One of my favorite things about winter is that it is the beautiful season of hockey. The long season actually stretches from October to April, but most of that is winter. The swishing of players flying across the ice, the puck gliding in and out of sight, the rival fights, and watching my favorite team win are some of the reasons why I love this sport. However, some of the longest games are when it’s the third period and neither team has scored because the goalies of both teams are excellent. As much as I like to think the other teams are awful, occasionally, a team will go toe to toe with my favorite in such a way that neither has a goal, and I have to admit (although not out loud) that they are decent.
Not getting into the politics of hockey, the most valuable player is arguably the goalie. This is the guy who controls the wins and losses of the team. No matter how well a team works to make a goal, and protect the net, if their goalie doesn’t do his job, they will lose. Here’s where I make the connection between hockey goalies and branding. Ready? Because I’m excited.
Goalies View the Ice
From their perspective, they can see everything going on. They are able to anticipate where the puck will be before it gets there because they have a full view of the ice. Great branding requires understanding what’s happening on the ice in your field. Keeping up to date with on the latest information helps you to anticipate where the proverbial puck goes next, and where you should set your goals.
Goalies Position Themselves
A great deal of technique goes into positioning to control the wins and losses of the team. Preparing to take multiple hits allows the best goalies to make the save as many times as needed, and send the puck in a direction to help their teammates. The key is that positioning makes this possible. In branding being able to see where the next move is, allows you to position yourself and your business in the best position for success. Use your best and new angles to get the best advantage of your product.
Goalies Count
While yes, goalies make a difference on a team, they also count the saves they made and the ones they missed. It gives a good understanding of where they can improve. Likewise, it is imperative to measure your saves and misses. Make a list of the things you did right this year. Focusing only on the misses may help you improve, but mixing in the correct choices shows you just what you are capable of.
Make Goals
Yes, it is rare and almost a dream for a goalie to make a goal, but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t make them. Make goals for yourself, your business. Both short term and long term goals help you continue to move forward, improve, and be ahead of the game.
Go on, Aim, Shoot, Score!
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