The Sideline Seat

1 Mindset Shift. 1 Sideline Story. 3 Actionable Takeaways.

Sent every Tuesday to help you build a better team.

The False Narrative:

If I'm following the rules and my intentions are good, my reputation is safe.

The Mindset Shift:

Your intentions are not what determines your reputation. Unfortunately, perception and impact do. You can be correct, well intentioned and still lose the trust of your team and others.

The Sideline Story: The Double-Touch Drama

If you’ve caught any of the Olympic coverage from Milan-Cortina this week, you are likely to have seen the scandal that is sweeping (pun intended) through the curling world. The Canadian curlers, often regarded as the heavyweights of the sport, are being accused of "double-touching" the stone (essentially giving it an extra nudge after release).

The Canadians are furious. And showed it. Who knew there would be an "F" Bomb dropped during the sport that we all obsess over every 4 years. The Canadians are adamant that they followed the explicit rules of the sport. They are using data from the highly technical "Hogline" sensors and claiming their contact within the rules, and meaningless.

The internet is alive with "Armchair Curlerbacks" discussing rules that most don't understand and quite frankly, isn't the point. What the world sees is a dominant team in a respectable game, that appears to be cheating. Even if the impact of their double touch is insignificant on the game, the impact of their choice is looming large. Because the moment someone asks, "What kind of person would even try that?" you have lost the thing that matters most. Trust. Reputation.

3 Actionable Takeaways:

1. Avoid winning on a technicality.

If your team thinks you’re cutting corners, winning the argument on a technicality frustrates everyone. Get clear on the standards instead.

2. Feel proud of both the process and the outcomes.

Are you hitting your goals and winning in a way that makes you proud? Does it stick to your values? Or are you encouraging others to win at all costs?

3. Don't get defensive, get curious.

Defensiveness is usually a reaction to our own insecurity, instead of response. Instead, start with curiosity and respond with a question for example, "What did you see that gave you that impression?"