The world of sports is rife with statistics and hockey is no exception, especially here in Canada. Over the past few weeks, local Toronto hockey fans anxiously watched or listened for the results of every Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game – all the while hoping for a win and a shot at making into the playoffs.
As has been the case for the past many years, the Leaf’s contention for a playoff spot was equally dependent on their own performance and that of their competitors. The Leaf’s finally started to win games as did their competitors. In the end they didn’t make it.
It is interesting to note that, despite their lack luster record, the Maple Leafs are one of the top franchises in the National Hockey League (NHL). Thanks to the Toronto Star, I learned that we have 45 reasons to hope.
What is the lesson here?
All the statistics or metrics in the world won’t change the final outcome for the Toronto Maple Leafs and neither will any of the excuses for their poor performance.
These players are paid professionals, hired for the specific purpose of contributing to the overall performance of their team to win hockey games. In the end, no one cares about player performance data, injuries, shots on net, penalties, goals against, or any other metric.
To me it really comes down to one question:
Are you Winning?
The answer to this question is either Yes or No. There is no room for excuses or “it depends”. You either know or you don’t. In hockey, it’s easy. The metric that matters is the final score at the end of the game.
We are all paid to peform – excuses don’t count. Determine which metric defines winning performance and be ready when someone asks:
Are you Winning?
As any rainmaker knows, customers expect a quality, low cost product or solution, delivered on time, and in full. To do anything less is inexcusable.
Until Next Time – STAY lean!
