{"id":16807,"date":"2026-03-04T10:33:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T10:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/from-olympic-ice-to-retail-aisles-how-to-build-a-winning-team\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T10:33:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T10:33:15","slug":"from-olympic-ice-to-retail-aisles-how-to-build-a-winning-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dmsretail.com\/RetailNews\/from-olympic-ice-to-retail-aisles-how-to-build-a-winning-team\/","title":{"rendered":"From Olympic Ice to Retail Aisles: How to Build a Winning Team"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Retail<\/a><\/p>
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Women’s 2026 U.S. Gold Medal Hockey Team | Photo <\/span>USA Hockey via Facebook<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Men’s 2026 U.S. Gold Medal Hockey Team  |  Photo 2026 Getty Images via Olympics.com<\/span><\/div>\n
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I had an incredible time cheering on
\nHaley Winn and Team USA as they skated their way to the Gold Medal in Women\u2019s
\nHockey. Haley and Team USA had their own \u2013 now world-famous \u2013 cheering section
\n(Check out @RyanWinn44’s posts on Instagram\u2026 it\u2019s worth it).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a family connection here: my
\nnephews grew up playing hockey with the Winn brothers. My sister Betsy and her
\nhusband John were in Milano, screaming from the stands, while I was glued to the TV
\ntrying to spot them in the crowd. Amazingly, I did!<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

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Betsy and John with the Winn Brothers at the Olympics, Milano, Italy<\/span><\/div>\n


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And just three days after the women
\nbrought home Gold, the USA Men\u2019s Hockey Team did the same. Both games went into
\novertime. Both were against Canada. And the men\u2019s win happened on February 22,
\n2026, exactly 46 years to the day of the Miracle on Ice in Lake Placid.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

USA! USA! USA! and g<\/i><\/span>oosebumps.<\/span><\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

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Miracle on Ice 1980 Men’s Olympic Hockey Team  | Photo: AP<\/div>\n

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You remember the Miracle on Ice, don\u2019t you?<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no way to watch Team USA\u2019s
\nOlympic victories without thinking about 1980. The game where a scrappy group
\nof American college kids stunned the heavily favored Soviet machine. Today\u2019s
\nOlympic teams are stacked with pros we know and follow. But the 1980 squad?
\nThey were college players who had barely met before they hit Olympic ice.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

And they beat the best team in the
\nworld.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Rich and I first wrote about this back
\nin 2010, but today it bears repeating. The legendary Herb Brooks didn\u2019t just
\ncoach a hockey team; he built a culture. And everything he did applies to
\nretail leadership just as much as it does to sports.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s revisit a few of those lessons.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Forget
\nAbout MVPs<\/span><\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

We love a superstar. In sports. In
\nbusiness. In retail. But great teams don\u2019t revolve around one person.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At the 1980 medal ceremony, team
\ncaptain Mike Eruzione stood alone on the gold medal pedestal during \u201cThe
\nStar-Spangled Banner.\u201d The moment the anthem ended he called for his entire
\nteam to climb up and joined him. Twenty guys on a platform built for one.<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s culture.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Brooks understood something critical:
\nindividual recognition matters, but team identity matters more. When Team USA
\nbeat the Soviets, Brooks didn\u2019t grab the spotlight. He waved to his players and
\nheaded straight to the locker room.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is their night,\u201d he said. \u201cNot
\nmine.\u201d Retail leaders, take note.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Reward individual performance, yes, but
\nreward team performance, too. Celebrate shared wins. Build pride in \u201cwe,\u201d not
\njust \u201cme.\u201d<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Set
\nTeam Goals Together<\/span><\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

If goals are handed down from on high,
\nthey feel like marching orders. If goals are created together, they feel like
\nownership.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

And ownership changes everything.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

If your goals aren\u2019t written down,
\nthey\u2019re not goals \u2014 they\u2019re wishes. Put them on paper. Then gather your team
\nand walk through them. Better yet, brainstorm together. Ask:<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

           <\/span>– What should we be aiming for this
\nquarter?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

           <\/span>– Where are we leaving money on the
\ntable?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

           <\/span>– What can we improve immediately?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

When associates help shape the
\ndirection, they understand their role in getting there. And people fight harder
\nfor goals they helped create.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Constantly
\nReinforce Effort<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Team building isn\u2019t a quarterly
\nmeeting. It\u2019s daily behavior. One retailer we know created \u201cin-store outlaws,\u201d small
\nteams tasked with asking big questions:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–
\nHow can we do this better?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      <\/span>– What do you need to do your job better?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      <\/span>– What are customers asking for?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      <\/span>– What are your victory stories?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

      <\/span>– What are your disaster stories?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

     <\/span>– And our favorite: What would you do if
\nyou owned this joint?<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Then \u2013 and this is key \u2013 have them report
\nback with solutions. Not complaints. Solutions.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Imagine what would happen if your team
\nwere trained to look for opportunity instead of just pointing out problems.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Give
\nIt a Chance (And Mean It)<\/span><\/span><\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n

Trust is not a poster on the break room wall. It\u2019s action.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Consider Bill Wygal of Bill’s Ace
\nHardware. He empowered his associates to resolve customer issues without
\nrunning to a manager for approval.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

At first, some didn\u2019t believe him. So,
\nhe formalized it: a Customer Satisfaction Program that put decision-making in
\nemployees\u2019 hands.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Were there mistakes? Sure. One
\nassociate discounted a broken ladder (not ideal). They talked about it. Lesson
\nlearned. Another sold a $200 faucet set for $25. Turns out it had missing parts
\nand couldn\u2019t be repaired. Smart call.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Over five years? Two issues. That\u2019s
\nit.<\/span><\/span> <\/span>Most employees won\u2019t \u201cgive away the
\nstore.\u201d They\u2019ll rise to the level of trust you give them. <\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Motivate
\nLike It Matters, Because It Does<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Front-line retail is hard. It\u2019s
\nemotional labor. It\u2019s problem-solving on your feet. It\u2019s smiling when you\u2019d
\nrather scream. So, celebrate.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of management choosing
\nAssociate of the Month, let peers nominate and vote. At year\u2019s end, let the
\nteam select Associate of the Year. If you have departments, create Team of the
\nMonth. And make rewards experiential, something they can enjoy together because
\nrecognition builds energy and energy builds your in-store culture.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

A
\nFew More Power Moves<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

–
\nDitch the once-a-year performance review. Try monthly check-ins. Small course
\ncorrections beat annual surprises.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–
\nAsk associates to update their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s yearly. You might discover hidden talent
\nalready on your payroll.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–
\nConduct a 360-degree assessment, and yes, let them evaluate you. Leadership
\ngrowth requires thick skin.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

–
\nGive everyone business cards. If someone isn\u2019t worth $20 in printed cards, they
\nshouldn\u2019t be representing your store.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Sadly, Herb Brooks died in 2003, but
\nhis leadership legacy lives on. In remembering him, Mike Eruzione said Brooks
\ntaught his players to believe in themselves, use their gifts, pursue their
\npassions, and live without regret.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

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Statue of Olympic
\nhockey coach Herb Brooks, St. Paul, Minnesota.  Photo: Adobe Stock Photos<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


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That\u2019s not just hockey wisdom. That\u2019s leadership wisdom.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Your retail world isn\u2019t static. People will move on. Some will retire. Some will chase greener grass. The question isn\u2019t whether your team will change because it will. The question is this: <\/span>As your team grows and changes over the years, how will they remember you?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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KIZER & BENDER 2026 | Retail Adventures Blog<\/p>\n