Going for Gold – Part One

Who is Going For Gold today?

Is anyone watching or at least checking in on the RIO 2016 Olympic Games at various times each day? This is definitely the topic of conversation in person, at the pub, at home and definitely online.

NBC Universal has more options available for streaming or watching events on TV at all different times than in any previous Olympic broadcast. It seems like the hours of coverage are non-stop.

While enjoying the competitions and the Rio De Janeiro scenery and the various story lines do you ever consider what business lessons are available from the Olympics that you are able to bring into your company?

Let’s take a look at the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team. This week it is clear these women, calling themselves the Final Five, are setting margins of victory as they secure their Gold Medals that are historic in the sport of Women’s Gymnastics.

Let’s go back to the early 2000’s. The U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team was in turmoil.

The various personal coaches were squabbling with each other. Each gymnast and their entourage were certain there was an ‘I’ for them in the U.S. Team. The concept of a consistent process or system for everyone to follow was nonexistent.

In case you never heard this from a coach – “There is no “I” in “Team”.

Now enters Martha Karolyi who is given the title, support and the freedom to create what it would take to make the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team a great one once again.

Begin with this in mind, she had a vision of where she wanted this program to go. She knew what had to happen for this vision to take place. The road was not a paved highway right to her goal. There were obstacles, naysayers and people who did try over the years to bring her down. It’s a funny thing how success repeated over and over will quiet down your critics.

Here is how Karolyi started out. She met with all of the gymnasts and set their expectations. Like clockwork everyone was being held accountable each month at training camps specifically set up to check in and see where everyone was and were they in fact showing progress or not. By itself this was major progress. The other benefit is the gymnasts began to develop into a team through the chemistry created by spending the time together each month at the training facilities. Then the barriers fell away between the coaches and their individual issues with each other as they saw what was taking place.

In one year the results were seen in competition after competition as the team won medals consistently. The U.S. Women’s Gymnastics Team in London in 2012 was Going For Gold and did so in great style. This Final Five U.S. Women’s Gymnastic Team in RIO2016 has taken Martha Karolyi’s vision to a whole new level.

Do you see one or more items you might be able to bring into your organization from this story?

• set expectations
• create accountability
• communicate
• form a process and a system
• have the control and the support of the top people to do what needs to be done
• mold a culture in your image
• what else?

Are you interested in having Mitch come into your organization and work with you and your team as you are all Going For Gold? –> CLICK HERE <–

Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified coach, trainer and speaker based in Stamford, CT.