The Times They Are A Changing…

Native American Gaming: The Times They Are A Changing… But when aren’t they?

Observing more movement in the tribal technology gaming space than we have in recent years, and for some reason it seems like there is an unknown force throwing change at so many of us in 2013, it felt fitting to collaborate an article on the topic of CHANGE for G&L readers this issue.

I talk with IT leaders at tribal gaming facilities and organizations almost daily and it seems as though the one thing that is always constant for them is change. Just when they’ve invested time and resources into upgrading their data center, a new trend emerges that makes some of what they’ve put in place outdated or obsolete.

I’ve heard comments from IT leaders more times than I can count about how tribal council, marketing, or their GM went to a showcase and saw some great product that they are being questioned, “Why don’t we have this at our property?” And so the rapid rate of change in technology and the tribal gaming industry continues. You can’t stop it, you don’t really want to, but how you deal with it can make a world of difference in the workplace which leads us to the topic of MANAGING change. And really, let’s face it, managing change isn’t limited to the workplace, it encompasses our personal lives as well.

Change can happen right in front of us when we aren’t expecting it and have zero control over the outcome, it’s when we say we are ‘dealing’ with change. Then there are those moments of opportunity in our lives where we call the shots, we ‘make’ the change and embrace it to shape the outcome.

So on a topic that affects us all, we asked some of TribalNet’s new and returning board members to weigh in on CHANGE. Their responses were all from different perspectives, which I found to be absolutely perfect for the diverse yet connected readers of G&L.

CHRIS DECAMP, DIRECTOR OF TECHNICAL SERVICES WIN-RIVER RESORT CASINO “Embracing change has been a key component in my IT management philosophy for years. Change management is a critical function for any IT organization. Having a formal process to manage change gives an organization the tools required to ensure change is dealt with in an organized and responsible fashion which reduces the amount of risk an organization faces. I prefer using the PMI Institute’s approach to change as it has strong industry roots and provides a common language for people in project management to use when addressing change.”

BRYANT SANTINI, CIO SALT RIVER PIMA MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY & CASINOS “How we train our end-users to adapt to change from new installs and software starts with validating their emotions regarding change. We found that resistance to change in a new technology is an emotional response. By acknowledging that some level of those emotions exists in all of us and that the end users have a tendency to feel less than confident about the change, we attempt to show them simply what has changed, minimize the effect of the change and we normally see that they will return to their confident selves, and begin to take on the challenge of learning, adapting and changing. We’ll provide them with one page ‘Tip’s & Tricks’ sheet, we offer ‘brown bag lunches’ to provide more time for Q&A, and we make sure that our support desk is fully aware of the changes and provide them with documentation on how best to support the caller. We then follow-up with simple visits to the impacted business area for follow-ups just to provide any one on one time that may be helpful.”

RAM PATRACHARI, VP OF IT VIEJAS ENTERPRISES “It was John Kotter who said ‘The rate of change is not going to slow down anytime soon. If anything, competition in most industries will probably speed up …’This holds so true for our gaming industry right now. With the pressures on the city, state, and federal government to increase revenues, everyone is scrambling to find ways to tap into the gaming revenues. In turn, this puts pressure on the casino operators to increase revenues by expanding their reach or by generating that additional dollar from their current customers. With many pundits believing that the question for online gaming is just when it will happen, rather than whether it will happen, the pressures to adapt to change will become even more fierce. Operators have to start their strategic planning right now to chart out their course on how to deal with different scenarios that might develop down the road.”

FRAN MOORE, VP OF IT CACHE CREEK CASINO RESORT “The business paradigm that we see today, most likely will experience an extreme makeover in the not too distant future. The evolution of technology, ongoing demographic transition, economic fluctuations, and emerging industry competition will certainly necessitate the need for change. Trying to navigate the industry landscape and overcome or anticipate the “next big thing” is a challenge. Continuing to stay relevant and competitive will require keen analytical acumen and the willingness to be receptive to change.”

DAN GARROW, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF IT CHOCTAW CASINOS “Change is probably one of the most consistent activities in our lives. I recently changed jobs which required a re-location to a completely different part of the country. I could have gone about this all grumpy and unhappy but, instead, I embraced this as a new opportunity to learn, grow, meet new people, and add to my repertoire of experiences. There is no ‘standing still’ in this life so you can make change a good experience or you can make it a bad one. It’s your choice.”

PATRICK TINKLENBERG, DIRECTOR OF IT SYCUAN CASINO “A few months ago I was presented with a unique opportunity, which caused me to stop and think a lot about the impact of change in my own life. I believe that for most, change is simply a matter of attitude. It is a gauge of how we view the potential in every situation. We can draw up matrixes and graph risk potential, we can analyze outcomes and look at SWOTs, but in the end it is incumbent upon the people affected by the change to see and accept the positive aspects over the negative ones.

Those of us in the technology industry must have a higher capacity for change than most. Not just because of the ever-increasing rate of change in technology, although this is probably what attracts most of us, but because there have also been quantum changes in the way our customers (internal and external) are utilizing technology. No longer is IT a monolith that can decide what is best and force everyone into the same box, we have to become as nimble and flexible as our business counterparts. If we’re not, the people that run other parts of the business, or that we rely on as customers, can now choose from an array of other technology options and work right around the limits we try to impose. This newfound freedom of choice for our IT customers also forces us to change the way we interact as part of the business. It is no longer enough simply to understand technology; we must now understand the business, customer behavior, financials, supply chains, and more. All things we could safely segment ourselves off from in the past, but no longer, we must change our behavior and change what we see as traditional IT responsibilities. Now is a time of great change for businesses across many industries, and certainly a time of great change for those of us who claim a role in tribal gaming technology. I think it is up to us to seek out the positive in that change, embrace it, and make it happen.”

Each of these comments brings thoughtful insight into the topic. We would like to thank the IT leaders quoted in this collaboration for contributing their thoughts on a topic that is part of everyone’s lives. And so we say, the times, they are a changing…but when aren’t they?

Shannon Bouschor has been a part of the Native American gaming and hospitality industry since 2002 and currently is the Director and Coordinator for TribalNet, an industry resource for technology professionals in the Native American industry. She welcomes your questions or comments at shannonb@tribalnetonline.com.