Why do we play golf? A lot of it has to do with who we are and what golf tells us about ourselves. Lanny Watkins says we play golf “because golf mirrors our personality.” We hit two or three great shots in a round that tends to bring us back because they instill in us the belief that we can hit these great shots again and again. It teases us with a great shot and then a horrible next shot brings us to our knees. Golf is a great motivator because it keeps raising the bar. That great shot we hit last summer is not so important today, as we try to improve our shots by learning how to hit a draw (ball curves gently right-to-left for a right-handed player) or hook (ball curves gently left-to-right for a right-handed player) to get around an obstacle (perhaps a tree) that is in our way. Thus we accept the fact that we are always trying to improve.

So what leadership lesson does this teach us? It’s that effective leaders must be able to diagnose the needs of their people and help them make that “great shot.” They understand that success builds upon success and that each employee must continue to try to improve, or raise the bar.

Many consider golf a perfect game because every hole is a challenge regardless of your skill level. It is a perfect game because we always have the opportunity to improve; there is a scoring system to measure our improvement and it stretches our capabilities. Whether we hit a great shot or a poor shot, we get instant feedback. Golf gives us a vision of what we can achieve.

The game of golf is also a great motivator because it lets us know exactly what is expected of us, not how we are to achieve it. We know what par is for each hole, and it motivates us even more when we hit a birdie or even an eagle. We strive to get better when we hit a bogey or, sometimes in my case, a double bogey.

So what motivates a golfer to get up at five a.m. to play, or why do they play in the scorching heat of the desert sun? It is for many of the reasons that motivate us to grow and develop our own business or which inspire us to provide excellent service on behalf of our employers. These include the desire for:

• Challenge
• Opportunity to Improve
• Vision of What We Can Become
• Camaraderie and Environment
• Clarity of Goal
• The Thrill of Achievement
• Intrinsic Motivation

And what can we learn from all of these motivators? That all of these motivators are relevant whether it is golf we seek to improve at or something more personal.

Personal motivation is that inner drive that can bring about meaningful work. Remember, we “play golf” not “work at golf.” It is the same in the work world. People must love and want to do their job in order to be motivated to regularly improve.

Besides money, employees are motivated by challenges, opportunity, recognition, respect, promotions, feedback, empowerment, being listened to, the ability to make decisions and learn new things, work in a team environment, and have choices. With some of some of these there are costs, but some of them, like feedback and recognition, do not cost a thing. The opportunity to take on new challenges and feel empowered are also free.

A leader is not afraid to leave their comfort zone, to challenge assumptions, or to implement change. To motivate others, do it consciously and in a planned and orderly fashion. An executive coach can help in that process.

We now better understand that golf teaches us that motivation is about challenges, feedback, opportunities to improve, being a part of something greater than ourselves, and not being afraid to take on ever-more demanding goals.

So what did you shoot on this hole? f you did not do as well as you hoped, then the challenge is to improve on the next hole. This hole talked about “what” we need to do to motivate ourselves and others. The next hole teaches us “how.”

If you have employees or co-workers that can benefit from coaching, I would welcome the opportunity to be of service.

See you next month on Hole #4, COMMUNICATION.