鈥淥ne of my staff said, 鈥楳ike, there's a phone call from Washington, DC鈥. I thought, that's one of my Aussie mates playing a joke on me of course, but it wasn't. It was someone from the World Bank. And the thing was, I had never heard of the World Bank.鈥 - Mike James
鈥淭he Bank, I found, was always very good at supporting further education initiatives. Self-improvement initiatives and so forth. I really appreciated the Bank from the outset.鈥 - Mike James
This episode gives listeners a peek into the World Bank from a different lens and sheds light on the evolving role and the importance of fitness in the institution. Learn about the importance of people-to-people skills, the vital role that management plays in growth and success, and the inclusion of staff鈥檚 input and participation. Mike experienced the impact of James Wolfensohn鈥檚 presidency, and the accompanying changes to both the structural and institutional culture. He speaks about listening to staff and some of their unique suggestions on fitness.
鈥淸S]trong management support [...] that's essential, because if you don't have that, people might feel guilty about going to a fitness center.鈥 - Mike James
After retirement Mike stayed in touch with the WBG fitness staff. When asked about the pandemic, he discusses pivoting strategies and how focusing on people skills played an important role during Covid鈥檚 early days.
鈥淚t's important to reach out to people, because you just don't know how lonely some people are. And even if they want to stay set in their ways, you at least reach out.鈥 - Mike James
Join us in learning about the Bank from a unique perspective while gaining insight into how fitness has gained the level of importance it now has for Bank staff. Mike鈥檚 experiences help illuminate how fitness has evolved, along with the institution, over the past quarter century.
Interested in sharing your experiences?
Retiring and Former Bank staff can participate in the Development Reflections series in a variety of ways. Please contact us at wbglibrary@worldbank.org.
