Two weeks of promotion, media coverage, and exceptional athletic achievements have culminated in deep national pride across many nations following the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games.
Every 4 years we get a flurry of Olympic activity, and although media coverage for the 2022 games was less than in previous years - it's still safe to say the event took the world's attention for two weeks.
How often do we see the same situation with companies? A successful launch of a new product, a successful bid with a major client or, the riskiest of all, the launch of a new strategy.
A lot of energy is created. All the planning, all the promotion - it's finally here! There is a lot of self-congratulation.
Then comes the anti-climax, the Now What?
Too often, companies lurch from one event to the next. Like a sugar high, the gaps in-between can be deep lows where focus is lost and business performance suffers.
The risk is to treat these as discrete events rather than milestones in a journey. Yes, they should be celebrated and acknowledged. This shows progress and what is possible but it is not the end in itself. What needs to be constant however is the continual engagement of employees to deliver exceptional performance on an ongoing basis.
Effective leadership brings planning, prioritization, communication, and the discipline to keep committed to these. It is not just about the CEO. It is about the culture of the business, the way “we do things around here” that is aligned. This brings consistency and clarity that allows people to focus on making a difference to their clients rather than trying to second-guess what is expected of them.
Do not wait for your next strategy review or company conference. Decide now what company you want to be and how people should engage with each other every day. Build “systems” that make this a part of the culture, for your workforce and for the leaders too.