The Olympics are no doubt inspiring our nation. But is the inspiration trickling down into the workplace? Read how the corporate world in the UK still has a lot to learn from this year’s Olympic games. 

The Olympic Games has restored the nation’s patriotism, but according to an article in the Daily Telegraph, many Brits are far from happy in their jobs.

The study by recruitment agency, Hyphen, has found that only two third of employees are proud to work for their companies.   Of those who admitted to feeling this way, most are Londoners, women and young workers.    Almost a third of women said they didn’t feel any pride for the company they worked for, and a similar amount of young people felt that they were not being supported by their managers.

The figures show that bosses have failed to bring the spirit of the Olympics into the workplace.   This summer should have given companies the incentive to really engage and motivate their staff, capitalising on the Jubilee and the Olympics and riding on the general feel-good mood of the nation.

Sadly it seems that many companies have decided to pull in their belts financially and have deemed spending money on keeping staff happy an unnecessary expense.    A short-sighted view as investing in people can only have a positive effect on the workplace.

It doesn’t take an economics expert to realise that an unhappy workforce is bad for business; low productivity, days off sick and lack of attention to detail are just some of the inevitable outcomes as staff grow more despondent.  Not to mention companies losing both experienced workers and young, up and coming talent.

Much like the injection of lottery money into sport has driven the British Olympic team to bring in its best results since 1908, investing in staff will also reap benefits.

Investing in team building for staff works in two ways; not only are you giving people a chance to hone their skills and come together as a team, but as team building events are fun and informal, they are instant morale boosters.  Staff will appreciate the chance to let their hair down and have some fun away from the workplace whilst forging stronger bonds with their colleagues.

People will feel proud of working for a company if they think they are valued and respected.  Staff who are proud of their company will strive to succeed, go the extra mile and be enthusiastic about where the business is going.   They will be fully committed to their roles and less likely to leave for pastures new.  More importantly they will enjoy going into work, which will mean increased productivity and a positive energy that is infectious.

Thanks for reading our article! Did you know that Accolade Corporate Events hosts team building activities that are inspired by the Olympics? Be sure to contact us for a FREE consultation today!

The Olympics are inspiring excellence and teamwork, and raising the level of pride and hard work in the UK sand beyond. Read about the positive ripple effect that the Olympics bring to the workplace as well.

It’s not fluke that’s making so many of our British athletes succeed this Olympic Games, but the ripple effect of success.  Watching their compatriots romp home to glory has spurred each individual athlete on immeasurably, regardless of what sport or discipline.  Just being part of Team GB has had a fantastic effect on everyone taking part.

Saturday night was one of the most successful nights for British sport since time began.  Three athletes all in the same arena, achieving that elusive gold medal within an hour of each other.  Super Jessica Ennis started the ball rolling by winning the last event in the heptathlon—the 800 metre race in great style and scooping the top spot overall by a distance of over 300 points, at the same time Greg Rutherford was competing in the long jump event.  The two were awarded gold medals in each event within a few minutes of each other, with the cameras having to quickly rush from filming Ennis’ well deserved lap of honour to capture the moment when Rutherford learned he’d secured the first British Olympic gold medal in the long jump since 1964.

But the night wasn’t over yet, as the Somalia born long distance runner, Mo Farah, was still competing in his 10,000 metre race, a race in which 20 minutes later he finished in great style to bring home another amazing win for his adopted country.  There wasn’t a dry eye in the arena, and I doubt many in the 19 million UK homes that had tuned in to watch.

The effect continued into Sunday, as Olympic Tennis winner Andy Murray spoke of being inspired to his win by watching Mo Farah’s race.

The ripple effect hasn’t just happened in the athletics arena though; Eton Dorney for the rowing team, and the velodrome for the cycling team, have experienced the same thing.  The positive effect of success and winning being passed onto team mates who are buoyed by the efforts of the rest of Team GB.

If the effect of success can be so inspiring and contagious in sport, it figures that it can also be applied to the workplace.  A strong team who support and back each other can only help to produce winners, and the more winners there are the more that want to be a part of the success story.

Creating a good team spirit can be achieved by team building; helping colleagues to communicate, trust each other, depend upon each other and work together for the greater good will make them all individually successful as well as benefitting the team.

Thanks for reading our article! Are you looking to leverage the Olympics in your office environment and bring a new level of excellence and productivity to your business? Be sure to contact Accolade Corporate Events for a FREE consultation on how our team building events can help!

Let’s take a team building look into Team GB at this year’s Olympics in London, and what we can learn from them!

As the gold, silvers and bronzes start to roll in and Team GB surge up the medal table to 5^th, one cannot help but feel inspired.  From watching seasoned athletes compete with each other to become Britain’s most decorated Olympian of all time, to teenage school girls winning gold medals for the first time, the feeling of hope for the nation is palpable.

The dedication and hard work of these athletes is awe inspiring, but it also makes us look towards ourselves—how best can we achieve greatness in our lives?  Be it a hobby, a sport or our careers, watching Team GB succeed and the athletes reach the pinnacle of their sporting careers can only help to forge our own plans to excel.

In a time where people can become celebrities  by starring in a reality TV series, or simply by dating the right (or often wrong) person, it feels great to again have people to look up to, people to aspire to be like.  The way to the top isn’t easy, it takes lots of hard work, a great team behind you and years and years of dedication but the results are worth it.

Attitudes towards sporting greatness can be applied to the workplace; training, gaining skills, constantly striving to improve, achieving better and better results,  cheering on team mates and inspiring other around us are all things we can do.  The rewards of which can be measured far beyond the pounds and pence of the wage packet, but in pride, self-achievement and accomplishment.   Following Team GB’s lead and kicking mediocrity into touch, changing our attitudes so it’s about more than just getting the job done, but doing it to the best of our ability, and thoroughly enjoying the process throughout.

We don’t doubt that many of the athletes would have had dark days, early winter morning training sessions in the cold and damp, injuries, set-backs and times when it hasn’t always gone to plan, but to continue to strive to reach the end goal is what keeps them going.

Many of the most successful entrepreneurs will tell you about humble beginnings, and times when business deals hadn’t gone their way.  When bankruptcy beckoned and it all looked to be over.  Then they’ll tell you with much gusto of how they turned things around, triumphed over adversity and became the successful business moguls they are today.

We can draw many parallels between top sports stars and industry figure heads; they both operate in the same way.  They both know that to get to the top you need to work hard, and just as importantly, surround yourself with a good team—a team that will help each other and you to reach the top.

Thanks for reading our article! Are you ready to plan a team building event for your company? Be sure to contact Accolade Corporate Events for a FREE consultation today!

As the Olympics play out in London this year, read about the lessons in teamwork we can take away from this year’s opening ceremonies.

We wrote last week of times when things hadn’t gone particularly well for the London 2012 Olympic Games.  Last minute issues with security and the showing of the wrong countries flag in one of the Women’s football matches, showed where lack of communication and attention to detail could have been much better.

Thankfully, things seem to have vastly improved.  The nation sat in stunned amazement at the masterpiece that was Danny Boyle’s opening ceremony; an example of team work at its absolute finest.  Bringing 7,700 people together—some performing professionals, others  just simply volunteers who wanted to be a part of something magical and historic—was no mean feat and the end result had the most cynical of Brits opening their hearts to a rush of pride in their country.

The ceremony featured the cast drumming and dancing their way through British history since 1908; the last time we held the Olympic Games.   The sheer number of people involved meant that everybody had to be in sync with each other; team work and communication needed to be on point.

The beat of many drums provided the vital backdrop for the carefully choreographed sequences that slipped seamlessly from rural England through to the heart of the industrial revolution to modern day, inspiring the 27 million sat watching in their armchairs at home.  For this is the strength of the Olympics, it is the sporting event for every man, woman and child.  The 15 year old Lithuanian, Ruta Mielutyte, who goes to school in Plymouth, won the gold medal in the 100 metre breast stroke final and the hearts and minds of the next generation of would-be Olympians.

Team work is all important in sport, events such as the men and women’s road cycle races showed us how important strategy, communication and timing is.  The Eventing team picked up the silver medal to prove that all members of the team knew what they had to do and how to achieve the end result.

Even for events where there is only one competitor, you cannot underestimate the part that the crowd plays; it becomes part of the team.  We are sure that Rebecca Adlington would have been spurred on to her bronze medal by the sound of her name being called by the many fans in the Aquatic Centre, just as Lizzie Armistead would have dug in that little bit deeper hearing the crowds urging her on from the rain-swept pavements along her grueling route.

Our own team building events reflect the spirit of the Olympics.  We too understand how to get the best out of people; to get people to work together, listen to each other and perform as one.  Our drumming and dancing team building events are great fun, but are also valuable tools in helping your team reach out and inspire each other.  We can’t promise that your performance will rival Danny Boyle’s, but we do guarantee that you’ll get a real buzz out of taking part in such a fun and vibrant event.

Thanks for reading our article! Are you ready to book a team building event for your company? Be sure to take a look at what Accolade Corporate Events has to offer, and contact us for a FREE consultation today!