Today, Tomorrow and the Future

— Posted by Brent on January 9, 2010

We survived the busy holiday but what about burn out?  What about attitude?

I was visiting the Summit House Restaurant today.  It was about 12:30 and the place was getting busy.  The staff was taking care of business, cooking up orders, bussing tables, the normal clean up of another hour of another day.

They were doing a good job, they usually do and I was observing the organized chaos as I have a hundred other times.

Humdrum, same old, nothing new, just another day.

Then suddenly my day got a little brighter.

I walked back through the dish washing station toward the kitchen and before I got there I could hear a young man singing along with the radio.  No, he wasn't singing rap or heavy metal.  Coming from the radio was the voice of "Old Blue Eyes" himself.  Frank Sinatra singing "Fly Me To The Moon" and this young man singing right along with him.  He knew every word.  And he's got a pretty good voice too.  So anyway as I came around the corner I find that he is mopping the floor.  He has probably mopped this floor a hundred times but this time, this time he's not just mopping the floor, he's dancing with the mop, singing the old tunes and doing a good job.  Smiling all the time.  Next up on the radio was Dean Martin and away he went, didn't miss a note.

I wouldn't want to embarrass Ken so I shouldn't say who this young man is.  He made my load a little lighter, my day a little brighter and I'm sure I could see a grin on the faces of the rest of the staff.

I watch a tired snowmaking crew as they continue on to make snow on one more run when in a "normal" year they would have been finished by now.

They still go on with a smile and a positive attitude.  I'll bet none of them have told you they have made 270 acre feet more snow this year than all of last year.

That's 270 acres with one foot of snow on it or the same as adding another 18' of snow on Payday Run.  Compared to a "normal" year they have made almost enough snow to add an extra 12" to every run we have snowmaking on.

Although no one has told us how much more effort has been made I'll bet you and our guests feel it every day we slide on those runs.

I see smiling faces, hear encouraging comments, witness compassion and positive interaction within every department and between us and our guests.

We work and play in one of the best natural environments in the world and our guests want to be a part of it.

It seems we have a special opportunity and ability to lift our guests spirits just as mine were lifted today at the Summit House.

I believe you accomplish this.

It's a perfect grooming job, smooth running lifts and mazes, snow safety, food, lessons, races, parks and all stuff in between.  And if we get hurt the number one Mountain Patrol in the U.S. is there to take care of us.

We survived the busy holiday but what about burn out?  What about attitude?

I'm not worried.

Thank you.
Brent

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