Olympic shorts (2) ……

Many years ago when all the Olympic participants were meant to be amateurs, the stories that surrounded their preparation were focussed on how they fitted it around their day jobs (or in the case of modern pentathlon gold medallist Mary Peters, bomb sites). Many had to beg for time off of work, and often it was unpaid. Their dedication was unquestionable, but their “work life balance”, which was a necessity rather than a choice, often worked against their chances of success.

Today it is totally different. Potential gold medal winners will effectively have had to have given their lives to the achievement of this ultimate Olympic goal. They will have put countless hours into training and development, honing what was already outrageous natural talent into something that is special enough to beat everybody else on the day to the top of the podium.

They will probably have no other career or job so to speak of, little or no social life, and probably limited opportunities for relationships unless their other half is also willing to commit themselves to the achievement of their partner’s dream. Such is the dedication and effort required to reach that pinnacle, and live the dream that they have had for so many years.

Management and leadership gurus are fond of using sports analogies to drive improvements in business performance. However I think more needs to be made of the dedication, coaching and training that is now required for sporting success.

Many successful entrepreneurs and business people are ferociously driven, with an unwavering commitment that matches that of any top sportsperson. The coaching side may sometimes be neglected, although a surprising number do have mentors or key people they turn to for advice.

Perhaps it is a little extreme to compare the dedication and preparation required of an Olympic athlete to succeed with that of an everyday member of Enterprise Britain. However I have always been struck by the fact that virtually all of the successful business people of my acquaintance have an almost single minded focus on what it is they want to achieve.

Rest and recovery does play an important role in any top athlete’s schedule but only as a part of the achieving the end goal.  In a world where much is made of work life balances, minimum holiday requirements and flexible working it needs to be realised that dedication, focus and hard work is as much an essential part of business success as it is of sporting success.

Olympic shorts (1) ……

I actually have some Olympic tickets. I am not sure if this should be a matter of pride or something that I should mumble quickly while discussing the latest bout of quantitative easing or Spanish bond yields but yes, I admit it, I do have some tickets.

As a result of my good fortune I have received a steady stream of e-mails from both the Olympic ticketing authorities and Transport for London, explaining how I can make sure I make the most of this once in a lifetime experience while the same time getting ahead of the games. Chance would be a fine thing.

One of the events I shall be attending makes it clear that I will need plenty of time to get to the venue, that the usual transport timetables may not apply (no change there then), that taking a bag will cause even more delay, that I can only bring a small (empty) water bottle, and to remember to pack my Visa or cash as some of the vendors will not accept a card and no cash points will be available. I even received a text advising me to check my account for this important, nay, critical e-mail, the failure to read could lead to me missing my event.

Oh and then I am reminded weekly of the various pieces of official merchandise and souvenirs we can buy. Some may even be tasteful and value for money. But presumably I can only buy them if I use a Visa card…

And of course, like all business owners and advisors, I have been inundated with advice on how to avoid disruption, arrange for staff to work remotely, make sure I don’t discriminate when allocating holidays or allowing staff to watch, and most importantly of all avoid impinging on the valuable trademark that is the Olympic Games (will the editor retitle this blog as a result?).

Hmm. I am going to do my best to have fun and enjoy the whole thing but boy are they making it difficult…

Warming to a Theme….

Having started June in London taking part in one family firm anniversary we finished the month in Paris enjoying the 20^th anniversary celebrations of another well-known family brand. Of course Disney has long succumbed to the corporate multi-million executive share option packages that are de rigueur for large organisations nowadays, but it still likes to invoke the spirit of its founder and wheel out the odd family member on a frequent basis whenever possible.

Spending time at Disneyland is often an opportunity to remove oneself totally from the real world. Such news of what was happening outside of the park and its environs as was available came from CNN and BBC World News TV which, as most people know, are limited and repetitive. It was nigh on impossible to find out what was happening at Wimbledon, for example, unless you attempted to test the limits of your roaming data allowance or avail yourself of the rip off hotel wi-fi.

Having said all that, it was difficult to ignore one major event taking place in Kiev that weekend, the final of the European Football Championships between Spain and Italy. The place was awash with Spanish football shirts and flags and the joy that accompanied their emphatic victory was infectious. In contrast, the Italian presence was much more muted, possibly due to a sober assessment of the country’s economic situation, or more likely to the fact that their expectations of the team were so low that nobody thought to pack any shirts and flags.

Queuing is an essential part of the Disney experience. The time spent in queues can sometimes be frustrating (come on Doggwiler remember it is the value added not time spent that matters), but you can only admire the methods used to disguise their length and duration. It is also interesting to observe how our continental cousins, who in the past may not have always been as respectful of queuing etiquette as the British have, dutifully fall into line.

There are probably loads of business school courses dedicated to the study of Disney logistics, how they manage to move people and goods, and how they aim to maximise income per head. Social anthropologists would also have a field day at Disney.

Stripped of national languages and customs it was uncanny how alike family groups were. Dad would be striding purposefully ahead towards the next attraction, head invariably adorned with a Disney themed hat or similar, while Mum brought up the rear, shepherding any stray children along. She of course sensibly eschewed any such headgear, although a subtle Minnie Mouse bow headset was occasionally permitted.

Indeed said anthropologists will be probably be sat there at their viewing screens screaming “Come on Euro guys, underneath all that language and culture stuff you're all the same, why can't you make this damn single currency work?”

And that of course remains the shadow over all of our business activities at present. Why can’t they, or more pertinently won’t they, solve these Eurozone problems? The sight of Europeans from all nations joined as one in Paris enjoying a shared experience is always one of the pleasures of Disneyland Paris. Sadly for the economic health of Europe, although they may still use it for payment purposes, the currency that binds them together is not the Euro, but the vision of an American born at the turn of the last century.