Understanding What’s in Your Toolbox

May and June are two of my favorite months out of the year because, amongst other things like the return of warm weather, May and June mark playoff hockey time. The playoffs this year have already proven to be some of the most exciting yet, with six out of eight series going to seven games. And, though I am first and foremost and Ottawa Senators fan, I can’t deny that it’s been fun to follow the hometown team, the Carolina Hurricanes, through their playoff adventures.

As they say, all good things must come to an end and, come mid/late June, a new Stanley Cup Winner will be crowned and the hockey will end. Though the time on the ice will be over, this is when the work off the ice really begins. This is when all 32 teams will look to evaluate what they have in their toolbox. Where are they strong? Do they have good goaltending? Are they weak in the face-off circle? Where are the gaps that, for 31 of the teams, are holding them back from lifting that glorious Stanley Cup?

Despite how routine it is for hockey (and other athletic) teams to reevaluate their toolbox, this pattern does not always seem to translate into the more traditional work setting.

Stop for a moment and ask yourself when the last time you, as a leader, evaluated and sought to understand what was in your toolbox? Do you fully understand the capabilities, wants, and needs of your team?

Understanding what you have in your toolbox is imperative for a number of reasons, but I’ll quickly highlight just two:

1) First, understanding your toolbox allows you to leverage your team in the best way and get results while simultaneously putting them in the best spot for their own successes.

2) Second, it helps immensely with your recruiting, selection, and retention. If you have a toolbox full of various hammers, that’s great… so long as you have projects and work that requires hammers.

Recognizing the tools you do have helps you to be intentional in identifying the tools you need or are missing. A toolbox full of hammers is great when the project needs hammers, but will struggle when a project requires you to use a saw. I challenge you to take some time to really understand the tools at your disposal. Identify what you have and you need. After all, there’s no need to try and cut a piece of wood with a hammer when you have a saw.