The owner of my gym loooooves January. It's that time of year when optimism, self-consciousness, goals and guilt collide with left-over Christmas pudding to bring new Nikes flocking to the treadmills. The promotions are ramped up across the country showing lots of "before & after" beer bellies. Energy drinks are vigorously consumed. Debit cards are thrown at the sales associates like horseshoes. Long term contracts are signed. Dudes download "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play" on their MP3 players and wear their Weider work-out belts like the heavy weight champion of the world. A new t-shirt proudly declares "Pain is weakness leaving the body!"

As a gym rat and self proclaimed observer of the human race, I look forward to seeing the new faces in the gym every January. Nothing against my fellow gym rats (affectionately referred to as inmates of the asylum), it's just nice to see more people try and want to better themselves. Unfortunately the inmates and I know how this movie ends. By the end of February, 99% of the Nikes are gone.

As a casino trainer, I see similar patterns of behavior in our industry. Often casinos commit to training but don't last the distance. They join the club but after a while they stop going. Mission statements declare learning to be a a priority and shared value in the organization but practices contradict it.

The brain is not a muscle. But like a muscle, I believe the brain must be constantly worked out by a continuous routine of learning. I'm pretty happy that my parents didn't let me drop out of school after the first month. I wanted to but when given the alternative of education or a can of whoop-ass, I chose education. While I wished there was some type of "know it all" injection I could take and be done with it, as the years have gone by I have come to realize that learning is truly about the journey and not the destination. Continuous learning is really an endless bunch of shots that feeds my appetite for continuous improvement.

When it comes to managing casinos and providing game protection, there isn't any "shot." To be able to perform, staff need to be brought up to speed with the latest threats and cheating techniques. Casino supervisors and surveillance people are knowledge-based professions. Generally speaking, we don't build stuff. We don't deliver stuff. We don't lift stuff. We know stuff. Stuff that will ensure the game is conducted correctly and the bottom line is not cheated.

Ongoing game protection shots are crucial for casino supervisors and surveillance people. They're a great way to boost performance, energy and motivation. They're a great way to fight flabbiness.

So get a trainer. Join the gym. Don't buy Nikes.

Stay Classy M Resort

willy

Contact Willy Allison: willy@worldgameprotection.com | Forward to Friend