Add value to your incentive meeting with golf events beyond the tried and true.
Think ROI for your golf outing — and your business.
Golf events can be lasting and meaningful incentives. Thanks to the handicap system (and multiple tee-box options) golf offers a level playing field for those of varying abilities and interest levels. Golf can be highly competitive or a way to enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. Beyond that, golf tournaments, golf instruction programs, and “business golf” sessions give your achievers skills that are likely to generate improved performance and bottom-line returns for the company.
The marketplace continues to grow more competitive, but the percentage of exceptional performers remains the same. A company's only advantage is its ability to attract and retain more of these performers than its competitors. Putting golf to work as part of your overall incentive program might just be your competitive edge. But don't simply plan a tournament. Break from the mold and consider programs that touch on personal skills — such as listening and visioning — whose lessons can be applied to management goals and to business golf.
Here are some options for integrating the next generation of the golf outing into your event:
What's Going On in There? — An Arizona researcher has studied the brain waves of golfers while they putt. Learn how stress and pressure affect the way we think and perform … on the green and in the office.
Power Profiles — Learn how our unique character and personality traits affect the way we learn, process information, and respond to challenges. Would you believe that all the skills and talents that make you a successful manager may well be your Achilles' heel on the golf course? It's true!
Business Golf — Get the basics down — who does what, when, where, and why — so you can concentrate on being a great host and ensuring that your client, or prospective client, enjoys the time on the course (and you as a partner). Throw in a bit of rules and etiquette, some easy self-diagnostic tips (for when your swing goes wild), and the do's and don'ts of on-course small talk.
A Winning Strategy — In business golf, a winning strategy is easy once you know the key components of performance dynamics and visualization. Any golf experience is enhanced when you create goals and work toward meeting them.
Be Your Own Best Coach — When you consider the challenges that golf, as well as business and life, throw at us on a regular basis, the value in being your own best coach is clear. Combine a golf instruction session with playing time to test attendees' newfound “coaching” skills, which include lessons that apply to every aspect of their lives.
Mona Gambetta, vice president of marketing for the Scottsdale Golf Group, represents the John Jacobs' Golf Schools to companies across the country. Reach her at (480) 991-8587 or mgambetta@jacobsgolf.com.