Cooperation is a top sport!

Breda, 14 August 2024

When I get home each evening, I enjoy putting the TV on and immersing myself in sport and all the associated commentary. The performances and interviews are often impressive and surprising. This summer we have been able to enjoy UEFA Euro 2024, the Tour de France and the Olympic Games, and as a sports fan my heart was beating faster with each passing moment. The best is yet to come in the form of the Tour de Femmes, which is set to start in our home country of the Netherlands in Rotterdam. And whether it is 3x3 basketball or the astonishing athletics achievements of Femke Bol, time and again sport shows how powerful teamwork can be.

Sport is a great way of keeping fit and healthy, but it also has valuable lessons to teach us about teamwork and cooperation. Which is why we at LAB Services regard cooperation as a form of top sport. Just like in sport, it is crucial for the right person with the right talent to provide his or her input at the right time to ensure optimum performance. Our customers expect gold-level performance and service from us, which we will only be able to achieve if we get the best out of ourselves. Together we are creating a culture worthy of a gold medal – a culture that pervades our core values and HR strategy too.

It is all about teamwork. Each and every one of our colleagues has his or her own role and responsibility, but we are working together to achieve a common goal. Cooperating and making the most of one another’s talents will enable us to achieve far more than an individual ever could. Take Femke Bol, for instance, whose teammates put her in prime position to win the race during the Olympics. She would not have been able to deliver that performance without their support.

Flexibility is another key trait that we share with sports teams. Sport involves rapidly changing situations, as was evident when cyclist Marianne Vos had to adapt her role after a fall. She exhibited the mindset of a true champion in the sprint by building on the groundwork that her team had done. At LAB Services, our ability to swiftly adapt to changing circumstances is extremely important too. We need to respond quickly and effectively to new challenges in order to remain successful. As the Dutch Chef de Mission Pieter van den Hoogenband said: ‘Accept, adapt and move on.’

This makes effective communication a crucial ingredient of success. Our staff need to be able to liaise quickly and with clarity in order to make good decisions and coordinate actions. An open communication style helps us to understand one another and collectively achieve the best results.

Moreover, a positive mindset in sport can make the difference between coming in fourth place or earning a spot on the podium. At LAB Services, we endeavour to create a positive, motivating and inspiring environment. Fostering a culture of positivity and motivation will enable us to inspire our colleagues to grow, develop and discover and make the most of their latent talents. There is a crucial role for our managers in that respect.

Last but not least, discipline and tenacity are necessary for success in sport. Sportspeople and athletes train and will push themselves to improve. The same discipline and perseverance are needed at LAB Services for us to accomplish our goals. We need to work consistently and purposively to guarantee continuity and quality for our customers.

Hence sport provides us with an abundance of valuable lessons which we can use at LAB Services to encourage our staff to grow and improve their skills. Emphasising teamwork, communication, flexibility, discipline, perseverance, positivity and motivation ensures a solid foundation for success and growth. Together we are creating a culture no less inspiring than the world of sport and striving towards delivering the gold-level performance that our customers expect from us.