Are You the Women Executive in Your First Golf Event?
Business golf for executive women
A common concern for the woman executive is the pressure of being the only woman in an office golfing event. Advancement when the glass ceiling is pressing her down may well be at stake in this obligatory golf game. Our executive is expected to be professional and controlled and yet show enough competitive juices to satisfy her male teammates. She may be a women executive back at the office but not on the golf course.
In this business/play setting, a women executive needs to bring to bear all of the professional skills that got her to her position. While participating in her first golf event, she is expected to be competitive. She's not necessarily expected to be in charge. She needs to be controlled, but not necessarily controlling.
She can be thankful for one thing. The typical golf game at business outings is known as a golf "scramble". This golf competition was likely created for business people who don't play much golf. The competition is first and foremost a team effort. Everyone can contributes regardless of their skill level.
No one is even required to play an entire golf hole by themselves. First everyone drives the ball from the tee (the ladies tee is an advantage usually), the golfers hit their next shot from the best selected drive, and pick up their own drive. This pattern is followed for all golf strokes , including putts.
No one has to be an expert and the novice golfer can contribute. A woman with moderate skills can actually be a bonus to her team. Since she does hit from the front tees, even poor shots can roll a long way. Additionally, on the putting green, size and strength have very little meaning if you have a good feel for distance. Many scrambles are won by women's contributions.
Since the nature of this golf scramble is teamwork and mutual support. It can be a woman's paradise. Male chauvinism, which some times underly these outings with women executives can be greatly minimized especially if she doesn't let those issues bother her.
If a woman executive wants to hone her skills a little bit, she should practice her putting as much as anything else, especially from 10 feet in. She can be a star on the grens and her professional peers will respect both her management abilities and her golfing abilities. That after all is one of the motivating factors for her participation.
This is a business setting; however, you don't do any business. What you do is you play golf and work as a team. Very likely the best player of the four is the leader, in the sense that you have a leader in these games.The woman executive, if she's the best golfer, may well be the leader. All the elements of team play, all the elements of leadership are in view and are at issue in this mostly pleasurable competition.
Ideally our women executive, women who are pressing against that glass ceiling can enhance her position, can reaffirm her skills as a business leader and team player. The experience should be a win-win. More and more women golfers are finding that this experience is another arrow in their formidable quiver!
Bruce Baird is the founder/President of the Nationwide Golf Schools established in 1995 having taught over 10,000 students. Schools located in San Diego , Monterey, Palm Springs California. Also located in Las Vegas Nevada, and Myrtle Beach South Carolina. http://www.weteachgolf.com/blog
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