Business for (Golf) Swingers
Amy Joyce of the Washington Post writes about a new breed of organization consultant, the business-golf expert. According to the article, people like Hilary Brugen teach executives, as well as those lower down but climbing up the corporate ladder how and why "golf can be an important business tool"
Golf has long been a pursuit of the business elite. The golf course is the place for people such as former General Electric CEO Jack Welch to recruit corporate directors, or for the head of law and accounting firms to test the mettle of potential partners.
But now, golf is promoted as an important strategic tool for mid-level managers looking to advance, and even for business students.
University of Maryland students this fall will be able to earn three credits as they learn how to schmooze with potential employers, clients and executives.
In the "Golf: For Business and Life" course, students will spend the semester in lectures by area business leaders, and, of course, on the greens.
As a business school professor, rather than business development manager, I admit to more than a little skepticism about the importance some people place on golf as a business tool. To my mind, it can help only at the margin. That is to say, the key is to first have something of value to bring to the conference table, to the roundtable.
Without that, no one of importance is going to invite you to play a potentially deal-making (or breaking) round of golf. Put another way, if you are not already in contention for a promotion, a contract, or a choice assignment, it's hard to see how a great golf game or even good on the links demeanor, will get you ahead.
But, having first passed those essential tests, it's not hard to see how having a good game can be a very valuable intangible asset for the up-and-comer and why a round or two can provide the evaluator with insights into evaluated's character that might not otherwise be observed in the workplace setting.
If I can ever manage to get my hands on the syllabus for the U of Maryland course on business golf, I post some information about it. In the meantime, I'll keep working on my squash game, the game of choice among several of my senior colleagues!