What the British Olympic fans teach us about inclusion

By Cynthia Lasher

I have been watching the London 2012 Olympics on BBC. While I agree with the commentators that the athletes are “simply brilliant,” the real champions are the British people. They demonstrate a spirit of inclusion that translates well into the workplace: celebration of successes, visibility of the sponsors, and acknowledging the efforts of all. Does your corporate culture encourage these behaviors?

Celebrate all successes

It was the first heat of the 1500 Men’s Freestyle. All of the men had finished swimming, except one. Gagan Ullalmath of India was a full pool length behind the other swimmers. The crowd cheered him on. It was not a crowd of cheering Indians; it was a crowd of Brits. It was a deafening roar, much louder than they cheered for the fastest in the heat. He was the slowest of the competition. The Brit’s praised him for giving his best effort.

Imagine how much more effort your team members will expend when they know everyone is routing for them.

Team sponsors are present and visible

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate came to watch an Olympic tennis match between Great Britain’s Andy Murray and Nicolas Almagro of Spain. The royals weren’t tucked away in the Center Court’s Royal Box; they were right amongst the crowd. They even joined the audience in a “wave” when Murray won the singles semifinals. Murray commented that their presence elevated the profile of the sport.

In the workplace, we often have project sponsors that sit on boards and allocate money, but never come to project meetings. When sponsors show up, they elevate the project and make everyone feel valued.

Share the credit

Time and again, the athletes gave credit to their host country Great Britain and the fans who attended the games. After winning the silver medal in the Women’s 400 meter race, Great Britain’s Christina Ohuruogu had this to say about the fans, “they did it. We’re just here to perform, but it’s the crowd that turn up to support us even when it’s raining and it’s cold. I thank everyone for getting behind us.”

No project team has ever been successful without the cooperation and backing of the whole organization. Share credit for the successes with everyone, no matter what their level of participation.

Our workplaces are an assembly of workers with best skills that we can find to produce our products and services. Our corporate cultures need to affirm the value and contributions of all workers by celebrating each employee’s successes, attracting leaders who are engaged with the workforce, and thanking all the employees for their contributions.