Pass The Puck
The happiness of helping teammates shine
Hey, it’s Alexandra. Welcome to my weekly newsletter where I share my latest reflections on professional development & well-being.
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This week, I’m sharing a short, hockey-inspired story (I am Canadian after all) with a big takeaway on how to help teammates shine.
☕️ Read time: 1 min (best with tea or coffee)
A few weeks ago, I heard a story I can’t stop thinking about. Ironically, it was something an executive shared offhand in between otherwise choreographed presentations.
(It goes to show stories are uncontested winners. Even the best slides and effects are no match for raw, relatable life lessons shared from the heart.)
So here’s the story.
The Power of Passing The Puck
The executive (who we’ll call Derek) is a dedicated dad and his ten-year-old son (who we’ll call Mark) came home from school a few weeks ago with great news. Mark had made the school hockey team and he was elated.
Naturally, Derek was too.
So Mark starts playing and in his first game, he scores six goals. He feels on top of the world after. Again, so does Derek.
Then the next week, Mark scores another five goals. Again, he’s on cloud nine. But this time, Derek isn’t.
Derek is encouraging but inquisitive saying “Well that’s great! But what about your friend Owen, did he score too?” Mark shakes his head and says “No, Owen never scores.”
So Derek says “I want to give you a challenge this week. I want you to focus less on scoring and more on passing the puck to your teammates.”
Mark is confused so Derek elaborates, “Just try it and see what happens.” Mark nods, he’ll do it.
Fast forward a week and Mark has executed the challenge.
“How did it go?” asks Derek. Mark tells him excitedly, “I passed the puck like you told me to and Owen scored a goal!”
“That’s great!” says Derek, “And how did Owen react?” Evidently, Owen lit up like a Christmas tree. “He was SO happy!” Mark says.
(Sweet, right?)
Mark still managed to score a couple of goals himself but more than anything, his biggest win was facilitating a win for his teammate. And with that, he learned the beauty of “passing the puck” in life.
There’s so much to be taken from this story in a professional setting. So my challenge to you is this: ask yourself “How can I pass the puck to a teammate to help them shine?”
Here’s hoping whatever you come up with brings a big, bright smile to their face—and yours.
Thanks for reading and have a wonder-full week,
P.S. Speaking of “young hockey players in training,” this five-second video captures the most adorable “body check” ever:
💛 Like or comment if you enjoyed this edition.
☕️ Let me know if you visit Montreal & we can grab coffee or tea.
Wayne Gretzky scored 894 goals in his career. He also had 1963 assists.
PASS THE DAMN PUCK!!!
Love it Alex, thanks for sharing!
So beautiful & simple. Pass the puck!