Free Thinker

I know I typically scribe about what's the blaze in Chicago sports, the latest disappointing Cubs loss, the magical Blackhawks run, the potential of the Bulls, or the character flaws in Jay Cutler. Today I would rather speak from an area which baffles me in today's business environment, elimination of employee thought.

I have worked for a number of companies, and I'd like to assume I have a fairly good idea of those that were good, and those that were, well, not so good. One of the largest indicators to me on if a company was going to be a good workplace and environment is if they truly believe in inclusion, and allowing their employees to think for themselves. A lot of companies will talk about how they empower their workers, but little actually allow them to take part in a creative process to move the company forward.



The largest argument against having an open dialog with employees on how to improve or move forward has always been too many voices, and the effort it would take to work through the poor ideas to find the ideas that provide value. Currently I am part of a company which incorporated an "Ideas" webpage for their associates. Although this could be a great tool to find associate pain points, areas where the company can improve customer process, and an area where employees can pass along that golden nugget that leap frogs the company forward, all too often it is a wasteland of poor ideas and a soapbox for unsatisfied co-workers. The way around this is by adopting a real open communication forum from within the company, having direct access to company executives on a consistent basis, and associates that know beyond a shadow of a doubt that even when having hard conversations the words are coming from a place of trust and care which can hopefully move the company forward.

The worst companies I've been apart of have always been those companies which limit the employees ability to think freely, they micromanage their staff to a point where the staff can no longer think creatively, unless it is a thought on how to keep management off their back. It seems to me that creative thinking within an organization is directly tied to management styles, those managers which give their employees all the tools to succeed and lead them towards success hand-in-hand are also the same managers who have the most creative thought on their teams. Likewise, managers who bark the orders from the top and threaten discipline are often times the same managers that suppress their staff and often have employees with little desire to improve workplace process.

So which way is better? Well that certainly depends, right? When working in a warehouse, especially one that is already successful, how much more creative thought can go into improving the process? Sure there can be tweaks that promote better safety, tweaks to ensure quicker or more efficient pick rates, but for the most part that process has been defined. A carpenter rarely finds a new way to shingle a roof, and landscapers haven't incorporated new ways to mow lawns. Sure there are changes to equipment, which may or may not have been created by those in their respected fields, but the process typically is, the process.



All too often though, an organizations sales and marketing departments are handcuffed with the company process that they lose one of these departments greatest contribution, creativity. When a company sets the same management styles for their sales people as they have set for their warehouse employees they lose that person's ability to create, which often damages their ability to sell. I have seen this all too often where a company creates their "sales process" and doesn't allow for the staff to stray from that process. Whatever that process is, at one point it was a great value and produced for the organization, however customers change and their needs change and their buying indicators change. If you are not allowing for your sales staff to work around a process, whatever that is, you eventually set yourself up for dips or peaks and valleys in your business results.

In today's business environment companies spend more time and money than ever to hire and train staff. You hire those people because for one reason or another they stood out from the crowd and gave you reason to believe that they could be a difference maker for your team, department, and company. When you hire that person, make sure you continue to provide tools for them to continue to stand out from the crowd. You invested in that hiring, continue to invest in that employees growth.

Cubs Sox 2012

I hear we have the White Sox this week?

We Got this!!!

Fujikawa done for the year

The +Chicago Cubs are announcing that their prized signing this offseason, and hopes to solidify the backend of their bullpen, Kyuji Fujikawa will miss the remainder of the season due to a forearm injury which requires Tommy John Surgery.

Reported from numerous sources

Hot Stuff

We are just hours away from the second Game 7 in the last 2 days, and third Game 7 of these playoffs. Tonight the Detroit Red Wings look to continue their memorable run, and knock off another higher seeded team and the Chicago Blackhawks look to continue to prove their regular season was no fluke. This will prove to be a highly contested match-up, like any hockey series is concerned, but after hitting the same guy for 6 games, after watching someone get away with something for 6 games, the pushing the pulling the hitting all of the physicality that hockey brings, and add to it, the biggest rivalry in hockey! This will truly be an event to watch. 

Throw out the records, throw out whatever happened up to this point, throw out the...ah... Rolling Stones?!?

Yeah, last night the Rolling Stones played at the United Center, which would typically pose a threat to stadium conditions, but we'll see your Rolling Stones concert and raise you humidity. 

Humidity wreaks havoc on an ice rink. From bubbles to warps to chips to melting... You will see the puck do some things tonight that are not typical. Every wrap around the boards tonight ill become, interesting. Every innocent dump in becomes, advantageous. Every Blue Line to Blue Line pass becomes, curious. You just might see some things tonight that will cause you to think the pucks have a contact high from the special herb being passed around the stadium last night. 

You can go 59:50 without a crazy event taking place, but be sure that at some point tonight the puck is going to do something we don't typically see it do. See the Blackhawks Cup run in 2010. On multiple occasions, especially on the Power Play, you would see the puck take a hop over an awaiting defenseman's stick. With the speed on both sides (Hawks and Red Wings) if we see a jumping puck we could be in store for some interesting break-away opportunities. 

We have seen games like this before, myself I personally look back to the 2000 Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche. That series went 7 games, and in game 7 there were many "occurrences" with a bouncing puck that shouldn't, with an odd ricochet off the boards, with a shot taken but the puck wasn't there. The home team did end up winning that tilt, which proves well for the Hawks tonight, but in Game 7's anything can happen. 

One area where I think bad ice conditions can really change the outcome of the game is, clearing the puck. If the ice is chippy the puck could have the tendency of jumping up on end. When a player clears a puck, and if it is on end, that puck could come off the stick differently and could jump over the boards resulting in a penalty. In what should be a tightly contested match-up, neither team can afford to give up cheap Power Play opportunities. Especially in a game which otherwise should see little calls as I expect the refs to allow the 2 teams to play. 

We are just hours away from the greatest event in sport, Game 7, Hawks - Red Wings. Damn this will be good. 

So you're saying there's a shot

Before this weekend started I wrote a post, Dud which basically suggested that the +Chicago Blackhawks season was finished. Their lackluster play, lack of emotion, uncharacteristic play from Jonathan Toews, and the complete domination from the Detroit Red Wings in this best of 7 series all pointed to the fact that the Blackhawks were out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

However, before Hawks fans and players shave their beards, the Hawks win back-to-back games, in deciding fashion, to pull themselves back into the series.

Game 5

Finally the Hawks Power Play woke up from it's slumber. Until a Duncan Keith redirect by Andrew Shaw snapped a streak of 15 straight unsuccessful Chicago Power Plays. This was an important goal as well, since Detroit's Daniel Cleary had tied the tilt up about halfway through the 2nd and just 4 minutes later, Shaw's redirect put the Hawks up for good.

Then, another collective sigh of relief when Toews notched his first goal of the playoffs at 15:47 in the second.

"It's nice to see one go in," Toews said. "You work so hard for so many games. Not only yourself, but your linemates -- the guys that are out there with you. It builds your confidence. I don't care who you are. When you see one fo in, you feel like you can do it again. That's the feeling not only with myself, but with our team right now."



Toews didn't tally another, but Shaw was able to find the back of the net. Viktor Stalberg took a blast from the high point which ricocheted off the boards which allowed Shaw to collect and put it in.

"He plays with that energy you appreciate," Joel Quenneville said. "He's a competitive kid. He finds that line. He's smart in a lot of ways. You love the tenacity that he brings, the willingness to travel to the front of the net and hang around and he's got a quick stick. He's got some offensive skills and he's got good instincts on both sides of the puck."

Another unsung hero for Chicago has been the elevated play of Bryan Bickell. Bickell has seemingly done all of the things you want from a role player. He is rough, gets in the dirty areas, hits and takes hits, and has come up with 4 rather large goals this post season. Bickell notched his 4th goal in the 1st period, when he and Kane traded shots off Detroit Goalie Jimmy Howard.

Game 6

This was a roller coaster type of game from the start.. With the Blackhawks coming out inspired, controlling the first 6 minutes or so of the contest, then Detroit coming back and putting it to the Hawks. You could cut the tension from all Hawks fans with a knife and feel the confidence rise and fall with every shift, faceoff, shot, and hit.

The scoring started again off a Blackhawk Power Play goal, this time by the man who scored the first PP goal of the series, Marian Hossa. The goal came after a cluster of Hawks players rushed the net, 9 seconds into their first Power Play of the game. As the puck trickled out to Hossa's awaiting stick, he punched it home just before the goal was raised off it's moorings.

The Power Play was made possible by a smart play. Having ice blocked off the Hawks chipped a puck towards their Blue Line. Michael Frolik (who added a penalty shot score and had a very productive game Monday night) skated towards the puck. Jakub Kindl, senses Frolik had a step and better angle on the puck, checks him into the boards and made no attempt at the puck.

The Wings got that goal back, late in the 1st period when Brendan Smith played the puck to middle ice where Drew Miller was able to put a shot on goal. Corey Crawford was able to turn away that shot, but Patrick Eaves sat waiting for the rebound. He slammed the puck home at 18:51 which tied the game at 1 a piece.

Into the 2nd period and things started to look like they were unraveling. Detroit had pulled ahead in just about every hustle play, and took a large advantage in faceoff draws. Then as Joakim Andersson takes, what should have been a harmless shot from the circle, it knuckles past goalie Corey Crawford and Detroit takes a 2-1 lead, and the air seemed to almost let of out the Chicago sail. Crawford's glove seemed to be suspect all night, missed a blast in the first that just barely missed net and sailed high, flailing a other shots traveling wide left on numerous other occasions. It seemed as though the weak goal allowed shook some of the confidence in Crow, as he looked shaky on other attempts, and even played a puck in a situation where other Hawk players were expecting him to ice it.



Into the 3rd period the Hawks trailed in the contest, 2-1. Then after a bad Red Wings turnover, and even worse blown coverage, Michael Handzus was left all alone in front of the net with only Howard to beat. Handzus flipped one stick side and tied the contest at all 2's.

Crash the net, crash the net, crash the net! After receiving a pass from Hossa, Toews tosses a shot towards the net where Bryan Bickell sat awaiting. He punched the puck past Smith and Howard to give the Hawks a 3-2 advantage. Again Bickell coming up huge in spots. He was in the dirty areas again all night, in front of the net, hitting Detroit skaters up and down the ice, and in front of the net where he was rewarded with the go ahead goal around 6 minutes into the 3rd period.

Remember when I said Michael Frolik had a good game? Well later in the 3rd Frolik had a great block on a shot near the Detroit Blue Line. As the puck ricocheted past the Detroit defenders Frolik had a  breakaway attempt. As Frolik was about to take his shot, Carlo Colaiacovo took a weak swipe at the hands of Frolik with his stick. The puck was dislodged, and a Penalty Shot was called. Some think that this shouldn't have been a penalty shot (myself included) but the resulting play was a thing of beauty to watch:

*This is Frolik's 2nd Penalty Shot goal, most by any player in NHL history

The Hawks gave up another goal later on after a one-time chance by Damien Brunner from Pavel Datsyuk. After a late rush from Detroit, with an empty net, and an almost costly icing by Johnny Oduya, the Hawks hung on and guaranteed themselves a game 7.

Game 7

Game 7 in hockey is the single most exciting event there is. By this point the bad blood has risen to an all-time high. The 2 teams know what the other will do, sometimes before they do it, and the exciting and sometimes weird play is what ends up winning the game and the series. Not only does this game have the playoff lives of these 2 teams, not only are they both Original 6 franchises, not only are the Hawks and Red Wings huge rivals, not only is this a game 7, this is also the last time the 2 teams will face off as Divisional foes. This game should be one for the record books. 

Some facts on Game 7's... 

• Out of the 145 Game 7's (there will be a 146th before the Chicago Detroit game Wednesday), the team trailing 3 games to 1 has won the game 24 times. 
• Detroit has won the most game 7's in NHL history (14, Chicago has won 5)
• Teams with the chance to close out a series at home in game 6 are 20-31 in game 7 on the road

In any case, this will be an instant classic, with heart ache for one franchise and complete exhilaration for another. 

Will the Hawks keep their tremendous season alive, or will Detroit upset another higher ranked team on an impressive playoff run? Tune in and be apart of the greatest sporting event in the world, game 7 playoff hockey.

Dud...

This was supposed to be the year, I mean comparisons to 2010, record setting starts, outstanding play from everyone involved. This was supposed to be the year.

Chicago has had some very disappointing seasons in the past, Cubs in 2003 (and just about every other year). The Sox in the strike shortened year. The Bulls last season, and the year before that. The Bears just about every time they play the Packers. Heck, Chicago should re-nickname itself (if that's a thing), from "The Windy City" or "City of broad shoulders" to "City that deals with disappointing sports teams on an annual basis"...

This year we mourn the death of the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks.

A lot will be said about the 24 games with a point streak, the play of Toews and Kane, the goaltender play, and how good the Hawks have played with Oduya and Sharp in the lineup.

A lot will be said on how Coach Q prepared this team night in and night out, how he deserves tons of credit for preparing this team to face the adversity of playing so many games in such a small amount of time.

But, like one of my pals said, this will all be an awkward answer to a trivia question 10 years from now.

This all could have been avoided... All we needed is for the Blackhawks to come out and play their style of hockey. Sure the MO is to play a rough physical style against the Hawks, punch them in their mouths as they don't have the muscle to fight back, but if they stayed true to their game they could have had the series tied right now. Instead... the Hawks are facing elimination.

Most of this lays on the shoulders of the captain, Jonathan Toews.

Courtesy ESPN via YouTube

The frustration he felt after Game 2 never went away, as Henrik Zetterberg has blanketed him, played rough with him, and has pushed him up and down the ice. The Wings have also done this to the other Chicago skaters, minimizing their abilities and skill.

This frustration is a huge reason the Hawks are sitting here down 3 games to 1, instead of looking at a tied series going back to Chicago. Toews took 3 separate penalties in a span of 5:30 minutes in the 2nd period Thursday night, which the Red Wings converted on one of the resulting Power Plays. The usually cool and calm Toews may have cost this team the series and more importantly a Cup run.

So now Blackhawks, do you feel that on your back, its the wall. The wall has a couple of bronzed plaques and numbers and stats, will you answer? Will you play your style? Will you keep your cool?

Or will this team become another disappointment?

You call that a buzzer beater?

It seems that people continuously want to raise Lebron James to another level, even if he is unwilling to do so himself. 

GASP! HOW CAN YOU SAY SUCH THINGS ABOUT THE SELF PROCLAIMED "KING"???

Ummm... well... it's easy, and I will do it again. Lebron is unwilling to take himself to another level. 

But he's the back-2-back MVP! He is the best player in the game! He's saved kittens from trees and pulled kids from burning buildings! He made a game winner!

Come on folks, he made a layup as time expired on a poor defensive choice, and the layup didn't even look that good. 

But, wait! He is 7-16 career when taking a game winning shot with less than 24 seconds! 

This is true, but most of the shots made are closer to the 24 seconds left, than the under 5 seconds. Not until later last season did Lebron even ensure that he would be the one taking that last second shot. When all of the world knew he was the best player on the floor, the one with the best opportunity to score, he had often times passed to another player (who, also often times wasn't exactly ready) only to see Lebron's team come out losing. 

I'm not going to sit here and completely bash Lebron, he is by far the best player in the game today, and possibly the best since Jordan (Ah man, now you gonna bash on Kobe!?). But what is wrong in pointing out less than stellar parts of someone's game? And he's not that bad at the bad part of his game to boot! Hell, I'm describing one of the best players to ever play the game of basketball. A guy that could stand up against the Jordans, the Birds, Magic, Russel, Wilt, Gervin, Dr J, all of them. 

But why you gotta always be picking on me!? 

Boo flippin woo! Every night in every city the greats of the games are criticized. Don't make it come off like you, or James, is above the criticism. He's not. Criticism is what created these talents. When they are told they can't they do it till they can. 

Jordan was told he can't play basketball in high school, so he played and played till he made the team.

Jordan was told he wasn't a good jump shooter, so he practiced and practiced till he averaged over 50% shooting.

Jordan was told he wasn't a good defender, so he practiced and practiced till he was an All NBA Team Defender, and Defensive Player of the Year. 

I hate using the Jordan comparisons cause these are 2 different players, but his work ethic is and should be compared. If you can't, do until you can (sorry, felt a little Yoda on that one... Do or do not, there is no try...). Have that goal in everything you do, not only in sports but anyone can take that into their own life. 

Not good at TPS Reports, then work on them, take additional trainings, ask for a bigger workload when it comes to TPS Reports, so one day you are the go to person for them. 

Hopefully you catch my drift....