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Message From the Executive Team
Penguins, Adversity and the “Hardiness Factor”
Watching the thrilling game 5 of the
Stanley Cup Finals on Monday, June 2, one couldn’t help but compare that game to
the challenges we face in our business and personal lives.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were outplayed
badly through the course of the game (outshot 58-32) but they never “threw in
the towel”. They stuck to their game plan (strategy), adapted when necessary
(flexibility), weathered the storm (competitors), relied on spectacular defense
and goaltending (performance) and ultimately won the game in the third overtime
period to stave off elimination. They did not get negative, feel sorry for
themselves, check out or give up. They stuck together as a team and they won.
Too often when faced with daunting
challenges, companies and individuals do the opposite. Companies abandon
strategy and alter direction with the prevailing winds of change causing
confusion and a lack of belief in vision, values, goals and the ultimate prize (BHAG).
Many companies fail to address the brutal facts and stop listening to their
people/customers/suppliers or worse stop asking questions like: How are we
doing? What could we do better? How are you? Individuals sometimes choose
flight over fight and leave rather than speaking up, being heard and becoming
part of the solution. Or worse they check out and spend years going through the
motions only to wake up one day at the end of a lack luster career and wonder
what happened to their life. Companies fail, teamwork is abandoned, individuals
become victims. The game is lost.
In Jim Collins’ exceptional book “Good
To Great” he speaks about research conducted by the International Committee for
the Study of Victimization. The studies looked at individuals who had suffered
serious adversity- prisoners of war, cancer patients and accident victims who
had survived. Collins writes, “They found that people fell generally into three
categories: those who were permanently dispirited by the event, those who got
their life back to normal and those who used the experience as a defining event
that made them stronger.” Collins calls this the “hardiness factor” and goes on
to state that the great companies studied in “Good To Great” all were like those
in the third group. They recognized a serious challenge/threat or adversity as
an opportunity; not as a time to “throw in the towel”.
While we would not wish “serious
adversity” on anyone, we know that if and when GWC and/or our Great People are
presented with adversity we will be like that third group and like those Game 5
Penguins from Pittsburgh and rise from “Good To Great”.
In the case of the Penguins they were
clearly overmatched against a superior, more experienced opponent who ultimately
eliminated the Pens in game 6. Our hunch is that the Pittsburgh Penguins will
be stronger for years because of it.
Have a wonderful summer full of family,
friends and memories.
Alanna, Marc, Gary and Ken
Head Office Wears Denim
Two
dollars is the price of admission for the Head Office team members to be able to
wear jeans on Fridays. But it’s all for a good cause. All monies collected go
toward The Wales Home which many of you will remember is the Home that Sylvia’s
mother lived in until her passing last year. Nils remains the Chair of the
Fundraising Committee and the Home is well on its way to necessary updates and
expansion. Should any of the other divisions wish to take part in the $2.00
process to wear jeans on Friday, please let either Ken or Alanna know and we
will arrange to send you a collection can for the donations.
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