The expression in my title is an oft used expression that you hear at a curling rink.
I’ve recently gone back to the game of curling after a very long absence. I know that it’s been a long absence because all of the muscles in my chest wall and arms are telling me so. That said, I think that curling holds some useful metaphors for those of us who are interested in business success.
As you might know, curling is played on a sheet of ice. At each end of the ice surface, there is a target (called the house) painted onto the ice. Two teams, of four players each, takes turns sliding (called throwing) a curling stone (rock) towards the house, at one end of the ice, and points are scored for the team with the rock(s) closest to the centre of the house.
In a business sense, the house represents the goal(s) that a business establishes for itself. The rocks that are thrown represent the efforts expended to reach the goals. However, the opposing team (ie the competition) is also trying to achieve their goals at the expense of you attaining yours. The rocks that they throw become obstacles that you must overcome.
You can attempt to remove the obstacles that are in your way by hitting those with one or more of your rocks. Or, you can attempt to go around the obstacle. In either situation, you are intentionally dealing with situations that are hindering the attainment of your goal. With each throw taken, the situation on the playing surface will change.
You could say that curling mimics our business life.
The important thing to remember is that we must attempt to overcome our obstacles if we are serious about achieving our goals. Of course, we might not be successful. However, in my mind, the only failure comes from not trying.
Future State of Affairs 