Healthcare Professionals: Olympian Advice - An Ode to Joy In Practice

For those who hate sports analogies…suck it up. We are all athletes in this big game called life. The Olympic Charter states that the spirit of the Olympics "Seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal, fundamental ethical principles." What simple, sage advice for all professionals who are out on the court of life.

As values and guiding principles get repurposed in this brave new world, professionals who are on the field of play set the example. The character of your communication, collaboration and connection, creates either a cacophony or a symphony… An Ode to Ugh or and Ode to Joy (see: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9). Indeed it is both our actions and more precisely our interactions that create a brighter way. 

Benjamin Zander is the conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and lectures around the world on the power of communication and how we occur to people and how they respond to us (click here to view a wonderful lecture of his). His conversations distinguish two very different ways to communicate with the world. The first is a downward spiraling conversation. We are all familiar with these conversations. The enlightened person is able to realize when they are authoring one, stop and shift mid-sentence. The “shift” is into a conversation that radiates possibility. Possibility is the realm where imagination, creativity and passion emanate.   Possibility elevates your game and your performance. Is it in you?

A world of possibility creates a joy found in effort. People want to be involved with people that are “Up to Something”. When you encounter people like this, you usually find “joy” found in their effort.  If what they are up to is a brighter way of being, doing and having, it captivates us.   This translates into enrollment. Enrolling people is leadership. To sustainably compete, one must radiate a deep joy found in effort. It unleashes peak performance. If you’re on the field of play and radiate possibility, joy, enrollment and performance, people will show up to support, cheer and follow you.   First be, then do, then have. In that order. This way of being penetrates the spirit of your interactions. 

Mastering interactions (relationships) in today’s smaller, flatter world involves an effective use of language and listening. A business mentor of mine says, “All business problems are marketing problems. Words matter. There are no neuter words. The words we use either bring us closer together or farther apart.” Words are messages communicating meaning.   Have you ever had your words (message) get lost (meaning) in translation? Words reflect the way we are being in the world. High performance is an ability to align your message and meaning and communicate with clarity, conviction and character.

If there is a joy found in effort our words reflect it. One of best athletic coaches I ever had (who had great joy) said, “I have to come up with a thousand different ways to tell you guys the same fundamental things, over and over again.” His words precipitated performance “In us” because he kept the fundamentals fresh and alive in our spirit. He revealed a presence in his words that captivated our deep listening. He is one of the winningest coaches of all time in my sport. 

Finally, the secrets of success are really not secrets. More importantly, success should be subservient to fulfillment. The end game is this… The art of fulfillment, ultimately comes from the depth and breadth of your meaningful relationships. For the love of the game.   See you on the field of play. And however you choose to play, make it an Ode to Joy and put it in practice. LIVE Olympic…