Thanks to a win in the last game of the season, the Minnesota Wild hockey team is in the playoffs for the first time in five years. To celebrate, they won’t be shaving their beards until they are eliminated from the playoffs (which could happen sooner rather than later because they’re playing the mighty Chicago Blackhawks). 
The playoff beard, as it’s called, dates back to the 1980s New York Islanders squad. Rumor has it that it started by accident – the team would play 4 games in 5 nights in two cities, giving them little time to shave. So they didn’t.
And it soon became a craze that just about every hockey player – from high school to college to the NHL – has experienced at some time in his life. Some teams have even taken it further. The Minnesota Gophers team bleached their hair blonde for a playoff run not too long ago. It was not a good look, and they thankfully haven’t tried it since.
Sports are full of presumably silly traditions like the playoff beard. Notre Dame football players slap a sign that says Play Like a Champion Today, basketball players have outrageous handshakes during pre-game introductions, and many baseball players celebrate homeruns with unique signs.
You can call it silly, but your business needs a tradition like the playoff beard.
Why does a playoff beard matter? NHL players will tell you that it builds team unity because every last player – even the 19-year-old rookie with a few wisps of hair on his chin – refuses to shave, no matter how silly they look. They’ll tell you that they focus better because every time they wake up and look in the mirror they’re reminded that it’s playoff season.
And your business should develop traditions that reinforce your goals, promote team unity and help you focus your team on what matters. Here are some examples:
- Let’s say your lawn care business has a slogan of “Educated, experienced and excited about what we do.” You need to build traditions that reinforce your slogan. How do you do that? Well, maybe start a weekly or monthly educational quiz show in your office. Reward the winners with a gift certificate or something of value.
Or, you could make sure that every time one of your employees meets a new customer to work on their property, they say, “Hi, I’m Ted. I’ve worked for XYZ Lawn Care for 7 years…” If you use lawn care software, you could create a custom assessment or send a note to their field device reminding them to introduce themselves properly to their new customer. - I’m stealing this idea from the Notre Dame example I cited earlier, but a simple sign in a heavy employee traffic area that reinforces your core value is a great way to continually remind your employees what’s important. If you’re a customer-centric organization, reinforce that with a sign that says “We Love Our Customers.”
- Want to build team unity? Copy the NHL playoff beard idea for a good cause. Beardathon.com allows your team to grow a beard and raise money for charity. Or, if mustaches are more your thing, visit Movember.com to learn how you can grow a mustache for cancer charities. It’s a great way to support a cause, build some team unity, and show your customers that you care about charitable work.
The playoff beard is all about building unity and creating focus. That makes it a great thing to mimic because it helps your employees focus on what matters, brings them closer together as a team, and enables you to showcase your unique team unity to your customers.
What traditions does your organization have? Drop ‘em in the comments!