With the US Open last week and the US Senior Open this week, many conversations are turned to golf.
Congressional Country Club, Blue Course, Hole 10.
Mixing Golf and Business successfully is an art form. At businesses like GE, golf is a means to facilitate relationships that promote business and there is an expectation of competency. You can truly win and lose business on the golf course by your behavior. Consider this… “eighteen holes of match or medal play will teach you more about your foe than will 18 years of dealing with him across the desk.” (Grantland Rice)
I tell executives, when mixing business and golf, its not about golf, nor your handicap or index… its about your client, and making sure that you maximize the opportunity to communicate, build a relationship, show good judgement, and don’t violate sage principles of prosocial behavior on the course. Here are some sage rules to live by to get more fun and results from your business golf experiences.
1. Know the rules. Get a copy of the golf rules and learn them. Kicking your ball down the fairway, ‘improving your lie’, grounding your club in a sand trap, or moving your ball when in play is against the rules, and can risk you getting labelled as a rule breaker.
2. Don’t cheat. Mark your score and all of your penalty shots. Few things are worse than a cheater on a golf course, and just imagine what your invoices will look like with the same individual as a client or vendor.
3. Remember its all about your client having a good time. Don’t focus on posting your score from the round; focus on your client. Be pleasant. When you lose a ball in the rough, look only for a few minutes and if you don’t find one, toss out another ball, and take a penalty stroke. Balls are cheap; relationships are not. Don’t spoil the round by being overly obsessed by your score.
4. Golf is social, be social. Catch up on conversation with your business partner socially at first, and then ease into business. Get to you know client and demonstrate that you are smart, competent and likable. An article in Bloomburg News said that it would be a good idea if business was not discussed until after the 3rd hole, and that business was wrapped up by the 15th hole, thereby not spoiling the beginning or completion of the game.
5. Be respectful and polite. Golf is a game of courtesies, and show the courtesy to all around you by being pleasant, not demanding or in too much of a rush.
6. Don’t be an idiot on the golf course. Don’t have temper tantrums, throw clubs, break clubs, swear obsessively, or otherwise be an out of control person on a golf course. You
7. Keep your wits about you, and don’t say anything that could sabotage you or your company’s reputation; and to be most wise, don’t consider drinking alcohol until after your round at the 19th hole. Or in the words of the famous Dean Martin, “if you drink, don’t drive; don’t even putt.”
8. Observe golf etiquette and dress code. Be appropriate. Call ahead to the club house and determine if there are any special dress codes to abide.
9. Play fair, be merciful.
10. Take lessons. Don’t make excuses for how you play. Learn to play better. You will enjoy the game more, be less stressful, and have more fun.