BPM Lessons from the Olympics

So… the Olympics are over.

The greatness of the games: “Inspire a generation”,
The greatness of the athletes: “higher faster stronger”

Yes, yes, I know… The Olympics were great.

But better still… they provided grumpy old men like myself something to whinge about…

So here are 9 BPM lessons to be learnt from the Olympics.

Learn about your customer before the meeting
North Koreans walk off after wrong flag shown

Don’t over-strategize your project
8 Badminton players were kicked out of the Olympics for deliberately trying to lose their games

Always start the project with a funfair
James Bond escorts The Queen to the opening ceremony

If you’ve decided not to participate in the process – move away before it starts going wrong
Photographers panick as Algeria’s Safia Boukhima crashes into the boards as she chases after the ball during their women’s Group A volleyball match against Russia

Expect wabbles during the project. The target is to overcome them and continue
Romania’s Larisa Andreea Iordache loses balance but does not fall as she competes in the balance beam during the women’s individual all-around gymnastics final in the North Greenwich Arena during the London 2012 Olympic Games

Dull, tedious, and repetitious tasks can be made funny
Mr Bean’s Olympic orchestral appearance

Expect to deal with non-related BPM issues during the project
The Olympics Dressage event is where unbelievably expensive horses and their even-more-unbelievably wealthy riders demonstrate the highest possible quality of their gait, control and ability. The medals go to the riders, even though the horses do the work.

Expect to lose some resources during the project
Seven athletes from Cameroon have disappeared from the Olympic village, according to officials.

Ok.. So you are process expert – Don’t show off

The mayor of London, Boris Johnson, dangles 20ft in the air after getting stuck on a zip-wire while celebrating Team GB’s first Olympic gold

Pierre de Coubertin, founder of modern Olympic Games, said

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, response was:

‘Inspire a generation’ is our motto. Not necessarily ‘Create a generation’, which is what they sometimes get up to in the Olympic village.’