Drive Your Career Forward: Strategies for Success Inspired by Golf
They say business is done on the golf course… But business can actually also be improved on the golf course! Here’s how.
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Golf might seem like a simple sport, but it's about much more than just hitting the ball in the hole! To be a good golfer, you need a strategic mindset, adaptability, and mental toughness—and these things are not just handy for the golf course.
Whether you’re an experienced golfer or you’re completely new to the game, there’s career wisdom to be found on the fairways and greens. Let’s tee off and explore some key golf-related strategies to help you drive your career forward.
Preparation: It All Starts with Your Toolkit
The tool you choose to use on any given shot can make or break your success. Golfers carry a full set of clubs in their bag, but every shot requires careful selection based on the conditions, the obstacles, and the distances.
Your career toolkit is like your set of golf clubs—the unique combination of experience, skills, knowledge, and assets that you can draw upon to help you “play a good shot” every time.
Hard Skills Are Your Drivers
Your core technical skills in your profession are like the drivers in your golf bag. Your specialized skill set is what makes you able to do the job—practical skills, like coding for developers, design skills for designers, and so on.
Buff up your hard skills with courses and specific certifications, or do your own projects to add to your portfolio. These are the foundation upon which your career is built, just like every hole’s success is built upon a powerful drive.
Soft Skills Are Your Irons
Soft skills are as important as hard skills. On the golf course, these could be things like confidence, keeping your cool under pressure, positive talk, and so on. They add to and complement your hard skills.
In the workplace, things like communication skills, problem-solving, teamwork, being open to feedback, and similar things are considered valuable soft skills. Enhance your hard skills by using your soft skills to polish them up.
Portfolio
If a golfer had to look into another golfer’s bag, they’d get a good idea of the kind of golfer they are. Similarly, your portfolio needs to demonstrate what kind of business person you are.
Put together a good-looking, easy-to-follow portfolio that clearly highlights your skills and the unique aspects that make you stand out from the rest. Head over to our Projects section if you need some inspiration!
Know Your Course: Setting SMART Goals
A golfer won’t just tee off without thinking. Every hole requires thought and a bit of analysis before that first shot—and your career is exactly the same. Analyze the path forward and set targeted goals before you even begin.
Beyond Vague Ambitions
The more specific you can get, the better. Set SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. This helps you stay on track!
Don’t just say “I want to improve my drive”, say “By August, I want to add 20 yards to my drive.” Likewise, in a working environment, don’t just set goals like “I want a better job.” A goal like “Within the next 6 months, I want to be offered a project manager’s position that pays 20% more than I currently get.”
Specific is motivating! It also helps to narrow down the jobs you apply for and avoid a scattergun “I’ll take anything” kind of approach.
The Power of Sub-Goals
Once you’ve decided that you want to add distance to your drive or get a new job, work your way there. There’s no need to get there in one step—set smaller sub-goals along the way.
Over the next 2 months, you might inch closer to your ultimate goal of 20 extra yards on your drive. First, aim for 5. When you’re hitting that consistently, aim for 10, then for 15, and so on. This gives you smaller milestones to get excited about along the way and see progress.
At work, your sub-goals could be things like upskilling yourself, attending a webinar, reaching out to an authority in the field to make a new connection, or any small step that gets you closer to your main goal.
The Mental Game: Overcoming Obstacles
Every round of golf comes with hazards, obstacles, and frustrations. You need a tough mindset to stay positive and not let setbacks get you down. The same is true for your career—cultivating a tough mindset is essential to stay strong.
Resilience Is Your Superpower
Bad shots happen. So do bad career decisions! Focus on what’s in your control—your preparation and your mindset. Take every setback as an opportunity to learn and grow. Reframe your mind, analyze and find ways to improve, and keep going.
Visualize Success
Visualization is key to success in golf, and you can use it in your career too! Create a “mental movie” in your head in which you’re the main character, living your perfect life, working your perfect job.
Just like a golfer visualizes the ideal shot every time before they swing their clubs, you can visualize the perfect outcomes for interviews, projects, and opportunities. It won’t always happen exactly as you picture, but this is an amazing way of building a tough mindset and staying positive.
Mind the Sand Traps
Being aware of the hazards beforehand can make your journey easier. A golfer might look up the course beforehand so they have an idea of where the sand traps and water hazards are, which will play into their strategy.
In terms of career, take some time to figure out potential hazards. High level of competition? Imposter syndrome? Procrastination? Understanding these upfront will help you to focus on solutions rather than getting bogged down in the problems.
The Power of Your Network (AKA Your Caddie)
Caddies aren’t just there to carry golf bags. They’re trusted professionals with extensive golfing knowledge and can be relied upon to provide tips as you move through your game. Like choosing a good caddie, build your professional network with intent.
Make Genuine Connections
Your connections should be relevant and meaningful. Network and offer value to others, and learn from others who offer value to you. The Dots is ideal for networking purposes—check out our People section!
Find Your Mentors
Offer value to others, but find yourself at least one mentor—an experienced caddie you can learn from, take guidance from, and “walk in their footsteps.” You can seek mentorships both formally and informally, from people in your field whose work you admire. Ask for advice, be respectful, and offer something in return.
Be a Good Caddie Yourself
Don’t just take what you can get—offer value to others too. Support your peers where you can, offer help where it’s needed, and go the extra mile whenever possible. This builds up your reputation as being a “good caddie” or a worthwhile person to have on your side.
Continuous Improvement: Never Stop Learning
Whether you’re on the course or in the boardroom, the best gift you can give yourself is continuous learning and improvement. Upskill whenever you can to boost your credentials, stay curious about your field, and be open to feedback.
Remember, it’s a long game! Careers, like great golf games, aren’t built overnight. Celebrate the small wins, enjoy the process, and don’t beat yourself up if you make a mistake—it’s inevitable and an amazing opportunity to learn.
About the Author
Jordan Fuller is a retired golfer and businessman. When he’s not on the course working on his own game or mentoring young golfers, he writes in-depth articles for his website, Golf Influence.