I’m playing this weekend in our club’s Member/Member tournament. No, it’s not televised or even streamed – sorry. But it does provide a business thought I want to share with you. To get there, I’m going to take a few words and explain the format but stay with me – hopefully it’s worth the golf stuff.
You play with one other member as your partner over the course of 3 rounds. Each of the rounds is a different type of competition. The first is a scramble (you each hit and pick the best shot to play next then you both hit from there); the second is a best-ball (you each play your own ball and the low score counts on each hole); the final round is alternate shot (the team only plays one ball and the players alternate shots. One guys tees off on the odd numbered holes; the other on the evens). Got it? So what’s the business thinking?
My partner is a guy with whom I play golf almost every Saturday and Sunday. We know each other’s game very well. We have very similar handicaps but our games are different – I’m a better putter, he’s more consistent off the tee. I hit the ball a little farther, he’s more accurate. We’re a good team since our skills are different, equal overall, and complementary. That’s the first business thought and it’s pretty obvious that when it comes to team-building, that’s the recipe I recommend. We’re also of similar temperaments although I’m a little (OK, a lot) more vocal and we get along well through a round’s ups and downs.
But this tournament points out another business thought. Because of our combined skill set, we should do well no matter what the format. For example, his accuracy off the tee allows me to try and hit more aggressive shots to put the team in better positions in the scramble. My ability to hit recovery shots (let’s just say I get a lot of practice at that) can save us in alternate shot. When the rules of the game change, we’re equipped to change with them. Can you say the say about your business team? Often we assemble a group to excel today but give little thought to what things might be like next year or even further down the road. Can the team adjust to the new formats business is constantly throwing at us?
Consult Keith 