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As the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympic Games unfold, athletes once again remind us of a fundamental truth: champions are never made by improvisation. Behind every controlled jump, precise trajectory, and split-second decision lies extensive preparation, tested strategies, strong team coordination, and an exceptional ability to adapt.
In business, organizational resilience follows the exact same principles.
Being resilient is not just about “reacting when things go wrong.” It is about anticipating, prioritizing, deciding quickly, adapting to the unexpected, and working as a team, especially under pressure. Through this slideshow, we draw parallels between selected winter Olympic disciplines and the core capabilities that define organizations able to navigate disruptions with confidence and control.
Strategy
Like curling, planning several moves ahead
In curling, every stone is played with future moves in mind. Athletes analyze the situation, anticipate multiple scenarios, and continuously adjust their strategy.
In business continuity and crisis management, the same logic applies. A resilient organization does not rely on a static plan; it anticipates multiple scenarios, understands critical dependencies, and knows where to focus efforts to protect essential operations. Strategy is the foundation of any sustainable resilience approach.
Teamwork
Like hockey, no one wins alone
On the ice, individual performance only matters when it contributes to the collective effort. Coordination, communication, and clearly defined roles are key to success.
In organizations, resilience cannot rest on one person or one department. It depends on strong collaboration across teams, clear governance, and shared accountability whether in business continuity, emergency management, crisis management, or IT disaster recovery.
Agility
Like skeleton, everything happens fast
In skeleton racing, decisions are made at extreme speed. There is no room for hesitation, agility and rapid adjustment are critical.
When an incident occurs, organizations rarely have complete information. Those that recover best are the ones that can act quickly, adjust decisions in real time, and rely on mechanisms that have already been tested. Organizational agility is a powerful competitive advantage in uncertain environments.
Managing the unexpected
Like alpine skiing, adapting to changing conditions
In alpine skiing, conditions change constantly : weather, visibility, and terrain. The best athletes adapt without losing control.
In organizational resilience, unpredictability is the norm. Technology failures, extreme weather, critical staff absences, cyber incidents, adaptability determines recovery speed. Prepared organizations do not try to eliminate uncertainty; they develop the capability to manage it effectively.
Prioritization
Like biathlon, slowing down to aim right
After intense physical effort, biathletes must slow down, refocus, and prioritize accuracy over speed.
In a crisis, trying to do everything at once often leads to failure. Resilience depends on the ability to identify what is truly critical, prioritize actions, and allocate resources where they will have the greatest impact. Knowing what to do (and what not to do) is a core resilience skill.
Rapid decision-making
Like ski jumping, timing is everything
In ski jumping, the moment of takeoff and the reading of conditions are decisive. Acting too early (or too late) can change everything.
In organizations, critical decisions must be made quickly, but thoughtfully. This requires clear processes, defined decision thresholds, and trained leaders who can operate under pressure. The right decision at the right time can significantly reduce the impact of a disruption.
Becoming a resilience champion
Like Olympic athletes, resilient organizations leave nothing to chance. They invest in preparation, test their strategies, train their teams, and continuously improve their practices.
Organizational resilience is not a luxury or a checkbox exerciseit is a strategic enabler that protects people, sustains critical operations, and preserves trust with clients, partners, and stakeholders.
Strategic support to prevent disruption
At Benoit Racette Services-conseils inc., we help organizations protect their critical operations, ensure the safety of their teams, and maintain the trust of their clients, even when a major disruption occurs.
With over 28 years of specialized experience in business continuity, crisis management, emergency preparedness, and IT disaster recovery planning, Benoit Racette supports organizations with rigor and confidentiality, transforming complex challenges into concrete solutions tailored to their reality.
- Resilience diagnostic
- Updated business continuity plan
- Operational crisis management plan
- Realistic IT disaster recovery plan
- Tests and exercises to validate plans and strengthen teams
- Targeted training in continuity, crisis management, and operational preparedness
These are the tools that distinguish organizations that suffer… from those that respond with control. Would you like to analyze your vulnerabilities, adjust your plans, or prepare more effectively?
Contact us: [email protected]