40 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • MAY/JUNE 2024 Ryan agreed with Joshua about the importance of words and intentionally planning how to demonstrate gratitude to remote workers. He also emphasized that “it’s easy to forget that communication is as much about listening as it is about talking. Everyone needs to be confident that when they’re talking to you, they have your full attention.” On the theme of two-way communication, Matt explained how sharing information about future plans and industry trends helps staff at all levels to both contribute to management decisions and understand the final decisions taken. Building on that, Jay discussed a recent tough decision and admitted, “In meeting with the staff, I shared more than I ever had about my thought process. And the response was ‘Thank you, we appreciate that because we wanted to know why this is happening.’” He also discussed staff who might not engage proactively. “As leaders we always say, ‘My door is always open.’ But some people might not come through it. So, we have to go through their doors.” From a lottery business partner perspective, we depend on each other for our success. To that end, Doug highlighted the importance of creating win/win partnerships based on mutual trust. He argued that if a lottery solely focuses on cost reduction, that approach “flies in the face of this industry’s collaborative ethos. Driving down costs doesn’t leave money for innovation. Instead, we need to invest in driving progress and innovation to fight against the competition we’re facing from casinos and others. Thankfully, this industry has a proven record of delivering a predictable and very high ROI.” Matt described how positive partnerships can be created by showing gratitude and understanding partners’ perspectives. Giving a practical example of the latter, he explained, “We enrolled our young leaders in the same training and development program as the emerging retail leaders in our state.” Expanding on that theme, Joshua detailed how the Washington Lottery is “working with our business partners to understand our market and design products and promotions to appeal to the specific interests of our players. To develop that understanding, our sales staff do more consulting than selling, digging deep into the numbers to help us understand what is moving, what isn’t, and why. And our retail partners really like that customized, individualized approach, which focuses on why the Lottery is important to their overall business strategy and how they can increase sales in their own stores.” Joshua also illustrated how to create genuine partnerships with an example. “The pandemic was rough, and we saw a rise in thefts. But we let our partners know that we’ve got their backs, and we adjusted some of our rules to reduce the impact if they did get robbed. So, there are two sides to this. Of course, we need to make sure they have products they can sell. But we also need to connect with them on a personal why level by letting them know we won’t abandon them when times get tough.” Ryan agreed that it is essential to understand our retail partners’ goals and how lottery products fit into their overall ecosystem. “It’s not just telling them how well our tickets are going to sell; it’s about how our products compare to energy drinks or what Coke is doing to support the retailer or secure its premium shelf space. And understanding the various ecosystems of different retailers, from grocery stores to gas stations, helps us have better conversations, make better decisions, and align our efforts to overcome their challenges, which will ultimately accrue to our benefit. We need to understand our retailers’ whys and think about what motivates them in order to effectively address their concerns.” On the importance of partnerships, Jay shared how the Oklahoma Lottery had gone from having one key account manager to a team of seven. “And their whole purpose is building mutually beneficial partner relationships that last.” Matt asked the panel for actionable advice by sharing what they wished they would have known when they started as managers. In response, Jay described how the first staff member he managed was fired for not matching his attitude in terms of demanding more work for herself and her direct reports. Reflecting on that, he said, “I failed her because I said, ‘She’s not like me, which means she doesn’t measure up.’ I failed her because I didn’t adapt my management and communication style to connect with her why.” Ryan shared how he used to worry too much about how he appeared to his staff and not enough about what impact he would have on them. “We need to worry less about sounding smart and focus more on understanding and being understood.” Similarly, Doug advised, “Worry less about what people will think about what you say and focus more on listening to what they have to say and how they feel when the interaction is over. Let’s not talk so much and instead start with good questions. Figure out what we can learn from people and how to use that to help them succeed.” Continuing that theme, Joshua advised ensuring you understand and appreciate your impact on others. Addressing organizational change management specifically, he said, “Understand the impact that changes will have on others and make sure you give them the time and the support required to process that.” Sharing advice based on his early career in politics, Matt emphasized the importance of moral authority in leadership. “I didn’t understand the difference between having a title and actually having moral authority as a leader. And that relates to everything we’ve discussed because leading with gratitude builds your moral authority in your organization and your community.” Finally, Matt invited the panelists to share actionable advice about implementing a gratitude-infused approach to leadership. Leading with Gratitude — continued from page 35 Our success is intrinsically linked with that of our business partners, and that terminology emphasizes the strength of that connection.”
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