Management philosophies from the game of golf

By Lewie Diasz

Golf is a game I love. Whether you play it or not, business managers can derive an array of vital lessons from the game which can be applied in management and in most instances cannot be learnt in management books.

Moreover, it can fundamentally teach you many things about life within four hours of walking almost five to seven kilometres. You can celebrate the best stroke you’ve ever played (a hole in one) and be on top of the world and at the same time be at your lowest, disappointing stage by missing a simple one foot putt (the easiest shot) in the same game.

We have all been victims on many occasions where you smell the fragrance of victory and alas become humbled at the final 18th hole of the game with a triple bogey (three strokes above the normal allotted strokes for the whole). No matter how disappointing it may get, you will always keep coming back for more the next day!

There’s something spiritual about the game of golf, which has transformed me and made me a better person. Here are a few unforgettable lessons from the game of golf, which I apply in business and life.

Forget your opponents and always play against par

Golf is a competitive game and when you turn pro you play at the highest level of the game. Upon receiving some basic lessons in the practice range, a golfer embarks on the golf course with a handicap usually from 1 to 28.

Michael Porter’s theories on competitive rivalry and competitive advantage, Davidson’s theories on competitor response profiling and Kotler and Singh’s competitive attack and defence strategies articulate how an organisation must attempt to beat or crush its competitors and orient themselves to this cause.

Instead, golf is a game where you would attempt to constantly improve your stand (handicap) and you are your biggest opponent or benchmark. You will fight hard to finish the game at either the same number or the lowest number of strokes of your previous best games.

This means you are in total control of your own game and may need to improve your best score or learn how best to play your game rather than always orienting yourself to beat your competitor. Golf is probably the only game in the world where you would play better than your competitor and still lose to yourself!

In business this is equally true. You need to develop your strategy to serve your selected customer segments and do it in a way that is different and better than the competitor rather than focus exclusively on your competitor because the true driver of value is your customer.

Mental and psychological competence

This is to be in control of your emotions and deal with any cognitive dissonance. This is to have the mental strength and learn how to deal with uncomfortable feelings caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously.

A golfer will need the psychological competence to recover fast from a very bad shot rather than let any dissatisfying thoughts sediment and affect the stroke in the next hole. This is to master the virtue of patience!

Every hole in the game of golf is a new beginning with new resolutions and a brand new outlook. It’s a game that will teach you to control your nerves and use your emotions effectively. A friend of mine compared it to free anger management therapy.

The development of the cognitive emotional quotient is apparent in the game of golf and the skill of assertiveness where one learns how to strike a balance between a continuum of aggression and submission.

This is a paramount skill for senior managers leading project teams. We need to manage the ups and downs and a rollercoaster of emotions over 18 holes and learn the art of putting that bad hole behind and concentrate on the ones ahead.

Although it is meant to be a social game, I have met a few serious golfers who would not want to talk during the game of golf (four long hours) and be distracted. However, a seasoned golfer will learn from any mistakes and attempt to apply the lessons learnt in the holes ahead.

A ‘never say never’ attitude and the will to keep on keeping on requires mental agility. A positive attitude is a key attribute for a manager and no one expects you to have a smile permanently glued on to your face, but it helps neither the project nor your team if you are visibly and chronically weighed down by the burden of issues and risks.

Consistency and razor sharp focus

Anyone can hit a good shot once, but getting low scores is about being consistent from tee to green and every inch is about meticulous, flawless execution with razor sharp focus!

Even the most chaotic manager can successfully manage a project on occasion, but managers who follow a consistent procedural routine will experience a higher percentage of successful projects.

To be a golfer of sorts, you need certain competencies and skills. You need to know how to hit a draw or a fade. You need to know how to swing the club, whether it is an iron of a driver or a fairway wood. And all of us need to visit a coach to teach us these technical skills.

Business is no different. You need to have certain competencies, such as management and leadership, strategy, finance, marketing, and HR skills. You also need to visit a business school to develop and or refresh these skills of yours. As in golf, you need to develop and update these skills continuously. Ernie Els needs to do it, as do the CEOs of our top companies in Sri Lanka.

In golf, you need to have a firm footing when you play the shot. You need to be as level as possible. You cannot have both feet (or even just one) in the air when you play the shot.

The power you generate when playing the shot requires both feet on the ground, and your body in a condition of balance! Without this, forget about a shot going in the required direction and the required distance!

Even the top ranked natural golfers use swing coaches and will switch coaches to ‘shake up’ their games. The older we get, the easier it is to believe that there is nothing new to be learned in our profession. Improving soft skills is a lifelong pursuit. Both business and golf require hard work, constant practicing and meticulous focus!

Learn to balance risk versus reward

Pulling out your driver to cut across a hazard on a dogleg might be needed on the PGA tour, but an average golfer may be better served by playing the hole conservatively with a comfortable 7 Iron club.

Business is about taking calculated risks and mitigating any controllable threats whilst using your unique resources and core competencies to exploit opportunities. There are 14 different clubs in a bag and all have their purpose. The first step is to master the art of picking the right club for each shot and play to your strengths whilst protecting your flanks.

Power and strength cannot win you a game of golf and it is sometimes the same in business. A strategic business manager may need to know his business strengths that can be leveraged effectively and weaknesses that make the firm vulnerable, just the in the selection of the choice of club in golf!

Play like a gentlemen

Integrity and character are core values of the game of golf. The nature of golf is such that honesty is non-negotiable. You score yourself. You are frequently the only person who will know whether the ball moved before you hit it or not. If integrity is not part of your make-up, the game of golf will degenerate into chaos before long.

Already I see signs of people playing to win above all else and as the saying goes: “To lie to others is immoral and to lie to yourself is pathetic!”

This is equally true in business. Business ethics have become very important. The Enrons and Worldcoms of the world were once Fortune 500 companies and the lack of integrity, greed and dishonesty have become drivers in business. To win at all costs is a credo that has the potential to destroy society and oneself!

Respect in the game of golf; this is a very important aspect. You need to show up, on time, dressed appropriately. When the other player is playing, you stand still, out of his line of sight. You do not chat while he is addressing the ball. You do not keep the players behind you waiting. You repair your pitch mark and your divot holes.

No arrogant person will have long-term sustainable success in golf because it will constantly show you up if you are arrogant. The truly successful people in the game are people who are humble and they make the best business leaders.

Master the course or terrain

A golfer must master terrain by gauging wind and rain, as well as factors such as the slopes and shapes of the fairway, and the shapes, slopes and speed of the greens. Sometimes the shape in which the grass has been cut can lead you to play an extra stroke if not gauged effectively.

This is equally true for business. Events and changes in the macro and micro environments have an impact on the industry and eventually on your strategy. You need to take notice of events here on a continuous basis in order to develop and implement a strategy that will allow you to better serve the needs of your customers.

Celebrate a private victory

Enjoy the game! In the professional version of the game, it is important to win. But if you are only doing it for the money, you are not a lot different from a prostitute! This is valid for both business and golf!

Private victories are personal and relate to you as an individual person. The most gratifying shots I have played on the course are around 6 a.m. in the morning when I am all by myself on the 9th hole. Building your confidence and optimism in a private setting will teach you to deal with your ego and may arise when you need it most!

Sometimes all we need to get something done in business is to know we can do it and take away any doubt and it is not enough to be the best when you have the ability to be great! You are the creative force of your own life!

The art of thriving in chaos

Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia sometimes shape shots off the rough that seem virtually unplayable. They were faced with a certain set of conditions and knowing the course and having trust in their skills enabled them to come up with a shot that had the whole golfing world in awe!

I played six bunker shots recently and have had seven balls in the water the next hole and played two birdies (1 shot below par) subsequently. I love the most challenging shots and attempt to carry this same enthusiasm when managing business.

(Lewie Diasz – 18 handicap – is a Chartered Marketer, MBA (Wales). He is reading for his PhD at the University of Colombo and is a senior tutor at Strategy Business School. Please send your comments to [email protected].)