To You From Failing Hands
I remember this book called "Lions of Winter" about the Montreal Canadiens hockey club. It's a facinating read about the storied franchise.
Maple Leafs fans may disagree but the Canadiens are one of the most successful sports teams in the globe. They rank with other iconic teams such as the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Lakers and Manchester United. They have won more Stanley Cups than any other team in history. Their fans expected nothing less than success.
That was until the past decade where a series of poor management and player personnel decisions affected their performance. A team used to lifting the Stanley Cup a few times per decade was now not even making the playoffs.
Ownership brought in a new management team and things have improved both on and off the ice. The team is performing better than expected, attendance is up and every home game has been sold-out this year. The future looks even more promising with great young players coming up through the ranks.
One of the biggest reasons for the turn-around was that ownership recruited former players (each Stanley-Cup winning captains) to became the General-Manager, Coach and Assistant Coach respectively.
The rot for the Canadiens set in when they started getting rid of all of their veteran players. Those who knew what it took to be successful. It made me reflect, how some companies and marketing departments don't appear to value the veterans on their teams anymore.
The standard reasons are given. They are too expensive. Their production is down. They have no more drive/enthusiasm. Nonsense. I can't begin to explain how much I value the experience and mentorship "veterans" provided (and continue to provide) me during my career.
How many times have we all seen talented and experienced people get pushed out the door? Leaving with them invaluable knowledge and expertise that benefited their companies for years. And then take a wild guess who is left holding the bag?
Smart companies and marketers are ones that value their people, including the veterans who can show rookies a thing or two.
Larry Robinson, a hall of fame defencemen, said he became the player he was because of hard-work and the veterans who helped him when he first started with the Canadiens. And those veterans were guided by greats before them and so on. Call it a tradition of excellence.
So when people join your team - are veterans around to show them how to become successful? Do you have mentorship programs and/or succession-planning? Or are people left to their own devices?
There is no question this kind of strategy requires a specific culture to flourish. If we marketers are going to progress to the point where we look beyond quarter to quarter success but sustainable long-term growth, it's something we must consider.
As the motto in the Canadiens lockeroom states:"To you from failing hands we throw the torch. Be it yours to hold high."
