Learning and development

How Learning Got This Professional Promoted

United States Army Veteran Chaz Wellington has been in the gaming industry for 25 years. But 2019 stands out as a time of particular transformation and growth.

Earlier this year, Chaz decided it was time to take his career to the next level. 

In his role as Table Games Floor Supervisor at Aria Resort and Casino—an MGM Resorts International property in Las Vegas—Chaz was responsible for maintaining the integrity of the game across multiple tables. While effective in this role, he saw areas for growth in leadership and public speaking that were holding him back. 

“The army taught me you have to self-lead first before you can lead others,” said Chaz.

That’s exactly what he did. Chaz decided to take charge of his career by participating in MGM’s leadership program and taking courses on LinkedIn Learning.

Learning—and growing—on the go

Chaz took several LinkedIn Learning courses to help hone his managerial skills—everything from public speaking and learning from failure, to understanding how to be more self-aware, empathetic, and inclusive.

“It’s nearly impossible not to find something you can improve yourself with,” he said.

He consistently carved out time to take courses on his smartphone during breaks and listen to the audio portion of courses in the car while driving. 

It was “the talent, knowledge, passion, and truth the LinkedIn Learning instructors bring to the table,” said Chaz, that enabled him to take what he learned and apply it immediately, or the next day.

New skills land him a new role

Soon after joining MGM’s leadership development program and making time to learn an everyday habit, Chaz started exhibiting new leadership skills. And his boss noticed. 

The Vice President of Table Games enlisted Chaz as part of a three-person leadership team to develop and implement training for new player tracking and player rating software.

It was a challenge he readily accepted—and excelled at. 

Leadership skills pay off 

In only two months, Chaz and his team successfully trained 200 diverse staffers, helping Aria Resort and Casino transition from a manual, paper-based process to a completely computerized system.

“The project was a success because of the knowledge I gained from LinkedIn Learning,” said Chaz. 

As project director, he was able to put himself in other people’s shoes, showing empathy and compassion to effectively teach the new software to employees from all different backgrounds. He had the tools, knowledge, and confidence to step up as a leader and impact the business in a meaningful way—what he calls a “historic moment affecting the bottom line.” 

Thanks to the success of the project and the skills he acquired through LinkedIn Learning and the MGM leadership program, Chaz was recently promoted to Dual Rate Floor Manager. He’s now responsible for interfacing directly with guests and supervising multiple deals.  

It’s the next step in his career, and the next stage of growing as a leader. 

“I’m always looking to improve myself,” said Chaz. “And always striving for further knowledge.”

Check out the courses that empowered Chaz to learn new leadership skills:

 

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