“It may be poo to you, but it is Olympic poo to me!!” guest post by Phil Jesson

This is a second guest post from a colleague of mine in the United Kingdom Phil Jesson that follows on from his post and 13 points - So what can we learn from the Olympics? here.

Thank you again Phil for your great insights.

Thanks for the feedback on my 13 points – much appreciated! A number of you have come up with suggestions to add to the list so here are your points, along with my “week two” observations:-

14.  People will carry out menial tasks for a meaningful goal. One of the Games Maker volunteers found himself shoveling horse poo at the stables used for the range of equestrian events. When asked by a TV reporter “So have you been down here for the whole duration of the Games…….. doing this!?” The Games Maker smiled and said “It may be poo to you, but it is Olympic poo to me!!”

15. If you are going to launch an event, do it in style. A reference to the opening ceremony, of course, and a timely reminder to re-examine the quality of our product launches, external customer and internal team events. Do they start with a bang?

16. Focus on your own game. The successful athletes have not dwelt on, or been haunted by, their main competitor’s strengths and weaknesses. They have got on with their own game and decided to become the best they can possibly be. “I haven’t got time to look at their boat, I’m too busy looking at my own!”

17. Proactively recruiting the right talent. One of the Performance Directors explained that he had gone out of his way to find the right people for his sport and attract people to it. Think of your business …………what are you doing to proactively recruit the right young people to your “sport”?

18. Sharing best practice. Four years ago, the rowing and cycling teams were recognised as being the home of best practice. Since then, 20 + Performance Directors have worked together to understand and replicate best practice across the whole spectrum of events. (……so how is best practice shared in your organization?”)

19. The home advantage. We have known for years that football teams playing at home tend to win more than those playing away. The home-based Olympics has just illustrated this psychological phenomenon too. Think of your sales presentations and major business pitches – how many more would you win if you were playing at home and invited the customer/prospect to your premises?

20. Managing the cultural legacy. Lord Coe, the undoubted real star of the Games, is now installed to manage and maintain the legacy going forward. So who is responsible for managing and maintaining the cultural legacy in your organization? Are your company’s values lived ……….or laminated?

Regards
Phil Jesson

Phil Jesson is a great speaker I highly recommend and a guru in key account management  (KAM).  Please check his website here.