By Mikhail Bryan
This article dives into how leaders can use their personnel effectively to maximize overall group potential. A perfect case study for this is to analyze power play systems in collegiate and professional hockey.
Power Play Results
I went through and watched the top-performing power plays from the 2019-2020 season in NCAA Division I, Division III, CHL and NHL. Each power play was scoring on roughly 30% of their opportunities, much higher than most league averages. What I found is that there are certain things that each team at every different level tries to accomplish. One-timers, shots with “traffic” or screens in front, and shots directly after an offensive zone face-off were a few of the general concepts most of these teams were using. What differed, however, is how each team utilized these concepts.
The way the Boston Bruins tried to create one-timers on their power play was different than how Minnesota State-Mankato tried to create one-timers, which was different than the Ottawa 67s. This same idea applies to how each team generated shots from the blue line and how they created offense off of face-offs. For example, the Bruins looked for one-timers very quickly after face-off wins in the offensive zone, while some of the NCAA teams such as Minnesota State look to set up in their desired formation first – then try and find one-timer opportunities.
One Goal But Different Approaches
Essentially, each elite power play was working towards accomplishing the same goals (literally and figuratively). But the way each team went about accomplishing these goals varied. This is a concept that we can apply to the business, legal and medical world. When running a business, let’s say the objective is to turn a profit and make money. This is generally a constant across all businesses. Much like the power plays though, how each business goes about turning a profit can differ. One business may use a certain strategy while another business may use a completely different one. However if both businesses are profiting, then the overall goal is still being accomplished.
This can also be applied to the management of an individual hockey team. Teams at the Division I collegiate, major junior and professional level strive to win as many games as possible each year. But the way each team goes about trying to win games varies, just like it does with businesses. Some teams may take a development-first approach while others may take a winning-at-all-costs approach. Either way, the team’s management is generally taking an approach they believe will help them win as many games as they can now and in the future.
Understanding Personnel and Team Dynamics
What these differences ultimately come down to is personnel. Knowing what kind of players one has on their team, employees in one’s business or doctors and nurses one has on staff is what allows leaders to employ different strategies while working towards accomplishing their overall goals. While the objectives remain the same across industries, the way of going about these objectives will likely depend on the personnel that each organization has. Finding a way to use this personnel wisely is the key factor. While not only creating organizational success, this will lead to personal development and growth for all those involved in the organization.
Final Thoughts to Consider
I put together a list of ideas to consider when trying to accomplish your organizational and personnel goals:
- Know your strengths as an organization. What differentiates you from your competitors?
- What do you want to accomplish and how?
- Who will help you accomplish these goals? Do you currently have these personnel on staff?
- Can you sustain long-term success with these personnel?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then that is a step in the right direction. If the answer to any of these questions is no, then that is a great place to start!
Post image attribution: By: Hendrik Seis, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
