Being out and about networking with people, playing golf with people and managing the Business Golf Country Club membership all offers me a unique opportunity to talk to business people about business golf. Naturally, many of the people I talk to off the golf course who do not play golf have an array of impressions of Golf. Following are the Top Three Things that keep people form playing Business Golf
1. Attitude
It seems the common thread of the non-golfers, and some golfers, towards Golf and Business Golf is their ‘attitude’. For some their attitude towards Golf in general is negative. For the golfers who do not use golf as a business tool the concept seems to be too complicated or feel it really does not work as good as the methods of business development they currently use. For those who do not play golf, the concept of playing golf is beyond them so anything they do not know how to do promotes their negative attitude towards golf.
Usually, after drilling down further, I find out more about the person I am dealing with I find it is their attitude in general that is keeping them from reaching goal. So, having an attitude towards golf not being something of interest is just that…an attitude. Which is keeping them form experiencing many things that would improve their life as well as their business.
2.Vanity
Oh, Yes. I wish I had a penny for every time I have heard someone tell me..’I don’t want to look foolish’..or, ‘golf fashion just is not me’. I would be able to pay cash for a home on PGA West and site out on the patio and heckle the members…well, almost.
Vanity seems to play a huge part in many people’s lives and business. In some cases it should. Having a professional image does calm consumes concerns and builds greater trust.
However, I have run into a large number of business executives who tell me..usually through their assistant or other indirect communication..that they do not want to play golf because their lack of athleticism would make them appear ‘weak’, ‘less professional’ or ‘less in command’. Unfortunately, in the majority of cases I reviewed of these type of executives, their vanity to how they look in the workplace is causing the same concerns they are trying to avoid due to their lack of athleticism.
3. Misunderstanding
The lack of understanding golf and how what it offers towards relationship building is probably the number one thing keeping business people from playing golf. What keeps it from being certain is the other two top things keeping people from playing business golf are specific leaving the misunderstanding of golf covering a larger area of things people think about Golf.
To a business person, executive or business owner, not knowing something in the business world is, in their minds, to appear to be less professional. So to cover that lack of knowledge they will talk over the issue or write it off as something not worthy of their time.
The misunderstanding of Golf and its positive virtues is usually what I deal with in many encounters I have with people I talk to off the golf course. It is the lack of understanding golf that is keeping so many people in business away from learning to play golf.
A persons attitude, vanity and understanding for things really does affect the way they go about life and business. Changing the thinking in any of these Top Three Reasons for Not Playing Business Golf would make a change in life and business.
Let me know how I can help.