Can the new training techniques that are helping American athletes achieve record medal results be applied to small and mid-size businesses to improve their own form of gold medal: profits?

In a Fox News feature this morning, commentators noted that American training techniques have dramatically changed and that this change is responsible for record medal performance. The changes fall into two areas: all-body training vs. single movement training, and the heightened emphasis on balance and recovery training.

All-body training refers to conditioning muscles as they interrelate in movement. The opposite of all-body training is the classical core or single movement training  in which individual  muscles – like biceps – are exercised independently.

Balance training is aimed at helping the body achieve recovery after extreme movements.

To get a picture of what this looks like, think of a downhill racer and the need for the entire body to respond and recover. In effect, we are seeing the synergy effect- when all muscles are integrated they perform better than the sum of their parts.

This is a compelling concept for small and mid-size business; rather than over-build individual skills, departments, or functional areas (the muscles of any business) business can chose to build up the way skills, departments, and functional areas work together. In this way they support and sustain each other to achieve balance and to react to extreme business disorientations.

Of course, if a business lacks skills, talent, knowledge, or experience in an area critical for success, it must first gain them. In the words of Peter Drucker, only strengths produce results. However, the key is how to manage the development of the entire organization and not to overemphasize one area to the detriment of the total organization to produce results. This may mean, for example, that it is more productive to invest in coordinating marketing and sales rather than simply increasing the marketing budget for lead generation.

In her post today on USA Today, Rhonda Abrams discusses the need for small business owners to reinvent themselves, and provides 5 strategies for change.

“What do you do when everything in your industry turns upside down? When your consumers dramatically change? When new technology pushes out traditional business methods? Now is a time of great transformation for most industries. Some changes have been brought about by economic conditions; some by technology; some by new competition.”

Here are her five strategies:

1. Recognize opportunities. One keynote speaker at the Tools of Change conference was Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post, a successful online news and opinion site. She chided the audience “Don’t look back to a golden age; the golden age is now.”

2. Reinvent yourself and your business. Recognize you’re doing something very new. As Henry Ford pointed out, he was building a car, not a faster horse. Understand that you’re going to have to develop new products or services. It’s not the same stuff in a different package.

3. Leverage your current assets. Transformation is different than starting anew, so use your assets, such as current products, services, customer relationships, a terrific team. You can start ahead of the competition.

4. Learn to juggle. One major challenge of transformation is you often have to run your current, diminishing business while building a new business. Another speaker, Dominique Raccah of SourceBooks, addressed exactly the question of how do you run, essentially, two businesses. Develop a strategic plan to help you shift your resources.

5. Consider investors. Because you are growing a new business, you are going to be strapped for cash. That may mean you need to find a new source of capital. If you have a compelling business opportunity, it may be appropriate to seek investors.

As a final note, Rhonda suggests that you change your vocabulary along with your attitude. Switch from learning how to “adapt” or to “accommodate” change. Instead it’s time to “embrace” the “renewal” and “reinvention” you’re experiencing.

For more on SMB change, see:

Ready to Re-write The Rules of Your Business?

How to Find a New Direction For Your Business