How's Your Game?

Have you ever wondered how Tiger Woods stays on top of his game? There are many reasons why, but one of the most remarkable is that he has a coach.  Let us consider this for a moment - Tiger is accepting feedback from a golfer that he could beat on a regular basis were they to play against each other.  Can you imagine being the preeminent golfer in the world, and modest enough to admit that you can get better? 

If golf is not your game, have you ever attended a seminar or conference and heard this comment: “We could never have worked our way out of this by ourselves.” Actually, with enough resources, time, and persistence it may have been possible to work their way out themselves. However, the question is do you have the reserves to put in that type of effort? Especially, when there are patients to see, objectives to hit, records to update, sales to make, meetings to attend, calls to make, reports to write, emails to answer, people to manage, presentations to prepare, and the list goes on. Oh, by the way, you still have your family and life waiting for you at the end of the day. Is it possible for people to find the time to work it out for themselves?

The common answer for most people is “No”. While our greatest enemy is time, there are other things that can hamper successful behaviors such as other people’s priorities, the organizations we are in, our current thinking and systems, our culture and values, and a cloudy vision.  

Getting back to Tiger Woods for a moment, in a recent article in Golf Digest, Tiger said, "I felt like I could get better. People thought it was asinine for me to change my swing after I won the Masters by 12 shots... Why would you want to change that? Well, I thought I could become better.” He made the choice to examine his present situation and make decisions to start a new process that would change things in his future. What things are important to you?

 “Well, I thought I could become better.”

Tiger Woods

I can’t be sure why Tiger has a coach, but I would like to believe he works with a coach for the same reasons all high-performing, successful individuals do. They subscribe to two beliefs. First, we cannot see our own shortcomings. Second, if we are not getting better we are not growing.

Let’s take a look at the first belief. Imagine the casual golfers who play on the weekend. Over the years, they have had their share of good fortune, just enough that they keep coming back for another game, although they’ve never really improved during that time. Occasionally, they will go to a driving range to “work on” one tip after another, mostly from fellow golfers. Usually, they just go to practice. However, what are they practicing?  You guessed it, their same old habits. They will continue to do the very things that are holding them back on the golf course. Why are they doing this? They cannot see their own shortcomings; consequently, they have no new possibilities.

Dynamic, high-performance individuals regard the second belief as the more powerful of the two – if we are not getting better, we are getting worse. They realize that they have been successful enough to be where they are today. They have had more ups than downs, made changes due to external influences, embraced technology, and updated their professional skills. Essentially, though they are the same individuals with the same habits, thinking, and attitude as when they started. Universally, it is accepted that as time goes by, things get better. We see technology get better, and improve the quality and length of our lives.  Nevertheless, they get better because people keep working to improve them. With things getting better on a daily basis, we ought to think about what it takes to be better ourselves.

Regardless of your occupation, profession, or calling you must get better even if you want to maintain your current level. Typically, if you sell 25 cars (homes or widgets) per month, but you don’t improve your technique, you will start to notice a decrease in volume as time goes on. Too many high-performance individuals, standing still means falling behind.

So what does this mean to you?   At various points in our life, we have all had feedback that was valuable to what and where we are today. As a professional, you are committed to being the best you can be in your field, for as long as you desire. So what does it take to keep you at your best?

If Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, John Daly, Pete Sampras, Richard Branson, Andy Roddick, and others seek professional coaching to gain the edge, get new perspectives, increase clarity and focus, and master their game, it is probably because constant self-evaluation is not a viable option, and the competition is tougher every day. 

Over time, it is easy for imperfections to sneak into somebody’s golf game. Their alignment is off, subtle weight shifting, teeing up carelessly, and rushing their shot. These happen without the golfer being aware of the shift in their game. Soon they start to notice their game going downhill. Most of us cannot detect these slight changes in our game until it is obvious. The same goes for professionals in every field. We may lose our edge without even noticing.

 “I took some steps backward to go forward--to make some giant leaps forward.”

Tiger Woods

Have you ever seen a golf professional at work? Did you notice how quickly he picks out an area to work on with a golfer? How he instantly recognizes the golfer’s blind spot, and unlocks new possibilities for the golfer? Immediately, the golfer has increased clarity and enthusiasm on the new way to their goal. Interestingly, it is the best golfers who visit their pro on a regular basis. The same is true of the best performing companies, businesses, professionals, and salespeople; they spend more money on development and training than less successful organizations.

 So why don’t many people visit their coach regularly? Here are some of the reasons I hear:

The bottom line is that we all need a coach sometime, whatever our profession, business, or experience. It is false economy to put off using experts who can help release potential and capability when your hands are full just keeping up with your business and life.

Prevention is better than the cure, so as a successful, high-performance professional trying to lower your handicap, maximize your performance, or raise your income, there is no better way than partnering with a professional coach.  

 So, how’s your game?