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Hi folks! Welcome back to another episode of The Leader Show With Lou Carter. Joining us today is Ray Pineault, the CEO of Mohegan. Mohegan has over two decades of experience creating singular entertainment destinations; they are experts at facilitating positive customer experiences and their core focus is on building relationships. So, without any further ado, let’s delve deep into the insights Ray shares on today’s episode and what makes it a Most Loved Workplace®.
Lou kicks off today’s conversation by asking Ray how he encourages a strong work culture at his company Mohegan, which helped them gain the Most Loved Workplace® certification. In response, Pineault credits his company’s human resources team, as they were the driving force behind the company getting certified.
Ray then describes the culture of Mohegan as very family-oriented, which is a result of it being a family business. The owners are passionate about their culture and want to bring it wherever they go, so they ensure that it is being reflected by their team members every day. Ray strongly feels that it is the responsibility of the leaders at Mohegan to emphasize and reinforce the culture, and the management board holds them accountable for that.
Overall, they want their team members to believe in the culture and see that it is truly believed and practiced by everyone in the company, not just paid lip service to.
Ray believes that hiring the right people is crucial for the success of the company. He has a unique hiring process involving multiple people interviewing candidates to better understand their suitability for the job. Since the company is in the service industry, providing excellent service is essential to its performance.
They measure guest service and strive to improve it constantly, ensuring they exceed their guests’ expectations. Furthermore, Ray encourages his team to challenge the status quo and not settle for “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” He believes that listening to the team members who are delivering the services daily can help identify the failures in service and delivery, and how they can be improved upon.
Moving on, the CEO of Mohegan highlights that all his employees are dedicated to their work. He conducts quarterly evaluations to monitor team members’ efforts, guest service scores, and recognition from guests and team members.
Additionally, he looks for constant improvement by measuring individual and departmental performance and rewarding those who perform exceptionally well. Ray also mentions that they not only reward those who perform well, but also help those who may not be performing at the same level by providing mentorship and identifying positive deviants who can teach others how to perform better.
Ray believes holding people accountable for their duties is important, especially in the service industry where delivering a positive customer experience is crucial. He recognizes that everyone can have a bad day, but he takes action when there is consistent poor performance.
Based on Ray’s statements, he looks for the following qualities in potential employees:
Ray wants people to be themselves and deliver guest service in a natural manner, rather than in a scripted way.
He wants people who want to interact with and help others, including their team members. This involves being able to work together and communicate effectively to identify and address problems.
Ray values employees who are open to constructive feedback and want to improve themselves and the organization. He encourages an open-door policy and expects employees to identify areas where the organization can improve.
Overall, Ray looks for individuals who are natural at providing great guest service, possess strong interpersonal skills, and are committed to improving themselves and the organization.
Next, Ray emphasizes the importance of being honest with team members about the organization’s culture.
As a part of their orientation process, he talks about the workplace culture and expectations. If these core values do not align with those of the new hire’s, then they are not the right fit for his organization as it is essential to hire individuals who fit the organization’s culture. It is better to be without a person in a particular spot than to hire someone who does not live the culture.
The management at Mohegan protects its culture by finding individuals who can naturally align themselves with the company’s culture. Pineault believes that different cultures fit different people, and it is incumbent upon the team members to find the culture that works for them.
Next, Ray discusses the challenges of bringing their organization’s culture to South Korea, which has its own distinct norms and traditions. Despite these challenges, Ray emphasizes the importance of maintaining an open-door approach, which allows team members to feel comfortable sharing their ideas and feedback.
He also notes that many of the best ideas for improvement within the organization come from the frontline team members, who have a firsthand understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the industry. By encouraging team members to share their ideas and feedback, Ray hopes to foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the organization.
While The CEO acknowledges that they cannot witness everything that their team members experience on a daily basis, they recognize the value of listening to their team members and leveraging their insights to drive positive changes. Overall, Ray’s approach highlights the importance of building strong, collaborative relationships with team members and fostering a culture of open communication and feedback.
Last but not least, Mr. Pineault discusses the Spirit Of Aquai at Mohegan Sun, which he feels is his guiding light in his daily work as a CEO. The Spirit of Aquai encompasses values that Ray deeply believes in, such as being welcoming, cooperative, and having mutual respect.
Ray believes that these values give the organization a competitive advantage, which leads to growth as well as repeat guests. Additionally, the culture of the Mohegan Tribe, which is over a century old, has helped create an amazing organizational culture that has earned the Most Loved Workplace® certification.
Ray and Lou discuss a lot more on this episode of The Leader Show. Share your thoughts with us at info@bestpracticeinstitute.org.
