In general, people have an image of golfers that suggests success, skill and intelligence. Golfing also seems to be well connected to the business world, in that many business people use the golf course as a place to network in a friendly and interesting manner. Much research has examined the relationship of golf and business, but it’s also examined the theory that high achievers in golf are also high achievers in business because both require similar player qualities.
It’s tempting to believe that success in golf and in business relies primarily on innate talents, but that’s not true. Though talent is important, most successful business people spend countless hours studying business theories, strategies and practices to develop their abilities. The same is true of golfers who spend many lonely hours practicing swings to perfect the game. These hours are not wasted, but they still don’t determine who will become the high achiever and thus the handicap system was developed to equalize player with different skills.
Golf is a game that rewards certain characteristics. For example, golfers able to adjust their swings and approaches in response to changes in the weather are more likely to experience high performance. If the wind changes direction or it begins to rain, the golfer must adapt to changing circumstances or risk under-performing. This ability to be flexible in response to reality is the same quality found in business high achievers. Successful business owners are willing and able to strategically adapt to changing economic conditions. For example, in an economic downturn, the minority or woman owned business (MWBE) owner will develop new partnerships that expand market access. The business owner who is unable to adapt will watch revenues decline and the business struggle.
Innate talent doesn’t explain the success of the entrepreneur who builds a successful business. If it did, the technology wizards who design and introduce new products would all be multi-millionaires like Bill Gates. Instead, many people with good ideas never bring their products or services to market. They are unable to connect the thoughts and skills to the real world of business.
Golf instructors teach that golf is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. You have to envision the swing before the club moves. The image will include the position of the body, the tilt of the head, the placement of the shoulders, the motion of the swing and swing follow through, and an assessment of the distance to the next hole. The picture is one of a golf ball soaring to a specific target. This is strategic planning at its finest through the connection of the mind and the reality of the golf club, the swing and the targeted golf hole.
Minority or woman business owners need a quality that enables them to connect thoughts and behaviors, skills and competencies, to the end goal. Small and medium sized business failures are often blamed on lack of capital, and, in tight credit markets, that may be true up to a point. In reality, many of these businesses didn’t plan for business growth or stretched their finances so tight that there was no room to maneuver. They didn’t think strategically and connect what they were doing now with the end goal. They could imagine the swing, but not the swing follow through so the goal is missed.
There are many other qualities high achieving business people and golfers share. They are competent and that competence comes as much from directed practice (not just practice) as it does from innate skills. In other words, high achievement is often the end result of purposeful learning, practice and skills development that suits more than one course. A good golfer can go from course to course and exhibit superior performance because his or her skills were not adapted to just a single course. A successful businessperson can take his or her company into a changing marketplace and will look for new ‘courses’ that can bring business opportunities. Since the skills are purposely developed to embrace innovation and change, there are few lost opportunities.
How Steep is the Slope?
Golfers must be able to make quick decisions. Each course and each hole played requires precise calculation and analysis of a series of factors. These factors include slope of the course, distance to the next hole, weather conditions, potential traps and condition of the course. In business, the correct calculations include accurate assessment of the economic environment, the slope or steepness of the barriers to access, market niche condition, potential traps that can derail efforts, and the ability to meet the specific requirements of potential contracts or to land new business.
Though thoughtful decision making is needed, many business opportunities are missed because management is unprepared to assess the risks of a decision and so makes no decision at all. Sometimes, like in golf, a daring approach is needed so that a tremendous opportunity doesn’t turn into a lost opportunity. The golfer who strategically practices is prepared for swiftly changing circumstances on the golf course. Business management that keeps skills and competences updated at all times, is fully informed about the marketplace, and maintains a financially viable business has the tools at hand to make quick decisions. With the right tools, daring approaches are actually made on a solid foundation so are not as daring as they appear.
Over Par is Merely a Challenge
Sometimes in golf, despite all efforts, the golfer goes over par. The high achiever doesn’t give up at that point or start swinging the club in a less efficient manner with a feeling of inevitable loss. The golfer identifies mistakes made up to that point and then determines to make up the loss on the next holes. Learning from past mistakes, the golfer makes every effort to not repeat them and will make the changes needed to go under par on the next holes.
The MWBE that fails to land a lucrative government contract or has difficulties competing for large corporate business is faced with a similar situation as the golfer over par. There are two paths of choice: continue doing the same thing and expect the same results, or identify the reasons for the failure to compete and find a way to overcome them on future bids. Overcoming past losses may include developing new strategic partnerships, expanding networking efforts, updating technology skills, directly contacting supplier diversity managers or finding new markets through niche identification or globalization.
High achievers in business and golf are ethical, as well. In golf, cheaters soon find they are unable to convince anyone to partner or play golf with them. The same is true in business. Ethical business practices earn a company a reputation for honesty and contribute to a positive brand image.
A person is not born to be a CEO or PGA winner. These high achievers have spent many hours in purposeful and directed practice, skills development and increasing those qualities that bring success. When you swing in business, swing with purpose and make sure thoughts and behaviors are fully connected to the end goals. In other words, make sure your swing always follows through.