John Paul Newport’s recent article on Tiger’s Search for Golf Stamina (Wall Street Journal March 7, 2009) has some ideas directly applicable to business leaders onboarding into new positions – particularly after a layoff.
Key points:
PAST RESULTS NO GUARANTEE: Know that past results are no guarantee of future performance
PREPARE TO PLAY IN ADVANCE: Get yourself 100% prepared to play before you start to play
BUSINESS STAMINA: Build back your “business stamina” – focus, the ability to sustain concentration, attitude and confidence
ANXIOUSNESS ABOUT RESULTS: Work through the inevitable early-days’ anxiousness about results
BATTLE-TESTED ALL OVER AGAIN: Welcome the opportunity to get battle-tested and boardroom-tough all over again
From the article
for business leaders
BUSINESS STAMINA
Needs “golf stamina” – focus, the ability to sustain concentration, attitude and confidence
⇨ Needs “business stamina” – focus, the ability to sustain concentration, attitude and confidence
BATTLE-TESTED ALL OVER AGAIN
“Golf stamina is all about being battle-tested and tournament-tough,” he said. “I liken it in some ways to taking your licks at the start of football season. Until you start getting hit a few times and remember what it feels like and dust yourself off and then get hit again, you can’t really get into game mode.” (Tom Lehman)
⇨ Business stamina is all about being battle-tested and boardroom-tough…Until you start getting hit a few times and remember what it feels like and dust yourself off and then get hit again, you can’t really get into game mode.”
ANXIOUSNESS ABOUT RESULTS
‘Another distraction after layoffs is being anxious about results. “For the first few rounds it’s hard not to worry about your score, about making this putt or missing that putt, or whatever, because you just don’t know where your game is going to be. It takes time to settle in. The best results always come when you’re focusing on nothing but execution and letting the results just happen as they will.”’
⇨ Another distraction after layoffs is being anxious about results. For the first few rounds it’s hard not to worry about the process itself, about making this point or missing that connection, or whatever, because you just don’t know where your game is going to be. It takes time to settle in. The best results always come when you’re focusing on nothing but execution and letting the results just happen as they will.
PREPARE IN ADVANCE
And you also have to feel 100% prepared to play. “You can’t just decide on Friday you want to play the following week. You have to start aiming at a tournament weeks in advance, and leave no stone unturned in the work you do on your game,” he said. “If there’s any doubt or uncertainty about whether you’re ready, it will show up.”
⇨ And you also have to feel 100% prepared to play. “You can’t just decide on Friday you want to show up for work the following Monday. You have to start aiming at a new role weeks in advance, and leave no stone unturned in the work you do on your game,” he said. “If there’s any doubt or uncertainty about whether you’re ready, it will show up.”
PAST RESULTS NO GUARANTEE
“Past results, as readers of this newspaper know all too well these days, are no guarantee of future performance.”
⇨ True true. This why it’s so important to prepare to succeed in a new role.
George Bradt
PrimeGenesis Executive Onboarding and Transition Acceleration
