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What can we learn from the volunteers at the Olympics?

nuggetsoflearning • August 21, 2012

The volunteers lit up the various venues around London with the biggest smile commuters and tourists have ever seen.

Seb Coe labelled them the “Games makers” without them the Olympics would not have happened.

Over 70,000 people from all different community backgrounds gave up their time to work at the Olympics. The work was not always glamorous and the hours were long, however the smile never slipped.

What can we learn from these amazing people?:-

A smile is definitely contagious
Wearing purple/orange, certainly gets you noticed
Be billed as “Games makers” instead of volunteers, gave them a pivotal role
Shared identity in their uniforms gave them team spirit
They were encouraged to be distinctive and they did this with their banter and greetings
The choice was theirs to go to work
The scale and the billing of the event gave them kudos
The event was for a finite period

In business can we be games makers, ask yourself are you going to work for “you”.

Wake up tomorrow and say “Today is going to be a great day as I will make it great!”