Any golfer will tell you that choosing the right club for the situation is an essential first step to success on the course, as if you choose the wrong club, you’ll likely be missing your target regardless of how well you hit the ball. You must keep in mind that the club that is right for a particular shot is going to be different depending upon the player’s skill level.
This principle holds true in business as well. In order to succeed, you need to choose the correct tool for a particular business situation. Whether it’s to hire someone or to choose new software, the tool that is right for a particular business situation changes from one business situation to another. But looking at the game of golf, you can see ways it can help an entrepreneur with a few lessons.
Golf is Hard, So is a Startup – and it’s OK
It’s fairly common for entrepreneurs to start their businesses with a fair degree of inexperience, without the knowledge that being their own boss is harder than they think. It’s easy to look at the pros, in both golf and business, and think they make what they do look easy. But in reality, it isn’t. It takes a lot of practice, patience, and time. Just as great golfers have spent years honing their skills, successful entrepreneurs have likely spent years, and possibly many attempts that ended in failure to learn what it takes to succeed.
Do Your Job, Not Everyone’s
You’ll never see a pro golfer in a tournament carry their own bag. That’s because they are doing the job that they are supposed to be doing, and need to focus on their next shot, and keeping their swing correct on the next shot. Their caddies do the job of carrying the bag, along with helping them to work develop and implement the strategy to take on the hole. For business owners, it’s essential to have people surrounding them that help to function. Even solo-entrepreneurs have the need to outsource various tasks, freeing up valuable time to be as productive as possible.
Have a Strategy
Watch a pro golf tournament and you’ll hear the players and caddies discussing their strategy for each hole, and how to play their shots from the tees to the green. In reality, they’ve spent several days out on the course before the first shot of the first round, looking at each of the holes, all the hazards, and the landscape to come up with the best approach. This also has to be done when running your own business. Take the time to build strategies for projects, with projections and plans for the first year, third, fifth, and years beyond.
Don’t Sweat a Slow Start, Finish Strong
Avid golfers and golf fans can attest that most of the time, tournaments and matches are won on the back nine. Despite a slow start, the top players shake that off and find a rhythm after several holes, continuing to build momentum during the round and tournament to help them finish at the top of their game for the day. Many business owners, especially entrepreneurs struggle and get down on themselves. But remember running your own business is tough and just because things may get bumpy, that doesn’t mean you can’t pull it together and finish strong. Be sure not to question yourself until you’ve put some time into the operation, and stay in the game and find a way to finish strong.
