The Olympic Spirit is alive in Hospitality.

The Paris 2024 Olympics was a fabulous display of teamwork, skill and perseverance - packed full of athletes inspiring us all to get out there and strive to achieve our dreams.?

As we watched the events unfold, we couldn’t help but draw a parallel to working and succeeding in the Hospitality industry. With so many inspiring moments still fresh in our minds, the Fourth team thought we would share three stories that reminded us of the ‘Olympic’ endeavours of hospitality workers.

Putting in a shift

For those of us who have been inspired to give ‘Couch to 5k’ a try (??) off the back of the 2024 games, the thought of running one race is daunting enough. Imagine running three in the space of a week. That’s exactly what Dutch runner Sifan Hassan did. She not only won gold in the women’s marathon with a new Olympic record but did it after clinching bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000-metre races, with less than two days between the last race and the marathon to catch her breath. Quite the feat of endurance!?

Most in hospitality will relate to the long hours of hard work, with back-to-back shifts for days on end. And while there are times this is inevitable, it’s also imperative to do everything you can to create schedules that are sustainable and avoid burnout, sharing the load between all available staff as effectively as possible.

Dream Big

Pakistani javelin champion Arshad Nadeem provided a top-notch lesson in the value of dreaming big, no matter how hard the daily grind gets or how humble the beginnings.?

The 2024 games saw Arshad win his country’s first ever gold medal in an athletics event, having only ever topped the podium for hockey in the past. Pretty impressive for a man who started out training with javelins he made himself from eucalyptus branches .?

The hospitality industry is packed full of stories of businesses starting from humble beginnings, be that a food van, pop-up or small unit and scaling to become successful chains delighting customers across the country. As you scale, the opportunities arise to invest in the right tools to help you thrive and truly reach your potential.

Support your team, celebrate every win?

The U.S. women’s gymnastics team brought some serious good vibes to Paris 2024, showing us the power and joy in teamwork. Simone Biles, who took a two-year break from her sport to focus on her mental health following the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, led her team to gold in the Women’s team final and a total of 10 medals .

The sight of Biles and Chiles bowing to Brazilian gold medalist Rebeca Andrade from their position either side of her on the podium is one of the defining images of the 2024 games and a heartwarming reminder of the power of celebrating each other.?

This is a fantastic example for hospitality teams to follow. Celebrating each other can make all the difference in a demanding workplace where teamwork is key. Creating an environment where everyone feels supported and has fun creates high-performance teams—a lesson well and truly on display at Paris 2024.?

Ready to build your own winning team? ?? Check out Fourth’s employee engagement app . It’s designed to keep communication flowing and boost team efficiency, making your workplace a happier, more productive place to be.