What Does it Take to Be on Top of Your Game? 4 Operational Factors from the 2024 Paris Olympics

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Today, August 11, 2024 marks the final day of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France.

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Since its ancient Greek inception, the Olympics marks a time when the best athletes convene to demonstrate their athletic prowess each with the goal of being recognized as the top in their respective field.

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My fascination with the Olympics began when I was a child. Not only was it a time when I could watch sports traditionally not televised like gymnastics, swimming, and track and field, but the opening ceremony was like a history lesson on the countries and people of the world.

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Interestingly, it was the subject of my Social Studies Fair project when I was 11 years old. That’s when I first learned of the Olympics’ Greek mythology origins and the meaning behind the five-ringed logo, the olive branch, and the awarding of medals.

Though the games have evolved to include 32 sports in 329 events and expanded to include nearly 11,000 athletes representing 203 National Olympic Committees (NOCs), certain factors remain the same. See a full list of participating countries here .

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If we think of our businesses as the Olympic games and our teammates as the athletes, it allows us to understand how these factors also apply to how we operate our businesses.

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Here’s a closer look at four of them.

#1. Performance

Just three days into the 2024 Olympic Games, Brazilian world champion surfer Gabriel Medina scored a 9.9 in a surfing competition . This was just 0.1 from a perfect 10 score.

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Who can forget that moment when he was caught mid-air in a now-iconic photo? The Olympic Games measuring system reminds us of the importance of using key performance indicators (KPIs) or metrics to keep score with operational performance. Having our performance measured or ranked and reported gives us as the athletes and coaches of our businesses the information required to improve our performance.

#2. Endurance

Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel won the men’s road cycle event at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. He achieved this despite having a flat tire along the way. The reason he was able to get back into the race was due to bicycle swap – the ability to rapidly replace parts, equipment, software, processes, and even people is known as a quick changeover in Lean Six Sigma.

Perhaps more striking is the endurance required for the race itself. At 273 km (~170 mi), it was the “Longest Olympic road race in history .” Evenepoel and his competitors traversed rough terrain, mountainous areas, and sharp curves, before reaching the final stretch of flat land that led them underneath the infamous Eiffel Tower.

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In business, the race to not only gain market share but sustainable profitability can also be long and hard, but like the Olympic cyclists we must stay the course. There will be peaks and valleys we will have to traverse, but the victory is staying in the race.

#3. Teamwork

Shamier Little, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas and Alexis Holmes joined forces to win the gold medal for the 4 x 400m relay race while breaking a record too !

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Track and field events are by far my favorite in the Olympics, and I was fortunate yesterday to see this race live. Watching the baton pass from runner to runner as each completed a lap around the track is an excellent reminder of what we can accomplish in our businesses when we “have each other’s backs.”

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In other words, when we cast aside things like fear of not being good or smart enough and petty grievances when comparing ourselves to our teammates and instead focus on the shared goal of winning the gold medal the results can also be record-breaking. Passing the baton instead of holding on to it and even picking it up for your teammate if it falls, are hallmarks of pursuing something together whether it be a major client, designing and testing an invention, or launching a new product or service.

#4. Sportsmanship

“Iron Sharpens Iron.”

When Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast, competed against Rebeca Andrade, the most decorated Brazilian gymnast, spectators were on the edge of their seats. Who would win?

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Andrade secured the gold medal, but that wasn’t the highlight of this competition. The memorable moment came when Biles and her American teammate Jordan Chiles bowed toward Andrade in a sign of homage, respect, and recognition of her talent and hard work.

Andrade secured the gold medal, but that wasn’t the highlight of this competition. The memorable moment came when Biles and her American teammate Jordan Chiles bowed toward Andrade in a sign of homage, respect, and recognition of her talent and hard work.

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Biles later reported that Andrade is one of the strongest competitors she’s ever had and how competing against her “…definitely kept me alert and brought out the best athlete in me. So I’m excited and proud to compete with her…I’ve never been so stressed before. Thank you, Rebeca.”

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Similarly in our businesses, a strong friendly competitor forces us to continue innovating and strive to offer the best products and services. Our ability to compete also keeps us in the game or industry we’re in.

Playing the Game to Win

After today, we will wait another four years before the next Summer Olympics debuts. Thousands of athletes will go home reviewing video footage of their performances, studying playbooks to improve their performance, and continue perfecting their craft and competing on a smaller scale if they are still physically in shape to do so.

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This is all in hopes of winning that opportunity to become an Olympic competitor again. Similarly, as business owners, leaders, and managers our competition to be the best in our industries never stops. We must continue to invest in the people, processes, and technologies required to enhance our operational performance and win the gold medals of our respective industries.

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About the Author

Alicia Butler Pierre is the Founder & CEO of Equilibria, Inc. – an operations management firm specializing in increasing enterprise value for fast-growing small businesses. She’s a software inventor, a two-time Amazon bestselling author, and producer of a top 2% podcast .

Alicia also serves on the boards of three education-focused organizations and is an adjunct instructor of Lean Principles at Purdue University . She serves as the USA Chair of the G100’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. The Process Excellence Network recognized her as a Top 50 Thought Leader in Operational Excellence. A chemical engineer turned entrepreneur, she’s designed and optimized processes for small businesses, large enterprises, non-profits, and government organizations alike.