What can business leaders learn from Team GB’s athletes?

Watching the world’s greatest athletes descend on the 2016 Olympics in Rio, you begin to appreciate just how incredible the human body can be when pushed to its full potential.

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These are people who have constantly pushed their limits both physically and mentally in an attempt to become faster, stronger and (before we break into the Daft Punk song), tougher than the opponents working just as hard to beat them.

Just like the human body, your company is made up of many individual parts working towards a common goal: success. To make your business a success, you first need the right policies in place; you must have a good foundation, the right attitude and good values. Just like athletes and their bodies, it takes preparation, dedication and hard-work to become a success. So is there anything we can learn from Team GB to make our businesses better?

High quality performance demands high quality fuel

The old saying goes ‘we are what we eat’ and the same goes for business. The output will only ever be as good as what goes in. British gymnast and Rio hopeful Daniel Purvis doesn’t pig out before his gruelling three-hour training sessions every morning. He only needs two poached eggs on wholemeal toast according to this Mirror interview. The protein from the eggs helps build his muscle strength while the carbohydrate from the toast breaks down into sugars to keep his energy levels up.

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A huge bowl of sugary cereal might get Pervis buzzing right after breakfast, but it’s not necessarily going to keep him working at his maximum through hours of gymnastics. The lesson? It’s about quality, not quantity.

In business the ‘sugary cereal’ equivalent is known as ‘presenteeism’ - showing up, looking the business but not really doing much at all. Presenteeism can occur for a number of reasons. It can happen when an employee is ill or in pain but perhaps feels they can’t take time off, or if their job satisfaction and morale is low and they have no motivation to work. The impact on the business's productivity levels can be just as severe as if the employee didn’t show up at all.

Often the solution is much simpler than you think. Our ergonomic consulting services can help identify employees whose productivity levels may be affected by issues with their desk set-up. Bad habits and bad posture can put immense strain on the body and cause debilitating pain and chronic problems that impact a person’s health, happiness and ability to work effectively.

Give staff the best possible platform from which to work, and you’ll put them in the right place to meet their full potential. And a healthy breakfast to start the day can’t hurt.

Find out more about our ergonomic consulting services >>

Organisation is essential

Being out there under the hot South American sun competing is just the tip of the iceberg for our Team GB athletes. Before they’ve even got up and snapped on their lycra shorts, they’ll have spent hours preparing and organising; working on schedules, structuring their therapy, training, prep and rest days. Olympic athletes spend huge amounts of time studying their craft: watching their own performances back, studying their competitors and structuring their training schedules to give themselves the best possible chance of winning.

They know that these (perhaps less exciting) parts behind the scenes are just as important as the physical training.

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It’s all about setting sturdy foundations and having the processes in place to be successful. It’s the same in business. Tackling the paperwork and legal red tape is just as important as being on the front-line.

Our WorkRite software offers businesses an effective, easier way to identify health and safety risks in the workplace, roll out e-learning training, keep staff records and deal with incident reports. Having this process in place streamlines your health and safety policy to reduce the risk of something costly and debilitating happening. In the end the businesses with the strongest foundations will endure.

Find out more about Q-Pulse WorkRite software >>

Mental health matters

The psychological pressure on high-level athletes is immense. The constant strive for perfection, the hunger for success, the need to win. It takes its toll - especially when it comes to accepting defeat and dealing with failure. With an important event coming up, it can be difficult for an injured athlete to accept that rest is needed. This is where psychological support steps in. Olympic athletes are often supported by sport psychologists who help them cope with high pressure situations.

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Mental health is only now becoming more talked-about in the workplace. Each year at Posturite we promote various stress awareness and mental health days in an attempt to relieve the stigma around the subject. The workplace can be a very stressful environment. It’s not just athletes who strive for perfection. Anyone can suffer burn-out at work. Having a policy in place to help employees cope with stress at work is vital.

Our FeelRite e-learning course helps users identify symptoms of stress and advises them on how to get support from their employer and beyond.

Find out more about FeelRite >>

At Posturite it is our aim to help you build your business into a strong, healthy enterprise that values and looks after its people. With the right mindset, you’ll be at the front of the race winning gold in no time.