Excellence in tennis, otherwise known as Wimbledon, reaches a climax this weekend. Just how has it survived into its 139th year is a testament to the continuous improvement it has made since 1877.
The global position it holds, as the best regarded of the Grand Slams, is supported by the passion and dedication of the Lawn Tennis Association – the organisation responsible for the running of the annual tournament.
Just as the cleaners at NASA saw their job as “helping to put a man on the moon”, the varied functions at The Championships all work towards delivering excellence. You may have excellence at the head of your organisation, but have you considered how well, and how far it sprays and spreads from the centre? A focus point of excellence can be commendable, but link that to a culture that has the same objective, and you will have a very powerful proposition.
Spirals, Nets, and Webs of Excellence
At IiE we have the tools to deploy the most effective approaches across your organisation, and let them spiral and spread into all areas of your operations. We may not have a net in the style of the All England Club, but we do use a Web of Excellence to enable you to quickly identify where your strengths and areas for improvement are located within your organisation.
Player Excellence
The players are a huge part of the tournament, and they have recognised the need to improve what they do, and become more consistent in the games they play. As reflected in the population today, they are bigger and stronger than back in 1877, and they work at their fitness and skills on a constant programme. Serena Williams and Andy Murray are still winning matches after several years of achievement, but they need to work even harder to keep ahead of the younger challengers.
Facility Excellence
The last time a complete day of play was lost to rain was in 2004. This can never happen again, due to the roof on Centre Court (which is scheduled to be joined in 2019 by a roof on No.1 Court). The public has grown with society to expect delivery of what it has paid for, and #Wimbledon has answered its customers’ feedback with the solution of ensuring some play every day, whilst preserving the traditional atmosphere and surface of the field of play.
Teamwork Excellence
All parts of the organisation at #Wimbledon work to make the tournament a success, and they succeed year after year. When all stakeholders in an enterprise are aware that excellence is embedded in its DNA, then great progress and results can be achieved.
At IiE we wish the best of luck to the finalists this weekend, and look forward to the next 139 years of excellence. Now, where are those strawberries…?