The 2012 Olympics is nearly here and okay, we aren’t running any kind of 100m final or donning a leotard to jump, flip and split across a sprung floor, but Investors in People does promote many of the same attributes that the Olympic games demands of its athletes.
When we interviewed Anthony Ogogo the GB middleweight boxer, between his Olympic training regime we asked him what disciplines he thinks successful UK businesses share with the 2012 athletes (see the forthcoming Investors in People e-zine for the full article.)
He said;
“Hard work, motivation, team playing and continuous improvement.”
And we agreed…
Hard work
You don’t get to the Olympics by training lightly; it takes hard work. Likewise, it takes a lot of work for businesses to grow and succeed, especially in this current climate. More than ever staff are being expected to step up their game and work hard to see their employer push forward.
Investors in People helps businesses to set the scene and standard for hard work. We firmly believe in giving staff the space to be the best that they can be. The assurance that Investors in People businesses show in valuing their staff is clear and an increase in employee loyalty is a common feature along the journey with us.
Motivation
Olympic success takes motivation. When you are resting, your opponent could be training. Likewise, staff motivation is integral during the working day.
Derrick Ahlfeldt, Senior Vice President of HRM at Visa Europe (the longstanding global sponsor of the Olympic games) confidently states that “Investors in People boost performance and productivity.” When staff feel valued they feel motivated. We are well versed at knowing what staff want and need to succeed. We know, because they tell us.
Team Playing
As Valerie Todd, Director of Talent and Resources at Crossrail said; “Behind every podium winner at the Olympics and Paralympics, there is a great support team. I hope that Investors in People is part of yours.”
Not only do we work with you as a team to improve your businesses, but we also help you to improve your teams. The dynamics of a team is complex, but integral. No one can do it alone and no exact set up is right. Although 26% of the UK workforce is employed by organisations that are Investors in People or working towards it, so we know what we are talking about.
Continuous Improvement
Olympians know never to be complacent. Even Usain Bolt needs to look behind himself occasionally!
Investors in People businesses are good, but they can always be better. That is why we have four levels to the framework; the standard, bronze, silver and gold. “As a business we believed that Investors in People would provide a framework to ensure Visa Europe’s continued business success,” says Derrick Ahlfeldt, and Visa Europe has been successfully progressing through the ranks since 2009.
Of course athletes and businesses cannot share these attributes without being fit and healthy. The CMI recently highlighted the declining health of UK managers and its effect on the UK economy. In their new report ‘The Quality of Working Life 2012’, the pressures of the recession are clear.
Howard Hughes, head of Employer Marketing at Simplyhealth said of the findings: “We’d urge all organisations to ensure they have programmes in place to encourage employees to be proactive about caring for their health – this kind of good management will increase productivity, and ultimately the bottom line.”
It’s lucky that there is an Investors in People Health and Wellbeing award then! The CMI quoted our online tool as a good place to start, take a look here to see how healthy your organisation is.
So however you are getting involved in the Olympics, remember there is not just one way to get a medal worth shouting about.
To find out more about getting involved and working with us click here
Loading tweets...