Watching the World Golf Championships Mexico tournament on Sunday, there was a point in the round where Rory McIlroy did something that I often do when playing golf (and believe me, Rory and I do very little in common on the golf course). He hit his ball right next to a tree. I mean the ball was nestled up directly next to this huge tree with literally no swing available.
McIlroy called over an official to see if he could gain relief and he was denied. He quickly grabbed a club, turned it upside down and proceeded to play his shot left-handed back into the fairway. McIlroy is right handed, as our his clubs. He basically did a McGyver to create a possibility to escape and recover. Although he went in to bogey the hole, it was a remarkable play that minimized damage.
Here are a few business lessons for your consideration:
McIlroy never complained or berated the official as we see in other sports. He owned the fact that he put himself in that situation.
He quickly surmised the quickest and most effective way to get back to the fairway. Faced with other options that would have taken him away from the hole he was playing, he chose an unorthodox play to get back on course.
His short swing left-handed with his club facing the opposite direction was flawless. That means he’d done it before. Likely at some point in his life facing a similar situation, and knowing he might one day again, he practiced the shot until he became more than just competent. If he’s like most golfers, he likely turned the practice into a game.
Your challenge to take into next week and beyond:
Focus always on taking ownership of your actions and behavior. Too many people have a victim mentality where it’s always someone else’s fault. In my experience, the majority of times we find ourselves stymied by a tree is because we hit it there!
Always have a plan to recover quickly to get back in course. You should always know where the exits are in a building or an airplane. Likewise, you should know where the quickest exit to get back to your own fairway is. Not doing so is negligent to your employees and clients; and perilous to your profitability.
Finally, practice your recovery. The reason amateur golfers like me shoot high scores is because we never practice hitting out of the woods; rather focusing on the perfect position created by driving ranges. You must practice your escape and recovery plans in order to be prepared to hit that difficult shot when it’s most needed.
Quote of the Day:
“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you are doing.”
~ W. Edwards Deming
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