In curling, delivering the stone is only part of the job.
As soon as it’s released, teammates move into position with their brooms. They sweep ahead of the stone to reduce friction, help it travel farther, or subtly influence its path.*
The shot isn’t frozen at release. It’s adjusted in motion.
Why sweeping matters
Even the best throw can’t account for every variable:
- Ice conditions shift
- Weight can be slightly off
- The curl may develop differently than expected
Sweeping allows teams to respond in real time.
It requires:
- Communication
- Awareness
- Letting go of ego
- Collective adjustment
No one says, “The throw should have been perfect.” They focus on what can be influenced now.
The high-achiever trap
Many professionals were rewarded early in life for being self-sufficient and precise. The goal was to produce the right answer independently.
That works in school.
In complex, fast-moving environments, it doesn’t.
Projects evolve. Stakeholders shift. New information appears. If you’re overly attached to the original plan, or are determined to appear flawless, you miss opportunities to adjust.
Perfection seeks control before action. Responsiveness adapts after action.
Presence over polish
Responsiveness requires:
- Releasing the need to get it exactly right upfront
- Staying alert to observations and feedback
- Inviting input midstream
- Making small corrections early instead of large corrections late
It’s not reactive chaos. It’s engaged awareness.
Teams that sweep well don’t panic. They pay attention.
What sweeping looks like at work
You might notice opportunities to “sweep” when:
- A conversation shifts tone
- A client hesitates
- A deadline changes
- A project drifts slightly off course
Instead of defending the original path, you can:
- Clarify expectations
- Adjust scope
- Redirect energy
- Ask a better question
Responsiveness keeps momentum alive.
As the Games continue…
This is the eleventh in a 20-day Olympic curling series exploring career and leadership lessons inspired by small details of the sport.
Tomorrow’s lesson looks at how microphones emphasize accountability.
Until then, release the pressure to be perfect. Stay present. And sweep while it’s moving. 🥌
* Usually, you are sweeping your own team’s stones, but you also need to stay present for opportunities to sweep an opponent’s stone. Per Rule R8(e), this is allowed when an opponent’s stone is moving through the last half of the rings. Typically it’s in an effort to encourage it to travel further, and out of the house.
** Lots of weeds related to sweeping! The role and impact of sweeping has progressed through the history of the sport. Early brooms were made of straw (and sweepers were often clearing away broken straw), and later made with bristles (and sweepers were watching for loose hairs on the ice.) In the 1990’s, the switch started toward fabric-covered foam. Great sweepers were lauded for how far they could carry a stone into the house, that on its own, would be a guard, and skips yelled “Hurry hard!!” for both sweepers to try to keep a stone from curling. In 2015, when the most abrasive fabrics and hardest foams yet were used on brooms, the sport suddenly discovered two things – that sweeping could help the stone curl, and that abrasive brooms can scar the ice and impact subsequent shots. [This was so pivotal in the sport it got a name – Broomgate – and the ‘scandal’ is captivatingly described in this podcast.] So now, sweeping is highly regulated at high performance competitions. All brooms use the same fabric. There are limits on the properties of the foam. A player can only use their own broom. (If a player substitutes into a game, they have to use the broom of the player they are replacing.) Plus, sweeping calls have changed. Skips are yelling for “Straight!” and “Curl!” which further emphasizes real-time responsiveness down the ice.
