About ten years ago, I accepted a job as the Director of Player Services for a local casino.  In this job, I would be in charge of all casino promotions, the players club, and the executive host program.  A few weeks into my job, our President and General Manager asked if I would consider being trained to teach orientation to our new hires in addition to my other duties.  Wanting to make a good impression, I readily agreed and within a few short weeks was added to the small team of certified trainers for the property.  The following Monday, I was in front of 30 new faces, ready to teach them about our property, it's operating philosophies, and encourage them as they took on their new roles.

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I was a little nervous, but everything seemed to be going well...

 

While covering the section on vacation days, a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties raised her hand.  I motioned to her and she stood up lazily, leaning on the table for support.  Her posture could be best described as languid, and she wore the expression of someone who had lived a life of expected  disappointment.  I braced myself.  

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"So, I gotta question."  Her words were laced with disdain and I instinctively knew this had nothing to do with vacation days.  I nodded and she continued.  

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"You're in charge of a lot of stuff around here, right?"  I smiled and tried to give a funny answer.  I don't remember what I said but I do remember her response.  She exhaled deeply with frustration.  

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"So how did you get promoted?"

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She pursed her lips and tilted her head to one side, letting me know that my attempt at humor had fallen on deaf ears.      

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I took a deep breath, ready to start rattling on about how one should work hard, do their part, be on time, take responsibility, etc etc etc.  However, before I spoke she rolled her eyes slightly.  It was as if she was already hearing my pat-on-the-head answer; something vague while not too condescending.  I stared at her in silence,  It's difficult to interact with someone who thinks you're full of crap, but it's even more difficult to know that you were about to prove them right... 

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It was time to regroup.

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"You know, that's a very good question," I said.  "Unfortunately, answering it is going to require a lot more time than we have at the moment.  Let me think about it and I will give you an answer tomorrow, OK?"  She rolled her eyes and lazily slid back in her seat. 

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That night, I sat down to make the list of things that had contributed to the success in my career.  It needed to be something that was easy to remember and to convey.  I had sat aside about thirty minutes for this.  After all, how hard could it be?  It took nine hours...

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The next day, I showed up for class exhausted and exhilarated.  As soon as she walked in, I pounced!

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"Good morning!  I just want you to know that I didn't forget about your question, and I've scheduled the last twenty minutes of class to discuss it." She looked confused for a moment and then slid back behind her mask of disinterest.  She acknowledged me with a grunt and plopped down in her chair.  I smiled brightly and started the class.  I didn't know it, but that day would mark a brand new journey for me.   

 

The following is an excerpt from my book, "Making Room", and recounts my experience.  

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"I don't know if you remember, but yesterday someone asked me how I got promoted.  I would like to spend our last few minutes of class discussing this.  I've broken down what I feel were the top three mindsets that contributed to the success of my career, and here they are.

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One:

Say yes to everything…. Everything you can.  If you are going to be promoted, you're going to have to be BIGGER than your job description.  You have to be more than what they expected of you.

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Two:

Keep your “garbage” out of the street.  Nobody really cares that you are having a bad day.  I adopted what Abraham Lincoln was once quoted as saying.  'Don’t tell your problems to people.  80% don’t care and the other 20% are glad you have them'.  I created a very simple answer for people I work with.  When asked how I am, I simply say, “I’m doing great and getting better thanks!  What can I help you with today?”  That's all they need to hear, and that's all they care about really.

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Three:

Embrace that if you want more, you have to give more first.  Every job I got promoted into was the result of my doing elements of that job BEFORE it was offered to me.  Let that sink in for a moment.  I had the responsibility BEFORE they gave me the money to go with it."

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When I finished, I will never forget what happened.  All thirty of them, people in their 30’s to their 60’s were staring intently at me in complete silence.  They looked stunned... they WERE stunned.  It began to dawn on me that this the first time ANYONE had bothered to tell them the secret.  People who had been in the workforce for 20 plus years… and NO ONE had told them.  After class was over, more than half of them stayed behind asking questions.  

 

I went home that night with true questions.  At that point, I had been a manager for almost twenty years.  How had I not seen this?  More importantly, what was I going to do about it?

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There have been some really great things that have happened since then.  And even today, I still encounter people who,  just like those brand new associates, are capable, intelligent, and looking for a chance to grow.  I consider it a privilege to share this with those who are willing to listen.   

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