Some might suspect that the connection between the Olympic Games and Corporate Responsibility might focus on the recent opening of the summer games in China and the political turmoil that has surrounded the games even before the first athletes stepped forward to compete. This, however, is not that essay. Instead I would like to begin my blogging effort with JustMeans with a different approach. We all have our own favorite memories from the Olympic Games - whether it be Jessie Owens' demonstrating the absurdity of Adolf Hitler's racist notions, gymnast Nadia Comaneci's perfect '10', Kerri Strug's valiant vault on a sprained ankle to win gold or Michael Phelp's eight gold medals. The real lesson for corporations to consider, however comes from how Italian bobsled driver Eugenio Monti acted when he was literally on the slippery slope. When the 1964 Winter Olympic Games opened in Innsbruck, the favorites in the four-man bobsled were the Austrians and the Italians. But in the first heat, Canada broke the Olympic record and posted a substantial lead. Doing so, however, had damaged the axle on the Canadian sled. Facing disqualification - which would have resulted in an20Italian win - Team Canada reached the top of the track to find their sled upside down. Monti had instructed his mechanics to fix it. Canada went on to win the gold medal. Later in the same games, Italy was favored in the two-man bobsled event. Great Britain recorded the fastest time after their first run. However, a bolt attaching the runners to the sled had sheared. Monti completed his run and had the needed bolt removed from his own sled, and attached to the British bob. Great Britain took home that gold. When he was attacked in the press for helping the British win, Monti replied "Nash didn't win because I gave him the bolt. He won because he had the fastest run." And while Monti went on to bring home gold medals four years later in both the two-man and four-man bobsled events, his place in Olympic history is defined not by those wins - but by the way he played the game. In this way, doing well and doing right are intertwined, even when it is not required or expected or even understood. Given the choice between merely following the rules or making that extra effort, organizations should ask themselves these basic questions: For whom would you rather work or have your loved ones work? From whom would you rather purchase? Whom would you welcome into your town? An organization's reputation is derived from its behavior. And while cynics will say that public relations is nothing more than putting organizations in their best possible light, corporate leaders are realizing that going the step, and engaging in transparency, openness and disclosure, they reveal the true character of their organization. Like Eugenio Monti, organizations that allow this model will find that they win not only on the playing field, but the hearts and minds of their customers and stakeholders as well. John Friedman is a corporate executive with a 20 year background in corporate communications and social responsibility and I serve as a volunteer chair of the board for the Sustainable Business Network of Washington.
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