By Chris Shambrook, Director of Philosophy, K2 Performance Systems

For the naturally understated and self-effacing Brits, the gargantuan challenge of hosting the 2012 London Olympics involves more than a crystalline strategy and smooth logistics; the Olympics will demand a complete overhaul of the national mindset and our performance psychology - what it means to truly outshine expectations and succeed. But before we can begin to focus on results there are some fundamentals to embrace.

Performance is what you do in order to get the things you want – a mantra often misunderstood by even high-ranking business executives. Another factor that is oft overlooked is the sequence of inputs that eventually leads to good results.

Through our work coaching FTSE 100 companies, we have extensive experience helping executives uncover some refreshing, often startling insights around performance management techniques that positively impact psychological behaviour and re-programme the performance mindset, so that when that starting pistol fires, all members of the team are running in the same direction after the same shared goal – to win.

The Olympics is often described as the greatest show on earth, not simply because of the stunning displays of human endeavour, athleticism and sportsmanship, but because of the myriad feats of human performance that have already been quietly delivered to ensure that the games will actually happen and run successfully. Regardless of the role being played at the Olympics -  construction worker, administrator, chief executive, athlete or coach - the same principles of success are common to all.

K2 has been fortunate enough to work with many of those responsible for building the Olympic venues, along with some of the athletes and coaches who’ll be performing there. We’ve even been lucky enough to spend a lot of time with Dame Kelly Holmes, supporting her charity and business work where we have seen first hand the characteristics that underpinned Kelly’s double gold medal winning performance in Athens, 2004. From Dame Kelly through to those responsible for the nuts and bolts of the Olympic venues, one key quality that binds them together is the consistent ability to stay focused on performance, not results.

While no one would deny that results are hugely important, the secret lies in how good you are at focusing on your own performance. If the Olympic Committee and all the workers under them were to fall into the same trap as most of us, through mistaking performance for results, they’d be weighed down by the enormity of the challenges ahead of them and paralysed by the sheer volume of ‘key performance indicators’ they are being held accountable for delivering.

However, their proven ability to concentrate on doing the things they need to do in order to have the best chance of getting what they want has meant each and every one of them has become superb at making each day as successful as possible, in the knowledge that this will ultimately add up to something amazing. 

It’s all a matter of beginning each day by asking yourself, “what have I got to do today?” or “how can I get better today?”

In addition to this daily performance focus, all of these impressive individuals possess other essential thinking skills that have meant the eventuality of success has become much more likely. Dame Kelly recently told us about the importance for her of knowing that she was in the shape of her life at the Athens Olympics and was excited about the challenge that lay ahead of her as the days ticked down to the 2004 Games.

This incredibly powerful mindset was made possible by having a really clear understanding of all of the strengths that Kelly had put in place in readiness for the Olympics, which in turn led to a huge desire to make the most of those strengths and test herself out. We’ve seen the same proactive strengths focus in many of the performances by individuals since the announcement of London successfully winning the bid.

Taking the time to recognise, value and then challenge yourself to exploit your strengths, rather than just rely on them, is a skill anyone can practice. The question you have to answer is, “will I be able to fulfill potential without going through this process?” You will also need to identify and know your personal and business strengths and how to continually play to them, as opposed to focusing on and trying to remedy your weaknesses.

Another compelling parallel between Kelly’s story and that of the creation of the London 2012 Olympics, is the unwavering belief in the ultimate success of the project. Despite seven consecutive years of injuries and frustration at missed opportunities, Kelly never lost faith that she had the will and the skill to achieve her dream of being Olympic 1500m Champion - becoming the Olympic 800m Champion first was a very welcome bonus! This ability to roll with the setbacks and keep on executing the correct daily habits, ultimately built up her resilience and self-belief.

Everyone involved in organising the London 2012 Olympics has demonstrated similar fortitude and unwavering belief that they too would be part of a great success. Despite criticism, cynicism and a challenging environment, everyone has stayed focused on applying their talents relentlessly to delivering a performance that will make a difference to the ultimate goal. If something is important enough to you, it’ll take a lot to knock you off that track. Ask yourself how good are you at maintaining self-belief under pressure from outside forces? Again, it’s something you can get better at, if you stay focused on why achieving the end goal is so important to you.

We also need to consider how well you understand the demands and pressures in your own performance environment and how effectively you manage your resources (knowledge, skills, mindset, energy, support, environment) to meet those demands and pressures.

It really boils down to being able to concentrate on those things that you yourself can control, and worrying less about the unknown wild cards that are sent to try us. Simple really, just not easy! As with all such simple things, the answer is to practise; practise often, practise with purpose, expect to make mistakes, but constantly strive to get better. Thinking skills are just like physical skills, so the more you practise, the better you get!

If there was an Olympics for marketing performers, no doubt those who were ultimately successful would be the best at being able to build and constantly apply the mindset outlined above. They’d obviously be incredibly talented marketing performers too, because without the talent, the mindset alone is not enough; but without the mindset, the talent will only ever be possessed rather than being fulfilled and exploited. One final question to ask yourself: are you a gold medal performer?

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