The St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup after a 52 year club history and it was all about character, approach and commitment. After watching that history-making game last night, I wanted to write something to follow up on Anne’s Post from last week, “How to Respond to Adversity – St. Louis Blues Style.” But after re-reading her article, I decided that it really reflected what I wanted to say about our hometown heroes.
Going from the worst record in the NHL in early January to the eventual winner of the Stanley Cup has never been done. One of the most interesting elements was that the Blues didn’t throw the baby out with the bath water after a dismal start to the season. Instead, they adjusted a couple elements, then focused and executed.
Those that know me know that I appreciate playing golf (I just estimated last weekend that I have taken a half million swings in my lifetime). At times, I’ve been a pretty good player. The challenge has always come (and it ALWAYS will) when the game goes south and I need to fix it.
In golf, folks have a tendency to look for new equipment, a new ball or some other external factor to solve their problem. A small change like that can help. But usually the most effective fix is something internal to me (my concentration, my swing, etc.). Addressing that first generally proves to be the most beneficial. The Blues leveraged a similar approach.
The core of the team was sound. They benefited from changes to their goal protection with Jordan Binnington and his ability to continuously stop the opponent’s shots. New leadership behind the bench from Craig Berube provided the focus, direction and confidence that they needed. A few simple changes along with the existing core were all it took to make the move from worst to best!
If you have a few minutes, go back and read Anne’s Post for an example that all of us can follow on getting to the top – St. Louis Blues Style! Whether it’s pushing our company to the top in our markets or assisting my daughter as she makes her way through college – theirs is an example that we all can leverage.
Success is the goal, but the journey makes all the difference.
Congratulations to the St. Louis Blues, St. Louis & all of the lifelong fans!
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Wes Haubein is the President of HL Group, Inc., the manufacturer of mobilePLUS & a premier provider of mobile asset inventory management, RFID and supply chain solutions. He writes regularly about management, solution integration and technology.
