Talent Development, Business Performance & 'Cool Runnings' With The Jamaican Bobsleigh Team

Jamaica - sun, sand, sea and a bobsleigh team? Bold strategic moves in business can often be seen as unrealistic & far fetched.  Michael Costello explores how talent management can inform business strategy by reflecting on Jamaica's performance in the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics



The Jamaican national bobsleigh team not only had their debut in the 1988 Winter Olympic Games in Calgary but also gained incredible fame in the process representing a tropical nation in a winter sport. A great example of an innovative focus on people and capability to achieve the unexpected. 



"We should consider the talent we have in place before deciding the direction and circumstances the business wants to be in."


Talent Management guru Edward Lawler suggests that in all business strategies we should consider the talent we have in place before deciding the direction and circumstances the business wants to be in. Strategy should not simply be decided upon and then the business having to react to it. 


American businessmen, George Fitch, the first President of the Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation and businessman William Maloney, who at the time both lived in Jamaica, formed the JBF (The Jamaica Bobsleigh Federation). These opportunistic and enterprising young men latched on to a novel idea one night in Kingston. Having seen the local pushcart derby and noting its similarity with bobsleghing, and recognizing the abundance of athletic talent in Jamaica, both gentlemen concluded what was not so obvious, that Jamaica and bobsleghing was a natural fit. 

"All of the ingredients were there"

All of the ingredients were there - a fit track performing team, a love of push-cart sport in the country and a will and ambition to get to the Olympics. The Jamaican bobsleigh team have had their triumphs and mis-fortune, but the story tells us that in an ever changing world and climate businesses should have a strong grasp of the human capital they have in place and how this can inform our strategic decisions. 

The idea for a Jamaican Bobsleigh Team was pitched to the Jamaica Defence Force in 1987 calling for members to to represent Jamaica in the Winter Olympics. Devon Harris , one of the founder team members initially thought the idea was ridiculous, but was eventually convinced to participate by his colonel. Harris had previously dreamed of representing his country in track and field in the1984 Summer Olympics in the 800m and 1500m events - a superb candidate for the sport. 


Talent management? They are the "Hottest Thing On Ice!"

Other elements of talent management decisions also some in to play here. The JBT have focused on the long-term development of their talent and are still cool running today (structure). Values and Identity are tangible in the JBT if you simply go on their website - they have always been seen as the most tropical and "Hotest thing on ice"! The team will always have a strong talent pipeline based on the natural talent in Jamaica but also the heritage and legend that has grown with the team. Many businesses have transformed their business model to take on new ventures based on their human capital. 

The Virgin group is  a great example of taking an existing offering and adapting it to suit its market. Branson himself promotes the strategy of "if there is dissatisfaction with a product or service there is an opportunity for Virgin". Perhaps there will always be an appetite and  taste for the tropics in the Winter Olympics thanks to the Jamaican Bobsleigh team of 1988. 


STAR Talent Management Model
Lawler & Ulrich suggest the following STAR talent model management (or "Human Centric") model that can be related to the Jamaican Bobsleigh team

• Strategy: Strategy defines the products, services, and markets that an organization will focus on and how it will compete.
• Competencies and capabilities: Competencies are the knowledge, skill, and values possessed by individuals, while capabilities are the identity of an organization and what the organization is good at doing.
• Structure: Structure  focuses on turning individual competence into sustained organization capabilities. Authority is often shared throughout the organization.
• Processes: Information and decision processes in an HC - centric organization focus controls through values more than rules.Management by mindset replaces management by objectives.
• Rewards: "Human Capital-centric" organizations allocate rewards less on tenure and hierarchy and more on performance. Individuals are rewarded for equity more than equality.
• People: People in an HC-centric organization are the centerpiece. Organizations that emphasize human capital are obsessed with finding people with outstanding talent, then working with them to make the whole work well together. 
• Identity: An organization’s identity is what it is known for by those who use its services. When this external identity, which can be called a firm brand, is aligned with internal organization and people practices, it becomes the culture of an organization.

In 2000, the Jamaican bobsleigh team won the gold medal at the World Push Championships in Monaco. At the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, the 2-man team of Winston Watt (pilot) and Lascelles Brown (brakeman), set the Park City bobsleigh track record and the Olympic record for the push-start segment of the 2-man race at 4.78 seconds. 

The successes of Watt and Brown have shown that Jamaica has the ability to produce world-class Winter Olympic athletes.

For more information go to:

Ulrich & Lawler Talent Management - STAR Model : http://enriquecetupsicologia.com/costarica/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Talent_Edward-Lawler-III.pdf

Jamaican Bobsled Team: http://www.jamaicabobsleighteam.com/