Lessons from the Olympians

Watching the Olympics the past two weeks, I have been struck by the individual stories and the lessons that we can all learn from them. Most of the situations that these athletes have encountered are reflective of what all of us occasionally find, although perhaps not in the same form. Tragedies such as that of Joannie Rochette, the Canadian skater whose mother died suddenly, have touched everyone's life. Injuries such as those experienced by Lindsey Vonn have happened to some of us. Disappointments such as Bode Miller felt in not doing well during the 2006 Olympics have been endured by us all.

As I heard story after story of these athletes, I realized that the commentators often revealed the keys to the athletes' success. Over and over, the commentators mentioned the training and preparation of the athletes. Referring to the figure skating, commentators frequently stated that "relying on the athlete's training and preparation helped the athlete skate clean."

Over and over, this proved true. The athletes who had not been training and preparing came up short. This was obvious in their performance, even to the average person. On the other hand, those who had been training and preparing did their best, and that is all any athlete can do. That training and preparation enabled Joannie to skate her best through her grief. It allowed Lindsey to take to the slopes with a bruised shin. It pushed Bode down the course and onto the medal stand three times.

They did their best because of training and preparation.

In business, we attend our Olympic events every day. Every day we want to do our best to keep our businesses profitable and our customers coming back. Unlike the athletes, however, many business people do not take the time for preparation and training. Mostly, we fly by the seat of our pants, handling situations as we encounter them rather than preparing and training for them. We are immersed in our daily routine and don't take the time to step back, look at our businesses, and make preparations.

We don't invest time, either, in training ourselves or our employees in how to do better.

Sadly, this leads most of us not to do our best. Although we may not want to admit it, most of us could do much better in our businesses. Most of us are not satisfied. Many know that their companies are not doing the best. Many also do not realize that lack of preparation and training are responsible.

Look at successful entrepreneurs, and you will find people who invest in preparation and training on a continuous basis. This doesn't happen only when they start their businesses. It doesn't occur once-in-awhile. Preparation and training are a regular part of their business activity. These are the keys to their success.

Take a look at your business. Are you investing time in preparing and training for you and your employees to do your best?