What we learned from the London Marathon.

And how about Sifan!

What a race! Millions raised for charities. All the costumes! Such bravery from all runners of all abilities. The London Marathon is one of the most iconic sporting events in the world. Every year, it amazes us to see the thousands of runners take to the streets of London to participate in this incredible race. 

A special mention for Sifan Hassan the female winner of this year’s London Marathon. What a feat! Training during Ramadan her first race and delivering a convincing performance after appearing to recover from a leg injury. Watching her rise as a refugee and reaching a pinnacle in her career is heart-warming at the least. 

So, what have we learned from Sifan and every other participant in yesterday’s race.  

Are there similarities?  

We try and tackle this question by drawing 5 attributes we think are similar.  

Endurance:  

The London Marathon is a gruelling! 26 miles of running! You must be able to endure some real physical and mental challenges. In our projects we know the going gets tough and we must power through! With our patented Pod System, we know we have a talented and complimentary team that is committed to the project and has the stamina to see it through to the end. Using Dynamics 365 we know we have a platform that can help streamline processes, but it means nothing without our Pod behind it driving us forward. 

Preparation: 

Siphan had a tougher preparation with Ramadan in the lead up to the race than most other runners. You can have a read of how some Muslim runners prepared for their marathon during Ramadan here (BBC Link). Aside from Siphan, runners spend months training, monitoring their diet, and ensuring they have the right gear. We know that our team’s effectiveness is hampered if we do not deliver to them a great brief, detailed instruction and clear communication. We take a painstakingly close look at our client’s current processes to understand the organisation’s current processes and identify areas for improvement. Obviously, Dynamics 365 can help automate many of these processes, but it is this thorough understanding of the organization’s needs that help us take it to another level.  

Communication: 

Runners need to communicate with their support teams to ensure they have the support they need. With our UK team and offshore team operating at different time zones and we understand there are diverse cultural differences. But we believe clear and dynamic communication is essential in the delivery of projects for our clients. Dynamics 365 can help facilitate communication by providing real-time access to data, but our teams need to be able to collaborate and make decisions dynamically. 

Goal setting: 

Admittedly Siphan didn’t have lofty expectations in her first marathon, but she had some expectations of a time and how she would like to finish. Other runners would set goals for themselves, whether it is to finish the race or to achieve a personal best time. Our project co-ordinators understand the importance in set clear goals and managing expectations of our clients and Pod teams. Using Dynamics 365 we know we can help track progress towards these goals, providing real-time updates on progress and identifying areas for improvement. But we know that coupled with our communication we can also ensure our teams and clients remain informed and on track. 

Data-driven decision making: 

No doubt the way our runners prepare for this, and previous London Marathons has changed. Runners track their progress, heart rate, and other metrics to optimize their performance. In our projects, data is also critical to success. Dynamics 365 provides real-time access to data, enabling teams to make informed decisions based on the latest information. This data-driven approach can help organizations optimise their processes, improve efficiency, and drive business growth. 

We’d like to congratulate Siphan and all the other runners in yesterday’s London Marathon. This magnificent sporting feat has given us a reminder here at Cloud Surge some great insight into how we work effectively.

Admittedly, the London Marathon and the projects we deliver using Dynamics 365 may seem like unlikely bedfellows, but they share many attributes that can lead to success. Endurance, preparation, communication, goal setting, and data-driven decision making are all essential to both.  

If you’d like to get in touch with us about your next project or would like to just have a chat, drop a line on LinkedIn and one of our team in the UK will get in touch.