People on the Golf Course: When to Talk Business
With its more relaxed yet challenging atmosphere, the fairway is becoming one of the preferred alternatives to the boardroom to conduct business. Experts and aficionados agree that no other sport is more conducive to developing camaraderie and testing the waters of potential business partnerships. No other sport allows its players the time and environment to mingle both leisure and business.
Ever since John D. Rockefeller completed the first round in 1899, golf has been a favorite pastime of businessmen, from small entrepreneurs to Forbes regulars and it was not long before businessmen combined their two passions. Business and golf are both mental endeavors that are strong indicators of how one handles pressure, one’s approach to risk and one’s management abilities. Aside from clinching sales and mergers, the fairway is even becoming a popular place to gauge the potential of young executives to climb the corporate ladder and a basic skill and understanding of the game and its specialized etiquette has the power to make or break a career.
Incorporating business objectives into the game has become a corporate strategy and the maximizing of business golf has even evolved into a science and an industry in itself. However, one of the key questions in business golf that is still being debated involves the appropriate time to get down to business. After all business golf is not merely a leisure activity and a chance to get out of the office and one’s suit and tie but an opportunity to expand your contacts and develop your business.
Although experts and consultants are divided as to the exact right time to raise a proposal on the green, they are united in the stand that just as it is important to be able to read the course in order to play your shots right. It just as important to be able to read your co-players in order to know when to push and when to hold back.
Aside from the rules of golf, it is helpful to know some basic types of golfers to help you gauge the atmosphere and strike when the iron is hot. According to a study by the Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, there are four basic types of business golfers. The first are known as the “Gunslingersâ€. This type of golfer is not so organized but is not afraid to take risks. They look for any advantage they can get and like to gamble. Because they look for any advantage, the gunslinger is also the type of golfer most likely to cheat. “Non-Competitorsâ€, on the other hand, prefer a more relaxed atmosphere and play golf for fun. They are usually calm and stay away from risks. “Escapists†meantime are passionate about golf and are very competitive. They prefer to prioritize golf over business during a round of business golf. Lastly, “Power Players†expect to talk business on the fairway as they enjoy the challenge of both golf and business. They also enjoy gambling and anything to make the game more challenging.
Understanding one’s approach to golf will help you plan your strategy and when to raise business matters. You will also be able to gauge the group dynamics and make adjustments if your foursome includes more than just one type. Knowing how people will relate to each will further help you in planning your outings and which guests to invite in order to maximize the benefits of business golf. Aside from watching them play, you can get a heads up by asking them what sort of clubs or balls they use when you invite them for a round in order to see if they take the game seriously or if it is just a hobby. For example, if you are a Power Player, you may want to avoid talking shop when playing with an Escapist or wait while you’re having drinks at the club to bring up business. Being able to accommodate the specific characteristics of the profiled players can also inspire trust and even if business is put on the backburner for the first round. You will still have been able to develop a relationship and building blocks for business to be discussed at a future time.
Aside from knowing the basic types of golfers, etiquette and being able to read the atmosphere is also important in knowing when and even if you should talk business. For example, you know you don’t want to ask about that sale when your client is concentrating on a game-winning putt or after he has neatly plopped five balls into the water hazard. While some experts advise not even talking about business on the first outing or simply waiting for your partners to raise the issue, others have their own basic guidelines that are worth heeding.
For example, some consultants recommend that if you’re going to raise business, you should at least wait until everyone has hit their tee shots. Also, honor the 20 seconds before a person hits a shot to when the ball hits the ground and keep your mouth shut. Once everyone has hit his or her approach shots, it is acceptable to talk business until you get to the green. Some experts suggest that the best time to raise business would be between the fifth and fifteenth holes and to try and keep business out of the beginning and the end of the round. One should be careful about talking business too early in the game because if the discussion goes sour, the rest of the day may be long and awkward.
Just because the walls of the office are replaced with rolling green and blue skies and the suits and ties are doffed for shorts and soft spikes, one’s preparation for a business golf outing should not be any less stringent than if one were to give a presentation in a boardroom. Although you don’t have to be able to play like Tiger Woods, you should have a good handle on the rules of the game. Just as it is important to learn how to read the course, you should also learn to read people and situations.
