Inheriting the Future
Observations on the evolving role of middle management within the Australian gaming industry; a paper co-authored by Michael Ferris and Andrew MacDonald.
By Andrew MacDonald, Senior Executive Casino Operations
and Michael Ferris
Adelaide Casino, 1995
Introduction and Terminology | Pit Boss – Caretaker or Policeman | Mental Models | “If It Isn’t Broken – Don’t Fix It” | Pioneers Versus Settlers | The Challenge of Change | Bridging the Gulf between the Theoretical and the Practical | From Personal Realm to Professional Sphere | Means of Selection for Promotion | The Formation of Particular Management Structures | The Impact of Promotion upon Candidates Themselves | The Criteria for Selection | Unified Professional Ethic | Pit Boss Job Description | Code Of Ethics (Noblesse Oblige) | The Company Mission Statement | Empowerment of Staff | Implementing Change | The Human Consequences of Change | Walking Backwards into the Future | Bibliography |
Trawling the sea of literature connected with management practice has provided several of the core concepts expressed within these pages, and I have dutifully attempted to acknowledge their source where known. A large proportion of the material contained within this article is of an original nature. This material is based upon personal analogies forged from a close and lengthy observation of the processes within the gaming industry at a management level. They are offered in good faith, not for the purposes of self-aggrandisement, but rather with the intention of retrieving some important issues from the “too hard” basket in an attempt to tackle them in a genuine fashion.
My sincere hope is to trigger a thoughtful and timely debate of certain key concepts. I would be delighted to enter into discussion on any of the issues mentioned within these pages. The Australian gaming industry may well be standing at an economic cusp or commercial watershed. The immediate introduction of new management roles may provide the necessary platform for reform.
How individual middle managers receive this article will be illuminating. A few will dismiss the need for theories and ideas within a pit. Ideas do not fit within a pit. This overlooks the fact that theories already exist within the pit. Our present behaviour is governed by these soft conceptual voices. The word paradigm means a “pattern or map for understanding and explaining certain aspects of reality.” We all possess our own paradigms concerning managerial behaviour. All that is asked is that we review these paradigms in terms of their validity and that we strive to reach a consensus model for the entire industry, ensuring some degree of consistency.
A very small minority of middle managers will zealously reject this process and may stage a fierce rear-guard action, sniping at such activities from deeply entrenched positions and even seeking to sabotage such efforts. Although this will result in a minor, yet dogged battle of beliefs, the essentially retrogressive nature of these individuals struggle dooms them to failure. Their motives for self preservation should be self-evident. The majority of middle managers will admit that they have been vaguely aware of becoming bogged down from time to time by at least some of the phenomena described in this article. If systems thinking is introduced as a way of “making the full patterns clearer and to help us see how to change them effectively”, these managers will become intrigued by their new found ability to transform a swamp into an oasis. Once they realise that they have levers with which they may directly influence a situation, they will often embark upon a voyage of discovery within the workplace.
Finally, another small group of managers will absolutely blossom and bloom given access to this new dimension in management. Freed from the dark suspicion attached to initiative, they will literally explode with ideas and suggestions in a truly remarkable manner as their energies are revealed.
The response of casino operators to this article is obviously crucial. The coming of age of this billion dollar industry demands change. It is an inexorable process. At the moment, I believe that we are exhibiting a classic human tendency to walk backwards into the future, our eyes fixed firmly on what has gone before. This article is a working paper on the possibilities which will allow us to turn and face the future of our industry. We cannot afford to remain a fledgling industry in terms of management theory and policies. Eventually, we shall have to seek to enrich and cultivate our managerial potential. This will be achieved through the induction of university educated management and through formal management training programmes. We must hone our conceptual skills and become more productive.
Once this process is underway within an organisation, a critical mass of management will soon be reached and the management culture will suddenly swing in a positive direction. The process of change will be slow at first, but it will soon snowball. Typically, participants will initially ignore the issue, then vehemently defend their present stance, then tentatively explore the new terrain. Acceptance then usually follows at a relatively rapid pace. From the restructuring viewpoint, this commitment to high calibre management promises drastic reductions in salaried personnel and an increase in actual performance levels. A sunset position suggests to me the prospect of a sunrise position about to dawn. Through acceptance and a willingness to work towards the future, it will be possible to carve our own managerial destinies to a large extent. It is imperative that we embark upon this process of consolidation without further delay. Our future survival and prosperity may well depend upon it.
