_ Making the staff happy key to ensuring success in resort business
By Kim Jae-kyoung
MACAU _ When you enter Wynn resort here in Macau, the first Las Vegas-style integrated resort in Asia, it does not take long to feel an aura of coziness and comfort. It is not because of crystal chandeliers or a jellyfish aquarium that first welcome guests at the lobby but because of people working there.
People at the resort know how to treat customers. What makes visitors feel cozy and comfortable is how they look. People there, from receptionists and cleaners to media people and CEO Steve Wynn, they all smile and look happy all the time.
This may be the outcome of Wynn Resorts founder Wynn’s efforts to instill his philosophy into his people. The management philosophy for Wynn is simple _ making their people happy. Wynn said that boosting morale of the crew is essential to ensure success in his business.
“I don’t care about crystal chandeliers or hand-woven fabrics. I care about how the place makes you feel. It is about people because only people can make people happy. And the key to the integrated resort is staffing, training and the happiness of the staff,” Wynn said.
“You have to remember that when the staff are happy, they make visitors happy. If they are worried, they won’t care about you. They will care about themselves. So the biggest thing in this business is morale of the crew or human resource dynamic.”
To elaborate on his belief on people-oriented management to this reporter, Wynn drew an analogy between the entertainment business and the newspaper business. He stresses that no matter which industry you are in, it is crucial to make your staff happy.
“The biggest thing in this business is morale of the crew. If you keep them happy, they will do their jobs neatly just like you will for the paper. If you are happy, you write it neatly, but if something happens to the newspaper, if your boss upsets you, or if you are worried about your job security, you do not write the story the way you will.”
“So whether it is a newspaper or an integrated resort, the issue is what frame of mind you are in. In order for that to happen you have to be in the right frame of the mind. Most of all I can be tough on the bosses but the bosses have to be easy on their staffs.”
In order to see whether the place has got the right spirit, Wynn looks at little things. He said that when he keeps his eyes on little things, they tip him off about the big thing.
“The only thing that matters is that visitors have a good time while they are here. So what really comes first is this staffing on a regular daily basis. That’s the main philosophy of the management. If you ask me what is important, the main thing is human resource management.”
Collector of artworks
Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn is known as a casino magnate but he is also a patron of the arts and a major art collector. Some of the paintings he has at his resorts both in Las Vegas and Macau are items you'd never expect to see outside a museum.
Visitors or customers can see many works by masters like Picasso throughout his resorts _ rooms, elevators, corridors and even public spaces like shopping centers. His art collection used to have a gallery, but is now hung throughout the resorts.
Wynn is considered a perfectionist. He cares about details. Distribution of art works around his resorts is a good example. He designs resorts, plans water shows and lays out buildings by himself, which means that every part of the resorts gets his touch. And seemingly, he uses those art works as the finishing stroke on his resorts.
“I always wanted to do one more, because when they are finished, I only see the mistakes. I say if I could do one more, maybe I could get it right. Each time they get better because we get more experience,” he said.
The following are excerpts from the interview.
Q: What is the biggest advantage of South Korea for an integrated resort?
A: The general economic vitality of the country is excellent. People around the world are interested in Seoul. It has the highest level of literacy of any developed nation in the world. Even when you are very critical about your own self consciousness of the educational system, the level of the literacy is the highest in your country. Much higher than the United States.
So the democracy, the rule of law in South Korea, the dynamism of Seoul and Incheon, are great. It’s just a great place whose the arc of development is perfect. it’s the place where people would go if they’ve got the reason to visit. So I think that if we had our brand in Korea we would be successful. That’s my belief on it.