Office Olympians 
I just spoke with my son, Ryan who is bouncing back and forth between Olympic events in Vancouver and snowboarding the beautiful mountain at Whistler Resort about 80 miles north of Vancouver. He is having the time of his life.
When I watch the athletes competing in the various events, do you know what I think about? Ergonomics! Why? Because these athletes depend on the efficiency and functionality of their equipment to allow them to produce optimally. Hockey players and speed skaters sharpen their skates to get an edge (literally), and snowboarders wax their snowboards to overcome drag and resistance. In order to compete at their best, they must eliminate or overcome as many blocks, barriers and resistance as possible because these work against their peak performance.
Occupational ergonomics is the very same concept. A worker cannot perform to their peak abilities if they encounter resistance. Resistance in this case can come from poor workstation design, work tools and equipment that cannot be adjusted to the user’s specific needs.
If one of the small figure skaters had to wear a size 14 skate, do you think it might affect her ability to perform and compete against the rest of the competition? The same applies to your work environment; your computer monitor, your chair, keyboard and mouse options and the other important tools we use in the office. Without the properly adjusted equipment and properly designed workstation, you cannot get the best (physically or mentally) from your employees and office workers. Performance really falls off when the cumulative effect of the barriers and resistance results in discomfort and leads to injury. When athletes “play hurt” it detracts from their effectiveness and expertise and the same "Office Athlete”.
Look at the ergonomic issues you may be dealing with and make some changes. If you need help with identifying problems, give us a call, send us some digital photos and we’ll help you so you can operate like a true “Office Olympian”. You can help your company “bring home the gold”!
