Business the NHL Way by Norm O'Reilly & Rick Burton

Author:Norm O'Reilly & Rick Burton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LCSH: Success in business., LCSH: National Hockey League.
Publisher: University of Toronto Press

10

Conflict Management: What Can We Learn from the NHL?

Fighting is a controversial, exciting, and integral part of the NHL game. Conflict is also part of the business world. When we thought to address fighting, we thought of the lyrics to one of the more unusual rock-and-roll songs ever to feature hockey and believed it might provide the access portal for introducing such a sensitive topic.

The tune? It is a lively piece the late Warren Zevon co-wrote with Detroit sportswriter and award-winning author Mitch Albom. The lyrics tell of a young hockey player named Buddy who reaches the NHL as a fighter despite his desire to score goals. The song is titled Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song), and in it, Zevon and Albom describe the challenge facing Buddy, a Canadian farm boy, going up against tough Czechs, Russians, and Swedes.

Although Buddy wants to score goals, his coach tells him, “Buddy, remember your role. The fast guys get paid, they shoot, and they score. Protect them Buddy, that’s what you’re here for.”

We felt this line highlighted a business concept perfectly. Buddy’s job was supporting the stars and matching up physically with the most rugged opposing players. Unfortunately, Buddy’s coach didn’t believe he needed another scorer. Just a strong and willing enforcer.

That rigidity intrigued us because we know that at many companies, some employees get locked into very limiting roles. Many are good in those positions and enjoy leveraging their specific strengths in a very defined space. But stepping outside their perceived expertise (or skill set) exceeds someone else’s fixed game plan.

Others (at the very same company) may chafe at getting pigeon-holed into a role they believe holds them back. For them, some aspect of their early performance made the organization’s leadership believe the employee was happy without growing, maxed-out on upward mobility, and best left unchallenged beyond the rigors of their current position.

We think anyone reading this book and thinking about their workplace should always allocate time for reviewing the capabilities and interests of direct reports. We won’t quote social psychology here, but many leadership books reference the power of untapped potential. Of getting more from a given staff or individual.

Drawing from fighting in the NHL, such thinking fascinated us because as fans, we’ve always enjoyed the hockey stories where a famous coach or legendary captain inspired a player to “dig deeper.” To “go the extra mile.” To “give 110 percent.” Even legendary scorers like Crosby, Gretzky, and Ovechkin have dropped the gloves for fisticuffs when the time was right.

The above clichés about performance are dated, but media coverage has long reported that great athletes were motivated to achieve greater results. But can we model it in business? Yes, but let’s agree, it’s tricky.

Sports teams generate game-by-game statistics. Goals per game. Plus/minus per shift. Save percentages. Penalty minutes and fights. Team owners and coaches can cut players or send them down to the minors with little worry about long-term business sustainability.

In other words, the team will not fail its way out of business.

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