What does the game of golf have to do with being successful at our jobs? If you’re not a golfer, you might be inclined to say, “NOTHING!” Golfers wear funny pants, it’s the most boring sport to watch on TV, and you have to be extremely quiet… right? Well I’m here to prove wrong all of you duffers and hackers (golf speak for – to put it lightly – bad players)! Let’s shine a little light on the greatest game ever played and make clear the link between golf and the workplace.
First of all, let me give you a little background on myself. I’m a recent graduate of Western Michigan University, and I’m a marketing intern here at Quicken Loans. Practically born with a club in my hand, I took up golf competitively at the age of eight, and the rest is history. After great successes at the junior level, I later enjoyed competing with the best in the state as a high school player. Hard work, patience, and diligent practice got the attention of many college coaches, and I made the choice to attend WMU to be a part of the team. In sum, being a college player was an awesome experience! I learned a lot, became best friends with my teammates, and traveled to ten different states to play some of the top courses in the nation during my career. In my final year, our team was the best it has ever been – we won a record three tournaments during the fall and spring seasons! Now that I’ve graduated and my clubs are getting slightly dusty, I’m taking the lessons I’ve learned from the game and applying them to the workplace.
Now I’ll share with you a few things that I think can give golfers a slight edge on the job.
- Golfers are innovative – If you’ve played a round on some of the tough courses we have here in Michigan, you’ll probably have an impossible shot you once attempted come to mind. Fried egg lies? In a divot? Behind a tree? Awkward stance? Well, unless you take the easy way out and give yourself a princess lie in the fairway, you have to be creative and figure out just how to get the lowest score in the fewest amount of strokes. At work, we often face challenges and don’t know how to solve them. It takes the ability to see the big picture and some critical thinking outside the box.
- Golfers follow through on things – I’m not just talking about following through on your swing! It’s not over until the last putt drops and the scorecard is signed. We have to finish what we start and we don’t always get mulligans at work. On the course – as it can be on the job – what’s done is done and the score is recorded (unless we consider golf pencils that have erasers)
Golfers understand the importance of honesty and humility – Anyone who follows professional golf and recalls Dustin Johnson’s extremely unfortunate rules situation that cost him the PGA Championship will know what I mean. Or the tragic downfall of Rory McIlroy at this year’s Masters highlighted by his extremely humble attitude afterwards. Golf is a sport of honor and honesty, we often have to call penalties on ourselves and be able to accept such frustrations graciously. Same goes for the workplace – sometimes we slip up, but it’s always easier to admit the mistake, accept the situation, and trudge on to do a better job next time (and in Rory’s case, the next time was a mind blowing win at the US Open).
Those were just a few examples of how golf has – and will continue to – help me during my internship and later on in life. Anyone interested in a little friendly golf competition, please let me know! I’m accepting all bets
Tags: Business on the Golf Course Detroit Golf Golf Golf and Business Golf and Relationships Golf Competition Golf Lessons Michigan Golf Quicken Loans Intern Western Michigan University Golf Team
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