It’s the stuff dreams are made of. An undefeated season. A home-ice arena packed with over 2500 cheering fans. A tense shutout game that was no score until the third period. A provincial championship and, finally, an emotional victory skate for an elated team of young men. If you follow Midget AA hockey, and especially if you’re a Swift Current Broncos fan, you know exactly the game I’m talking about. April 3, 2019, for the win. Because I’m lucky enough to be on the Midget AA Broncos’ coaching staff, I got to witness every moment of this game up close and it will go down as one of the most remarkable days of my coaching career.
That it all took place in the Innovation Federal Credit Union iPlex in Swift Current brought my two worlds together in a way that has stirred a lot of self-reflection for me. It was an amazing game, but it was the result of an even more amazing season of hard work, relentless preparation and enormous heart. We painstakingly planned our strategies and playbook, analyzed hours of game footage to understand our strengths and where we needed to improve. We learned from our failures and celebrated our successes. It was all the very definition of team effort. When those young athletes circled the ice with the Jack Loveridge Memorial banner on April 3rd, they carried it for all of us - from the dedicated group who had guided them through the season to the supportive community cheering them on from the stands.
Teamwork For the Win
I’ve been thinking a lot about the fairy tale season. An undefeated regular season doesn’t happen by accident. The Broncos had talent and grit, but what secret ingredients made this particular team and season so special? What was our role in helping them achieve something so rare?
Reflecting on these questions has helped me to better understand myself as a coach - or CEO - of Innovation Federal Credit Union. Given my passion for hockey, coaching and continual improvement, this is a topic I will likely ponder for the rest of my life. But at this stage in my thinking, here’s what the Swift Current Abbey Resources Midget AA Broncos have taught me about how to be a better coach to my teams both on the ice and in my credit union.
- Focus on values We picked players who value things like teamwork, respect, work ethic and the ability to celebrate others. This is a winning model that we strive to follow at Innovation as well. We use value pins to celebrate staff who are living our values consistently and setting an example. More often than not, the staff who receive these pins humbly give credit to their colleagues, sharing the win and building and even stronger team.
- Choose and retain a talented team What we do to attract, retain and career map our staff at Innovation is similar to how a coach puts a winning team together. We hire and train skilled people and ensure they’re placed in positions where they will shine. We also cross-train our staff so that they can cover for each other when it’s needed. This helps us grow as a team and better understand how to work together to support our members.
- Preparation is everything Coaches meet often to prepare practice plans, implement, review, revise and adapt. Players enjoyed off-ice training and pre-game mind and body preparation. At Innovation, our leadership team empowers our staff to really know the playbook. This helps each staff member understand their role in terms of our short-, medium- and longer-term strategies. This better prepares them to keep their eye on the goal and push towards it as a team.
- Play hard and smart Success and fulfillment on any team are tied to moving fast, being focused and constantly evolving. When the team has been well-supported and celebrated, they’re more likely to arrive prepared to give their best against all kinds of challenges. This kind of thinking will position our Innovation team for the win, whether it’s for a member, a colleague our communities.
- Celebrate success It’s easy to get caught up in the details and focus on gaps, but I always want to be the kind of leader who celebrates success and offers praise to help to foster a sense of shared goals and results. I can always do better at this.
- Acknowledge the entire team It’s so important to acknowledge the off ice crew - the managers, association, fitness coach and other contributors - that form the framework for a hockey team’s success. Where Innovation is concerned, this is similar to the excellent governance framework that is vital to everything we do to be a success for our members. Acknowledging this in meaningful ways strengthens our foundation, emboldens our team and leads us to achieve even greater things.
- Ask for help As hockey coaches, we know when we need outside help to build special skills. I’m aware of this at Innovation as well, so I’m dedicated to bringing in outside experts who can elevate our team and take us further in all areas of our business. Nurturing these kinds of partnerships benefits the whole team and is in the best interest of our members.
- One-on-ones We spent time with each Bronco this season to chat about how things were going, discuss short- and long-term goals and determine how we could work together to help each player improve. This is something I believe in deeply as a leader. Applying it to my role as CEO ultimately leads to growth that benefits our entire organization.
- Reflect and improve In the spirit of empowering the team, we asked each of our hockey players to watch video highlights of their performance and to provide constructive feedback and self-assessment. This included feedback from player to coach. While we don’t watch game tape together, facilitating this process for the Innovation staff helps us take stock, while at the same time creating transparency, dialogue and collaboration.
I know I’ll be reliving and reflecting on my Swift Current Abbey Resources Midget AA Broncos winning season for a long time to come. Watching our team fight for every win and play through injuries has inspired me and I want to bring that inspiration to the very talented team here at Innovation. Talent alone doesn’t win championships in hockey or in business. This is why planning, preparation and support are fundamental to leading a winning team. We also need to play our own game, not change our strategy to match our opponents. With the right people, preparation and values in place, other teams can adjust to keep up with us. This is how the Broncos operated this past season. But it’s also how we do things at Innovation. I’m so fortunate to be a coach here at the credit union that is truly an #InnovationNation poised for long term success.