Engagement Is Not Only A Work Thing, Great Coaches Will Evolve, And WVH Has Big Shoes To Fill!

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! For Edition #3, I dug deep in to the blogging vault to rework some classic posts about business and sports. They've stood the test of time pretty well, with just a few minor tweaks.

Business

The only way that you are going to get better at something is through practice. I read a quote in a hockey book once that really caught my attention:

“Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect” – Vince Lombardi

Even those with raw talent have to practice regularly. Engaging others in sales and other professional roles should not be limited to work relationships. You should practice engaging others when possible.

My Mom and Dad were both teachers, and are still very engaging to this day – partially because of their personalities, but it was also a necessity for their careers. Could you imagine being in front of a class of kids and not holding their attention? Teachers who could captivate the crowd were always the ones that remained memorable to me. 

This also meant that my Dad and I could never quickly go to a mall because he was always running into people. Conversations would start, and time would pass by. My mom would always comment upon our return, “Where were you? I just sent you for a couple of things!”

There are so many opportunities to engage people outside of work:

• In line at a store

• At a social events with friends

• Business or community events

• Sporting events

• On a walk or a run

• Groups, associations or teams that you and/or your children are part of

I was thinking about this one day after a run, and I reflected on how many people I acknowledge in that 45 minute period. It was about twelve!

• Some greetings were a simple hello or good morning as I passed by

  • With others I would make a quick comment on the weather, or about the degree of difficulty of a hill that I (or they) had just ran up

• Some were a quick stop so our dogs could greet each other

  • It was common that I ask for information about their dog, and how the person’s day was going

• I even complimented one guy who was actually attempting to train his new puppy

When I engage people in this setting, most people are pleasant back. It is common for people to jog with their devices playing music or podcasts, but I will still turn mine down to say something, or at least wave. I have done this for so long it is second nature now.

If I never practiced this skill, and instead just went through the day keeping to myself, it would be unreasonable to expect that I’d be very good at it in a short time period. Skills would develop eventually, but carrying that philosophy over to your personal life just means that you have more opportunity to practice. Then before you know it, the skill improves.

This was not always easy for me; because I was quite shy growing up due to my stutter. Speaking up and meeting people was very difficult well in to my teenage years. But with practice and patience, I consider myself very engaging now, and will always take time to speak with others.

• Do you only engage new people in work situations?

• Where can you begin to converse with people starting right away in your personal life?

The most practical business skill that has come out of this for me is keeping conversations going when there is a lot of dead air. I think most of us have experienced conversations that were very one-sided, and it was a struggle to keep it going, and interesting for the other person.

Good luck, and remember to always be in “engagement mode”!

Sports

I've heard a couple of incredible interviews  with hockey coaches a few years ago. I immediately thought of the parallels to leaders in the business world.  

I heard an awesome interview with Jeremy Rutherford from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the Team 1260 Sports Radio in Edmonton a few years ago. The discussion focused on the new coach of the St. Louis Blues, Ken Hitchcock, and the team’s amazing turn-around since his hiring.

Highly regarded professional hockey coach Hitchcock was out of work for some time when the St. Louis Blues hired him in November, 2011. He had a reputation throughout the National Hockey League as a disciplinarian for many years, and lead with a “my way or the highway” approach. He had a history of conflict with young players who were having trouble adapting to his style of play.

By the time he took over the floundering yet talented Blues hockey club, the positive change in the team was almost instantaneous. At one point in January of 2012, they were on a 21 wins, 6 losses and 2 overtime losses run. The team’s fans and casual observers were impressed with the team’s turnaround, but not totally surprised based on Hitchcock’s history of success.

When Jeremy Rutherford was asked about Hitchcock’s most recent success, his answer was simple and to the point,

“He mellowed”.

He adjusted his coaching style to cater to today’s players. There is still accountability, but the players are not afraid to make one mistake and then have their butt stapled to the bench for an extended period. Two veterans who had previously played for Hitchcock gave the players a head’s up of what to expect from their new coach.

Rutherford described a potential scenario,

“You make one mistake, no problem. You make a second mistake, no problem. You continue to make the same mistake; the coach and player are going to have to find solutions.”

The part of the radio interview that impressed me the most discussed that Coach Hitchcock had studied all 30 teams for several months while he was unemployed. He was preparing for his next opportunity, and waiting for the phone to ring.

Two things stood out for me about this message:

• He was not just sitting at home waiting for the next job to fall in to his lap

• He had the positive belief that another role would come his way, and it was only a matter of time

• Have you ever observed a sport or business team make a remarkable improvement after a coaching or management change?

• Can you pinpoint specific reasons for the improvement?

Music

I'm hard pressed to think of anyone that has had larger shoes to fill of a parent than Wolf Van Halen. He was in his Dad's band for years, but is now doing his own thing. He's an incredibly talented artist, and wants to go on his his own journey and not just play Van Halen songs. He's currently working on his second album for Mammoth WVH.

If you have not heard them yet, click here for one of my favourite songs.

But.... for two nights, and two nights only, Wolf took the stage with Dave Grohl and others to perform Classic Van Halen Songs at the Taylor Hawkins tribute shows in London and LA.

Click here to watch just INCREDIBLE performances or "Hot For Teacher" and "Panama".

I got goosebumps on the back of my neck watching him play so well and I'm sure making his Dad Eddie very proud!

Extra Innings

For my birthday day this week, I took a break from all business activities and had what online marketer Dean Jackson coined as a "Super Happy Fun Day". I did not have 9 hours to relax, as Dean does when he takes these well-deserved breaks. But I was fortunate to have some time to hang out at record and sports card collectible stores, which I rarely do anymore. I actually spent a bit more time at one of the record stores yesterday, because it was so awesome.

Click here for Dean's definition of a "Super Happy Fun Day".

When was the last time that you took even half a day off, to really enjoy yourself and decompress from work? Maybe it's time to book that in to your calendar soon. :-)

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