Were you inspired by Team GB’s record-breaking performance at this year’s Olympics and Paralympics in Rio? The athletes’ amazing achievements can be more than just inspirational to you and the way you run your business. You have more in common with these top class sports people than you think.
Preparing for the Olympics is not at all dissimilar from preparing your business for success. Olympians and Paralympians need to be at the top of their game to aim for gold. They are committed, fully dedicated, ready to take risks and to overcome challenges in order to win those coveted medals. All of these qualities are vital, too, for entrepreneurial achievement.
It’s All in the Planning
The way an athlete, and the team behind him or her, prepares for the Olympics is to have a 1000 day plan. It’s the same way that I plan, develop and adapt my businesses for successful growth. Start at the end and work backwards, measuring out your strategic framework on a day-by-day basis.
Although 1000 days is really just 3 years in time, by thinking and planning it out this way, you can break it down into manageable chunks. It’s a structure that raises the heartbeat of the business. It means you have something to aim for daily.
So how can the parallels of training for the Olympics be channelled into measurable business success?
Let’s look at the three stages of my 1000 day planning formula:
You need to commit to making a positive decision, then connect with your team to implement a visible process, so that you can create the magic of shared achievement.
1. Commit
What does success look like? Is the team fully on board with the vision you have set out for the business over the next 3 years? Are you prepared to look failure in the face and overcome any setbacks? Can you really aim high enough to achieve your goals?
These are all necessary questions to ask yourself when you’re setting out on the path to world-class achievements. In order to be rewarded with success, you need to be prepared, committed and have a target to aim for – just like an Olympian.
It requires the whole team to be on board, to pull together. After all, we want to be the best at what we do, whether in sport or in business.
An example of a team all pulling together, so they could share in hard won success, was when one of my technology businesses was recently awarded ‘Best Broadband Pioneer’. This showed genuine commitment to reach targets, and evidence that a having a 1000-day plan does work.
2. Connect
Success is difficult; it takes hard work, it needs dedication and a firm commitment to the long game.
For this you need a plan, one that speaks to everyone on the team and one that requires them to be part of the path to success.
Every part of the operation, everyone in the company, should be aiming to be better than the competition – just like when athletes’ coaches are looking for a way to run faster or jump higher than the competition. Look at the amazing results from the GB cycling team – here, every millisecond counts, every piece of equipment has to deliver to its maximum and if it doesn’t, then you find something that can.
Team members need to know how they can contribute to the business’s success, how they connect to the whole. Feedback is therefore essential. By making your plans visible and transparent, you can encourage and inspire individuals.
In my businesses, no one works on their own; everyone is part of a team, all rooting for the same thing.
By thinking bigger than what’s just on the table, ideas can flourish and take hold. After all, some of the most successful businesses started as a ‘crazy idea’, by disregarding the impossible. You too can be the Fosbury Flop of the business world. (This was thought of as something that would never catch on – leaping backwards over a high jump bar anyone? It’s now adopted as standard practice in athletics.)
3. Create: The Magic of Shared Achievement
It’s not all about hard work, though. We aren’t machines. We need to have a bit of fun along the way, too. And by encouraging creativity in business, you’ll find the magic, the spark that keeps everyone going and reaching for that goal.
After all, sport was designed as a recreation and so in business we need to increase the fun quotient and enjoy what we do. So congratulate your team, celebrate with them, reward them for their part in the success story. Create champions and amazing memories.
The End Game
Teamwork, engagement, communication, goal orientation and innovation – the principles are the same, whether you’re aiming for your first Olympic gold or preparing your business for world-beating success.
