Drastic Changes in Beijing – Motivation & Results
The Olympic Flame on a Smog-free Day in Beijing
One of the most remarkable parts of my Olympic experience was to see the drastic changes that have taken place in Beijing – many even over the past year. When I arrived in Beijing for the Olympics it was only 13 months since my previous visit, and yet in many ways it was a very different city. These changes show the results that can come from having a clear goal, a deadline and strong motivation. There were many significant changes to be seen.
Changes in Beijing
- New Airport Terminal – $3.5 billion terminal, bigger than the city currently needs, and complete with a full-time attendant/cleaner in each restroom.
- Trees, Trees and Trees – planted millions of trees, particularly lining important roads
- Lots of fresh paint – almost every apartment building was painted
- Walls around ugly areas – walls were built surrounding construction sights and slum areas
- Beautiful new venues – the Bird’s Nest Stadium and the Water Cube set the new standard for architecture in sports venues
- New subways – a number of brand new subways were completed including an airport express subway
- More public washrooms
- Better translations – removed much of the “chinglish” and corrected it with proper English translations
- Line ups – instead of pushing to get on buses, subways etc. people were trained to stand in line
- Reduced spitting and public urination – two habits common in Beijing just a year ago, were drastically reduced
- Traffic limitations to reduce smog – cars were only permitted to drive every second day leading up to and during the Olympics. It took some time for the smog to clear but the reduced traffic was a benefit in itself
Olympic Stadium - aka The Bird's Nest
Certainly Beijing had some advantages in their preparation for the games. With China being a communist country the government could do things that couldn’t be done (as easily) in a free market economy; they forced people to move, used significant levels of cheap labour, and made laws that would never fly in Western countries. For the purpose of this article I’m not going to debate whether these decisions are right or wrong. Instead, we’ll consider that China was simply using the resources at its disposal to reach its goal. So how did China do it?
How China Did It
- Clear goal – China’s goal was to put on the best show and make a grand re-entrance onto the World’s stage. The Olympic was its showcase. The goal was clear and everyone in the country knew this was the goal.
- Deadline – The Olympics had a built in deadline for the changes to be completed: 08-08-08, the date of the opening ceremonies. A goal with a deadline is much more powerful than an undated goal. You are more likely to take action and less likely to procrastinate when the deadline is clear.
- Motivation – Your motivation is the reason behind your goal. It is the core point that will drive you. In China that motivation was national pride and the desire to impress others. It is hard for an outsider to understand the level of national pride that exists amongst the Chinese people. Westerners might think that a reduced level of individual freedom would potentially lower the levels of national pride, but that is not the case. Almost everyone in China was excited about the games and wanted the country to look its best while the world was watching. They wanted to impress others.
- Massive Action – The amount of work put into making these changes in Beijing was massive. Every resource was put into making the games the showcase to the world that China wanted. Massive action is needed to move towards any goal.
In light of the example of Beijing there are several questions you should ask yourself:
- What is your goal?
- Is it clear?
- Do you and your team have a clear understanding about what you want to go and how you are going to get there?
- What is your deadline?
- Is it firm and written down?
- What is the reason behind your goal?
- Will you allow this to motivate you?
- Are you willing to take massive action?
The start of the month provides a perfect opportunity to set some goals and begin to move towards those goals. This list of questions can serve as starting point (or reminder) towards achievement of your goals. If you follow these steps by setting clear goals, establishing a deadlines, understanding your motivation and taking massive action, you will achieve your goals!
The Success Professor – Danny Gamache
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