There has been much speculation over the last few weeks about whether the extra bank holiday this summer, and welcoming the greatest sporting spectacular on earth to London, will be good for business. This month’s copy of the Institute for Leadership and Management’s magazine, Edge, includes a debate on just this subject.
There has been much speculation over the last few weeks about whether the extra bank holiday this summer, and welcoming the greatest sporting spectacular on earth to London, will be good for business. This month’s copy of the Institute for Leadership and Management’s magazine, Edge, includes a debate on just this subject.
I was fortunate enough to be working in London last week, at a site right next to the Olympic stadium. You can’t help but be impressed by the stadium, and there is a buzz about the place now that the test events are happening – people anticipating a great summer. Britain is a nation that exels at the pomp and circumstance of a national, indeed international, event and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to show what we can do.
From a learning and development point of view, the feel good factor that goes with such an event, plus the extra day off to celebrate the jubilee, all help make people feel better. The trick for organisations is to tap into this added motivation and consider how they can use it to their advantage. It is proven that those organisations with a more engaged workforce have lower rates of absence, increased productivity and better employee morale. And how to engage with your team more effectively is a topic often discussed during our leadership programmes.
So let’s embrace this opportunity, that won’t come along again in our lifetimes, and make this a really great summer!