With the St. Louis Blues set to officially turn the reins over to Alex Steen as the full-time GM, one thing emerges as the best course of action he could take.
The best thing that Steen could do upon taking over is nothing.
That’s right. Steen could do well to refrain from making any major decisions right away.
The rationale behind that assertion lies in the temptation that new managers consistently face. There’s a desire for a new executive, regardless of how long they’ve been with a company, to make an immediate impact.
While that’s a reasonable attitude, it can also lead to ill-advised decisions. One of the axioms in business is that you should never make any major decisions when first taking over a new role.
Experienced business people know this. That’s why you hear CEOs and C-suite executives go on about how they plan to take time to evaluate things before making changes. Sometimes, new execs step in to put out fires. Once the fires are out, they can step back and decide what changes are needed.
Fortunately, that is not the situation Steen is walking into. If anything, Doug Armstrong has done a great job of leaving Steen a solid foundation to work from. And that’s all the more reason for Steen to refrain from making any major moves.
Unless there was something already in the works leading up to July 1, the absolute worst thing Steen could do is make a reactionary move.
Let’s put it this way. Another GM out there thinks that Steen wants to plant a flag. So, they attempt to extract a deal for someone like Robert Thomas as a means of stoking Steen’s ego. While there’s nothing wrong with listening, careful, measured responses should rule Steen’s behavior in the early going.
Steen, Armstrong part of Blues’ succession plan
The best thing about the Blues’ transition from Armstrong to Steen was the fashion in which it worked. The organization fostered the transition similar to what major corporations do when implementing a succession plan.
Major corporations typically have succession plans for their top positions. When high-level executives step down due to retirement, family issues, or health reasons, there’s an orderly transition. The organization knows who will take over and has ensured they know what to do when taking over.
That’s what happened in St. Louis. The Blues worked through their succession plan, ensuring that Steen knew what to do once taking over.
In fact, major corporations don’t immediately shove outgoing executives out the door. Such executives typically take behind-the-scenes roles as the new crop of managers gains a firm foothold in their roles.
That's why, in a sense, Alex Steen taking over will be a case of “meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”
The Blues will be in capable hands for the foreseeable future. So, it will just be a matter of time before the organization returns to prominence in the Central Division.
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