Embracing Olympic resilience in the workplace

The Olympics are upon us and when this time comes around every four (or five) years, I always stop and marvel at the strength, resilience and focus of athletes from right around the world.

I cannot imagine the absolute dedication these sportsmen and women have had to possess to remain focused on their goal – and their dreams – during what has been a tumultuous 18 months.

Curveballs have been dodged and many hurdles overcome so these athletes and their teams could embark on their Olympic odyssey to Tokyo. They have found ways to adapt, remained committed to their purpose and showed real grit – all approaches I respect immensely and ones I think have a role to play in today’s workplaces.

I greatly admire the agility and adaptability of the 2021 Olympians and Paralympians and I think we can learn lots from their dedication and determination. Living and working through this pandemic has been a marathon, not a sprint. And if we can take any learning from these great athletes, it is that mindset matters. 

Being mentally and physically fit in these unprecedented times has been difficult for all of us. Whether in sport or business, the last year has given new meaning to ‘unpredictable’. A new level of working spirit and strength has been required and I’m proud of all those at Bupa who have risen to the challenge.

It hasn’t been easy. We’ve seen our customer call centres shifting from offices to home environments, care home staff providing the love and support our residents have missed from their families and our clinicians increasingly providing more of their advice virtually.

In this unsettling period, we remain resolutely focused on our goal to become the world’s most customer-centric healthcare company. It is a big ambition and one which requires the continuous and flexible efforts of our 84,000-strong workforce.

There’s no better time than now to be brave, particularly in business, when it comes to the pursuit of enhancing the services and support we provide to our customers worldwide.

We’re transforming Bupa from the inside to ensure our customers get the very best from us on the outside and, like the Olympic hopefuls, we must persevere through challenges like this pandemic.

I have had the great privilege of attending the past three Paralympic Games. There’s nothing quite like sitting in an Olympic stadium and watching individuals and teams carry the hopes of their homelands on their shoulders. It is a tremendous experience and one I’m sure many - like me - are sad to miss this year. I wish all the athletes well and commend them for being role models of resilience to many across the world.