My wife Rosemary spent two and a half weeks as a volunteer during the Olympics, a venture which has left her, and the other 70,000 volunteers totally inspired.Not withstanding the fact that she travelled up to London from Kent everyday, she also received no pay whatsoever. Yes she was still motivated throughout and after the whole experience.
I applaud her and the other volunteers, a sentiment echoed by our Prime Minister who sent a personal letter to her, thanking her for her loyal services, a lovely encore for a brilliant performance.
So, a giant dedicated workforce working for nothing, seemingly motivated throughout the whole occasion.
Yes of course, part of this commitment is based on wanting to take part in history, another doing something for one's country and probably for the love of sport.But wouldn't it be fantastic if all our giant brands could create such a dynamic effect on their employees?
Interestingly, there were over 250,000 applicants for 70,000 positions. The interviewers were trained for technique by McDonald's, during the whole Olympic and Paralympic event, there were only 100 absentees and not one person objected to wearing the uniform.
An unforgettable experience, and a lesson on how to incentivise and motivate (unpaid) employees!
A truly inspirational effort and I think something which was not anticipated to this extent. They were heralded not only by politicians, Seb Coe and Boris but clearly recognised and appreciated by the spectators and especially the athletes themselves. A key part of a great summer and yes, let's try and retain some of the special essence that made this such a success.
ReplyDeleteCan we have uniforms Jo?
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