Play business like Golf

Masonry Construction, Sept, 2003 by George Hedley

One of my dreams is to play the "Top 100" rated golf courses in the world. These courses are often private country clubs that hold PGA tournaments. To date, I have been fortunate to play over 30 of these venues. Every year, I look forward to Golf Digest magazine's new rankings to look for other courses that I may be able to play.

No targets

Imagine getting invited to play golf at a brand new course. You plan the trip for months and finally arrive at the course excited and ready to roll. You hit that first shot right down the middle around 240 yards. Not able to see the green yet, you hit a three wood down the left side of the fairway about 215 yards. The green should be close now.

As you approach the ball, you still can't see the green so you ask your playing partner for directions. He then informs you that this course is unique because there are no greens, pins, or holes to aim at. Only a long fairway meandering through the beautiful countryside. The object of this round is to enjoy the scenery and try your best. No score is kept.

Can you imagine wanting to play golf without greens, targets, pins, or holes. Just hit the ball down the continuous fairway. Seems absurd doesn't it?

Look at your business. Is it like the game of golf? Are there clear targets for everyone to shoot at?

Game of golf

Think about the game of golf. It takes tour plus hours to play it in the hot sun while fighting the elements. You hit a little white ball into the rough, lakes, traps, and out of bounds. You miss shots and look for lost balls. Every once in a while you hit a good shot, but you can always do better. What makes the game of golf so attractive or appealing to millions of crazy people?

Golf is a competitive and challenging game. There are lots of different shots, club selection is a personal choice, and the game is enjoyed with friends working toward a common goal. No matter what your score, you can always improve. The targets are clear and the greens are usually easy to see. Everyone knows exactly what they are shooting for.

Game of business

Do you play the game of business like the game of golf? Do all of your employees, project managers, superintendents, foreman, field crews, business teams, departments, and divisions know the rules? Do they have clear targets and know where the pin is placed every week? Is their game competitive and fun? Do they know when they make a par, birdie or bogey?

Most employees don't have clear targets. When there is no competition, there is no incentive to work harder, improve, or do more than the minimum. Work is the same old drudgery month after month and year after year. There are no new terrain, targets, holes, or anything different.

Clear targets

To make your business more like the game of golf, give everyone clear targets to hit. Try one of these ideas:

* Weekly targets for most masonry installed, most customer sales calls, most invoices processed, most bills paid, or most contracts let

* Monthly contests for most referrals, fewest service callbacks, fastest schedule, fewest crew days on a job, largest invoice, best new idea implemented, or most leads

* Quarterly achievements for most estimates, largest proposal, best customer service action, fewest accidents, most job profit, most man-hours saved versus the estimate, most new employees recruited, or accurate on-time job cost reports.

Add a wager

As a golfer, I always play better when there is a small wager on the line. The stakes don't have to be very high to keep my mind on the game. A $2 bet keeps me focused, improves my concentration, and lowers my score every time.

Try adding small prizes to your business targets to get the team excited about winning the game. Simple and fun incentives work as well as cash.

The list of ideas to target is endless. The key to a good game of business is to shoot for something. Any target is better than no target. Keep the targets simple and clear. Align them toward your top business priorities. Involve everyone and have fun.

Playing business like golf is the perfect approach towards shooting par. Keep your head down, tee it high, and watch it fly!

George Hedley owns a $75 million construction and development company and Hardhat Presentations. He speaks to companies on building profitable businesses, leadership, and customer loyalty. He holds monthly, three-day, in-depth "Profit-Builder Circles" open to construction company owners in an interactive roundtable format. The "Profit-Builder System" includes proven tools to always make a profit, build equity, create wealth, win profitable jobs, motivate your people, and enjoy the benefits of owning a profitable company.

Mr. Headley's latest book--"On-Purpose, On-Target"--is available at www.woc bookstore.com.

For information on Mr. Hedley's programs or to receive his free management e-newsletter, visit www.hardhat presentations.com, call 800-851-8553, or e-mail him at gh@hardhatpresentations.com