Olympic ethos

Recently I attended the BT British Olympic Ball in London with colleagues and clients as part of our support for Team 2012 in the run up to next year's Games.  This was a spectacular event in the company of Olympic champions, Team GB Medal contenders and celebrated stars from the world of sport and entertainment.

This vast gathering proved a very inspiring backdrop for the theme of peak human performance as we were all surrounded by an enviable panoply of people at the top of their respective elite sporting endeavours.   For me personally as a proud Welshman, the highlight of the evening was actually Tom Jones's rousing show at the end - at 71, an incredible testament to his enduring talent and longevity as an outstanding performer in a very different physical discipline.

Aside from the indulgent celeb and royalty spotting and worthy speeches from various dignitaries including the Princess Royal, what struck me about this occasion was the irresistible pursuit of excellence embodied by all associated with the Games, and the obvious altruism underlying the vision behind this Olympic ideal.

While the parallels between training for elite physical performance in competitive settings and business success are manifold, there are a few repeatable examples worth dwelling on as we look ahead to the sea of inspiration we will be exposed to in the final run up to next year's Games.  Seven particular inspirations or 'muses' stand out, which for me will be among the vast range of potential influences I'll be paying attention to out there:

• The breadth of technical disciplines which combine to bring together one overall 'Team 2012' to achieve a common ambition, with associated development academies and faculties.

• The importance of having a clear, common goal and an underlying set of values, to help individuals and teams strive for excellence.

• The emergence of professional science and technology innovations to help optimise human performance, with new measurement techniques to build on the legacy experience of gifted amateurs.

• The huge reliance on the 'behind the scenes' support needed to underpin all aspects of the high profile athlete's well-being, physical and mental development, as they prepare to perform in the ultimate competitive setting. For example, qualified medics and sports scientists as well as the necessary practice facilities and training camps required to enable athletes to develop to their full potential.

• The development pipeline that identifies and selects emerging talent, providing the necessary 'feeder' for top performance at the highest level.   

• The heartbreaking risks of failure and injury - and the natural cycle of set-backs and challenges which need to be overcome to reach success, sometimes against the odds, with staggeringly inspiring results.  

• The importance in certain disciplines of a safe accelerated 'development' environment (e.g. altitude training) in contrast to the end 'performance' environment.

London 2012's vision is "to stage inspirational Games that capture the imagination of young people around the world and leave a lasting legacy". Surely our industry can be inspired by this to extend that legacy in our work in the corporate training setting beyond the games.

As we look to welcome and celebrate what Stephen Fry noted to be the 'largest regular gathering of outstanding human beings on the planet' visiting our shores next year, we should recognise that this is possibly a 'once in a lifetime' experience for all of us to rally round.  Over the coming months, we will have many opportunities to be inspired and challenged by the example that these elite athletes offer all of us, our colleagues and clients in striving to be the best in our own chosen activities.

What can you do in your organisation to help set and communicate a vision that will inspire your colleagues to achieve their potential, be the best that they can be and go for gold?

Al Bird is learning consultancy director at KnowledgePool. He can be contacted at al.bird@knowledgepool.com