B

In last week's Monday Motivation, we covered a blueprint for a to return to work with safety, health, and social distancing policies in place. If you missed it here is the link. The next step for most of us will be how we go from being at home all day to working again. This is not a given or an automatic situation. Most operations are opening at less than 60% of pre COVID levels. This poses the thought that we may need a plan "B". This is if we were employed by an operator that is conservatively reopening. 

The plan "B" must start with an evaluation of your skill set and the value you bring to your team. If your self-evaluation does not grade out high, then you must take steps to improve it. You may have to apply at other companies that are in your field or have a demand for your talent. This is the 1st step of Plan B.

Since we are entering the "New Normal", we must become comfortable with the business aspects of virtual interaction. No one will be likely to interview you in person. So, you must be prepared to log into a link or a Zoom panel that will ask questions of you. This may be foreign to most of us, but we have the luxury of time to master it. 

Have the person that you are in quarantine with do a role play with you. You should dress as if you were going to meet an employer in an office setting. Then download the Zoom App. Once you are satisfied with your responses in the role play, have another person contact you on Zoom and conduct a 10-minute interview. The person you are quarantine with can critique it. Make sure you have a well-lit background and optimum camera angle. In order to make it fun as well as productive, everyone can switch roles.

Then you look at who is hiring and what their needs are. If your resume can convey that you are an asset, then send it to their H/R department. Follow up on your letter or email within 7 business days. If there is a mutual interest you can suggest the virtual interaction. Your innovation will make you stand out from your peers. Nothing over the top but allow your personality to come out during the exchange. Warmth always works!

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Monday Motivation: The Return to Work Blueprint

So far, my Monday Motivation posts have been designed to help us stay the course thru COVID-19. Each one,for the past four weeks, has given concepts and suggestions as to what to we should do in the meantime. Now multiple states are planning some form of re-opening. The last phase in each anticipated re-opening are hotels,casinos and entertainment venues. Since that is the majority of my colleagues and followers, this Blueprint was crafted for the gaming. tourism and hotel industries.

We are fortunate that a large percentage of the aforementioned industries have employees that reside in states that are taking the "let the data determine the date" approach. They include Pennsylvania, New Jersey. New York, Nevada and Michigan. If the numbers of people infected does not get to a level  determined by the state as a green stage then there is no choice but to wait until the pandemic subsides.

So when we return to work, the Blueprint requires that the operators and owners of each organization have placed the ultimate value on the safety and well being of the employees that will be returning to the workplace. They will be the most valuable asset the companies have in helping the business return to pre COVID levels. There should be a meeting that informs everyone via phone, email or zoom as to what the strategic plan will be.

That plan must consist of testing of the staff so everyone can feel save interacting with each other. Step two will require a social distancing policy that must be adhered to without exception. It will include the requirement of wearing a mask to protect the staff and the guests from each other. Step 3 will mandate a dedication to having the cleanest work area conceivable. This will gain public confidence that all measures are being taken to insure safety. Step four has a compulsory level of contact tracing. If there is a reported case of a guest or employee being diagnose with Coronavirus, you can have a general idea as to who that person can in contact with. This will be a proactive method to keep the virus from spreading.

In order for the Blueprint to work, there will be changes to the Standard Operations Procedures (SOP). A level of flexibility must be inherent because of a natural tendency to do things the way we have previously. Unfortunately, we won't have the ability to do that initially. Every one must buy in! If we are practical and patient, we will be thriving and fiscally successful. Each organization will have to develop partnerships to move the business incrementally. I can go into more detail but that should be part of a formal conversation. I have some time now, as most of us do, to welcome such an exchange.

This is the moment where we see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you have missed some of my earlier posts on Monday Motivation, I have included two that will bring you to the level we are now.

                                           When this is over  and Casino Life after COVID 

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