How many people do you influence?
Fun and fascinating project by FastCompany - The Influence Projecthttp://fcinf.com/v/cftr
Find out how influential you are
Dr John Kenworthy
CCO GAINMORE™ Golf
GAINMORE™ Advantage
Giving my power away
This month has been an interesting and taxing struggle for me. I delegated work!Not just any work, but the type of work that I quite honestly enjoy a great deal. I'm quite happy to delegate the stuff I don't really enjoy doing, but the things I love to do and that I'm pretty good at doing?
The first major shift for me this month was delegating a number of coaching clients to my team. Not unusual in itself, but for the first time, delegating the whole of GAPPS3 feedback.
The second major shift is our new website. Now I've been pretty good at creating websites, programming fancy things, building communities and so on, and secretly I thoroughly enjoy doing it and seeing what else the technology can do and how it can help our clients. The trouble is, 90% of the widgets and gadgets never actually get used, and sometimes, people can't find the important things when they are looking.
So, this time I've got in a pro to help. Pam Siow, is an expert at website design and comes highly recommended. The only difficulty for me has been 'letting go' and empowering her to do the job.
Does she do things the way I would?And whilst that's why I asked her to do it... oh it's been tough to just allow her to do her job. I'm glad I did by the way, check out the result for yourself, and do tell us what you think.
No way!
So here's what I learned.
Delegation
Delegate [del-i-geyt]: to send or appoint (a person) as deputy or representative; to commit (powers, functions, etc.) to another as agent or deputy.
I probably spend about a third of my coaching hours helping leaders delegate effectively and empowering their staff. Of course, I have all the theory and 'proof' and do have considerable experience of delegating (it is kinda difficult to run hotels, restaurants and pubs or a B. School without using at least some of the staff to help).
Delegating to someone successfully needs the leader to:
1. Establish exactly what to delegate to whom
2. Clarify the specific results you want
3. Clearly define responsibilities
4. Communicate the scope and authority
5. Establish a time frame
6. Monitor progress
So far so good. I knew what to delegate and to whom. Number 2... now that was more difficult, but having chosen to delegate to a professional, I was well guided. Then the erst was easy. Keeping to my side of the deal... well that was a test of willpower
Delegation is not that difficult is it?
Not when the person to whom you are delegating knows what they are doing, has the right experience, attitude, motivation and process. So why did I resist it so much? Why was I so uncomfortable?
Partly it's pride I admit, mostly though, its about power! I'm giving power over my business, my marketing, my public face... to someone else!
Empowerment
Empower [em-pou-er]: to give power or authority to; authorize, esp. by legal or official means; to enable or permit.
Last month in my newsletter, I shared about "Trust" (You can sign up here) - which perhaps is a precursor of empowerment, or for many "trust" is something that comes after the result. You either reduce uncertainty by trusting without certainty, or you reduce uncertainty by shifting the burden.
Empowering someone though is much more than delegation and trust. Empowering is giving away your power!
Now if your level of influence (read my article on Influence Level here when you want to know more) is on the lowest rung, "Position", you will always struggle to empower because 'power' is all you have and if you give it to someone else, well how will you influence them?
The key to empowerment is in the second definition above: "Enable" - to make ready, to equip, to make able.
You as the leader need to teach, coach or mentor that person with the skills, knowledge, expertise, means and resources they need to undertake the tasks you wish to delegate to them.
So, strictly speaking, this last month I've empowered by coaches to take on some of my clients and I delegated my website to Pam.
The result? Well, judge the latter for yourselves (and do let us have your feedback).
And I'm learning to loosen my grip to gain more control
Dr. John Kenworthy, "What's better today?",
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Dr John Kenworthy
CCO GAINMORE™ Golf
GAINMORE™ Advantage
Breaking the habit
At this time of year, many people are planning on over-indulgence, eating too much, drinking perhaps a little more than is wise. And we hear the refrain, "I'll make my resolution to change in the new year". But, habits are difficult things. Most often the term is associated in a derogatory sense. i.e. these are bad habits. Any smoker will tell you! There are good habits of course, but for the moment, let's work on the basis that the habitual way you are playing includes some bad habits that you'd like to be rid of.So, first a warning!
Every single thing that we do (good or bad) started with a positive
intention - and usually some aspect of a habit retains some form of
original positive intention. We, as human beings, ONLY do something
positive. So, no matter what your habit, there is something positive in
it for you - if we can, we want to retain that aspect.So, remember, everything that you do has a positive intention for you - this applies to everybody else on the planet as well. Someone who smokes often obtains physical pleasure, others say it helps reduce food cravings, some claim reduced stress. Whatever the habit, there was, at least originally, a positive intention.
When you step up to the tee and go through an habitual routine telling yourself that the last time you played this hole you sliced it into the woods, or "I always top it in the bunker" - you have, believe me, a positive intention… even though you are setting yourself up to fail. Or perhaps you have the mantra "I never win tournaments, I'm just not good enough" running through your head - it is to protect you from winning! Obviously your unconscious mind is clear that you can not win a tournament because your egotistical nature would cause your spouse to up and leave you after recounting the winning stroke for the 1000th time.
So, how do we rid ourselves of habits? Well, it can be a lengthy process:
See, if you get rid of the 'H', you still have 'a bit'.
You get rid of the 'A', and you still have a 'bit'.
You get rid of the B, and you still have 'it'.
To get rid of the 'I', you have to look to the '†' and choose what is central to your life, your game and not at the effect of the whims and fancies of your feelings, other people or the environment.
If you truly want to improve your game, there are going to be some sacred cows to slaughter.
Dr John Kenworthy
CCO GAINMORE™ Golf
GAINMORE™ Advantage
The Great Delusions of success
M. Scott Peck in 'the road less travelled' starts: "Life is difficult". What is most surprising, is that, for many people, this is a revelation! Go to any business networking event, or meet a potential client - especially during the current economic situation and they will be moaning incessantly about the enormity of their problems, burdens or difficulties as if life should be easy.
Perhaps you are struggling on your journey to achieving your 'success' and you may be suffering the consequences of one or more of the nine common delusions about achieving success. Depending on how much you believe your 'success' is down to what you do (cause) and how much is down to external forces over which you have little or no control (effect) determines where you might be:
It's impossible!
Particularly for those just embarking on their journey, 'success' is a place far away. We may have wonderful dreams about it and a delightfully crafted goal. But as the days, weeks and months go by and 'success' doesn't appear to be any closer, many people throw in the towel. More budding entrepreneurs than I can recall have given up - life without a salary is just too tough.
When we've given up because 'success' is impossible, we'll then criticize it. Anyone who achieves success whom we deem less worthy is the subject of our scorn and contempt - "they don't deserve it!".
It's a mystery to me...
If we survive the 'impossible' stage, seeing others achieving yet success continues to elude us we search for the secret.
We need to find the magic formula, the silver bullet or the golden key.
Retuning to that bookshop to find 'the' book that will change our lives. So many promise that you can achieve success in business, life, management, health, diet and they are snapped up.
Business people are constantly looking for quick fixes to problems:
- To sell more, we need the sales messages and techniques that instantly convert a cold call into a lifelong customer.
- To produce more, we need the unique leadership skills that magically and massively increase performance.
- To maintain shareholder value we need to increase profitability by increasing sales and reducing costs simultaneously. Either that or we cook the books to make it look as though we did.
Lady luck?
OK, so there's no absolute secret to success. Sure we can learn from others, but they didn't really do it instantly, it took time. But essentially, they were in the right place at the right time. No more than luck.
So if success is down to luck - all I can do is hope for it. One day my ship will come in. Next year, when the current economic crisis is over. The dice will fall my way.
May as well buy lottery tickets.If you've waited for 'lady luck' long enough and still on the journey, by now you may believe that luck only comes to those who create it for themselves.
All I need is a break!
If only...
Everyone has a story about someone they know who got their break. The telephone sales guy spotted in a mall by a movie producer and became an instant star. The busker in the subway 'found' by the record label. The crazy inventor who made gold from apple seeds.
But, if all you do is wait for it, when your opportunity comes your way, you won't be ready for it.So you've not had fortune turn up on your doorstep. The 43 steps to instant success didn't quite work out as expected. That anticipated call from the client you've not met didn't come. Your website is getting plenty of 'hits' but turning those into business isn't quite happening.
What I need is leverage.
We look for an angle to exploit or for leverage over someone else.
They're successful. They do the same thing as me. Surely I can hang onto their coat tails and ride along until I'm on my feet, then I can set up on my own again, take the best customers with me and ...
All I need to do is work harder!
OK, so you're in charge of the situation now. It's not about luck or any special formula. It's all about hard work.
The best thing about working hard and producing results is that it feels rewarding.
Talk to anyone who has achieved success in their business, and I'll bet they worked hard for it. They just kept going. Putting everything on the line and never giving up.
So that's the real secret? Well, yes and no. Those people you know who are really successful in their business or career. How's the rest of their life? Is there a chance that they are neglecting important relationships? I know of no-one on their death bed saying "I wish I'd spent more time at the office."
Hard work itself doesn't bring success - you may be in a dead-end job, or your fabulous new product will remain unwanted forever.
So I haven;t attended the right event yet...
Most people take the middle road towards their success. A route that depends much on self-effort, yet recognizes that the outside world has a role in my success too.
A huge number of people believe that success is an event, so they schedule for it. They attend the seminar by one of those fabulous speakers and just know that after this, they will have both the secrets of success and have made connections with like-minded people who will help each other achieve success.
The most common form of event in companies is the 'training event'. Apparently, the two-day workshop on strategic business leadership is going to equip you with all the knowledge, experience and determination to make your business the incredible success is deserves to be.
That 'rah-rah' motivational event might just be the tipping point of a decision to move on, but success is a process not an event.
I just need better connections...
This is the massively growing space for business people.
We've all heard the phrase, it's not what you know, it's who you know. So we network for success. No longer is this the restrictive domain of the 'old school tie', the golf club or the masons. Networking is accessible to all - and the world becomes your oyster.
New technologies allow us to easily expand out network beyond any previous borders. I can network with people across the globe and in my local chapter - over breakfast, lunch, coffee, in a virtual world, in a chat room, a forum. And surely, if I connect with enough people, I'll get to meet the 'who you know' that is going to make that difference.
The right relationships certainly help in achieving your 'success' but connections alone neither improve life nor guarantee 'success'.
Remember Billy Carter? No?
No-one can network himself to success unless he has something to offer in the first place.
So I just need to be recognized...
As we network with more and more people to increase our visibility we want to be recognised by more and more people for our talents, our special ness, our difference. So we strive for success by being recognized.
For the great business people, it might be the cover of Time magazine. For the scientist or academic, maybe the Nobel prize. The writer for the Pulitzer. The movie star an Oscar. The musician, a Grammy.
Most people would settle for a lot less. Walking into a room full of people and being called by name to come over and 'let me introduce you to...' A client who recommends you to a friend. A collaborator who endorses you. A boss who thanks you.
Dr John Kenworthy
CCO GAINMORE™ Golf
GAINMORE™ Leadership
How do you influence yourself?
When I ask this question in our workshops, I am usually met with blank stares at first.I call them 'blank stares' because to be looked at as if you are completely off your trolley isn't something I choose to reinforce. The response from that first brave soul suggests that there is no need to influence oneself. Basically, it runs like this:
I decide to do something, I tell myself to do it, and I do it. No influence is required. I don't have to ask myself nicely, or threaten myself with unpleasant consequences, or persuade myself that it will be worthwhile.
Really? If we could slow down the thought processes going on, you might think differently.
Let's take a slightly different approach. I suspect that you have, inside you, at least two 'voices' - the pro voice and the con voice. The optimist and the pessimist. The good and the bad. You may have more, you may not consider them as 'voices' - that's OK, I hope that you can work with me on the concept for a little while.
Let's say that this is two radio stations, 55.5 and 66.6. The first station on 55.5 is supportive - bolstering your ego, always proud of you and your achievements. The second, on 66.6 is the doubter, always casting doubts in your mind, running you down, always suggesting that others are trying to get you, that you should not listen to 55.5, it always lets you down - you never realise the dreams that 55.5 suggests. 66.6 reminds you of the difficulties you had the last time you tried to do this or that. How nothing ever works for you, that it's all about luck and fate and chance and that you just are not a lucky person. If you buy a lottery ticket, you will always miss by one number at best. That nobody else deserves to win anything either. Basically, this is a bad voice.
I can see some of you nodding your heads as you read this. Don't worry, you're not schizophrenic - this is normal, everyone has this going on. Some days it's like a continuous debate, others, one or both are quiet with little to say. You know you have a problem when you cannot distinguish between the voices and which of you is real.
So, which station do you tune into?
Here's the two stations output for a few common golfing scenarios…
66.6
Approaching the first Tee on competition day:
'Well, it's a lovely morning with plenty of gusty breezes to knock your ball off centre, and a touch of rain in the air, but very unpredictable whether it'll rain now or later. You did some good practice yesterday but you know it'll all go to pieces today don't you? You know that you always screw up on the first drive and there's no mulligans today. See your competition today, wow, that first group were good weren't they. No chance you'll keep up with them is there. Still, perhaps you can just enjoy the game for a change and not worry about winning or losing - after all you know you'll lose, so why get your hopes up? Ridiculous game, I don't know why you bother, should have stayed home and cut the grass. be more useful than out here, being mocked by your friends… oh no, talking of which, there they are, why do they have to come and watch my first drive. They'll cough or chatter just as I'm lining up, I know they will. Oh well, my turn now, what a disaster, prepare for the worst and don't get angry…
First Tee shot:
So nicely lined up, but then anyone can put a ball on a tee can't they. Now settle down, breath, how's the grip - that instructor why did he have to change my grip, it won't work. Right align my feet, look up, look down, those people down there, are in my line, why do they have to stand there, don't they know they could be hit… calm yourself, that's right, may as well get calm now, because once you hit it there won';t be any calm left, And if you screw up this drive, it'll all be downhill for the whole day. never recover, so get this right. Wiggle the bum, yes nice, settle, legs bent just right, what if my weight shifts before I strike then hit those people standing there. i wouldn't mind hitting that smug bastard - he's such a flash git. Custom clubs, custom balls, bet he cheats, never puts a foot wrong, wipe that smug grin off his face, I'll show 'im. Back swing, nice, but is it right, no of course not, arm down, elbow's bent at the wrong time, as usual, THWACK….. follow-through may as well let go of the club, it'll go further anyway.
In spite of this, by some divine intervention, the ball soars through the air and lands smack down the middle of the fairway, 220 yards at least beautifully set up for a second onto the green and a possible birdie: Whoa - didn't know you had it in you. Nice shot, so lucky, you'd never do that again, not in a month of Sundays.
Still, plenty of time to screw up yet…
ENOUGH!
Sorry, I just can't write anymore of this - it's just too depressing. Is this you? And, were you the one who said that they didn't influence themselves?
55.5 on the same situation…
What a beautiful day, a few gusts, possible rain in the air. Be a good idea to look at the trees as we walk down the course, see where the gusts are going. if it rains, we'll change clubs and, quick, borrow an umbrella from Jim there, he can pop back and get another from his car. So nice that my friends are here to cheer me on. Great guys. Now I'm going to show them a great drive. I can see it now, smack down the middle of the fairway, perfect for a chip up to the green and a birdie. I can't wait to pick up that trophy at the end of the day. Good to have some strong competition - nothing better than a real challenge.
First Tee shot: Breath nice and deep, slow my heartbeat and see that drive. A little gusty from left to right over those trees, just align a fraction to the left because this ball's going to soar above that line. Glove, into the zone. Complete focus, nice alignment, well done, now a beauty practice swing, nice and loose in the shoulders. Firm stance, good lad, check alignment, now trust your swing. THWACK.
In spite of this, by some divine intervention, the ball soars through the air and too far to the left, way over to the left and lands smack down into the rough by the trees, maybe even really in the trees: Beautiful drive, well done, aligned just a little too far left, so we'll make sure to fix that. I think maybe the wind dropped as well. Nice lay-up for the second shot - I can use that chip techniques I learned from watching Seve on TV, good for a par if I'm really in the rough, and good for a birdie if it's not too long. Good, well done.
Now, which station do you want to listen to? The one that derides you no matter how great you are, or the one that supports you and encourages you no matter how poor the shot?
"I don't care" says someone, so long as I hit great shots I'll put up with either.
Fair enough. Which one do you think will help you enjoy your game? Which one will help you towards a stroke lying ill in bed feeling miserable and no-one coming to visit because you don't even like yourself, let alone anyone else?
Extreme? Sadly no. Go find the most miserable-faced player in your local club and ask them which station they tune into…
Dr John Kenworthy
CCO GAINMORE™ Golf
GAINMORE™ Leadership
<Leadership profiling help
If you would like a free leadership development profile, I am currently alpha testing our new system for the GAINMORE Advantage Potential to Performance System (GAPPS).If you can spare 15-20 minutes of your time to help, it would be greatly appreicated.
www.celsim.com/gapps/GAPPS.htm
Thanks
John
Dr John Kenworthy
CCO GAINMORE™ Golf
GAINMORE™ Leadership
<Golf doesn't build character, it reveals it.
Golf is a wonderful teacher, but what you learn from it depends on your nature and character. Golf is about you against the course. Unlike other sports, with the possible exception of downhill ski-ing, your competitors actions, successful or not, do not change your game. You can allow other people to affect your playing, but that, as we shall discuss, is very much your own choice. Golf strips away your ego, pumping it and stroking it one moment only to relentlessly batter it a moment later.
Golf provides you a wonderful opportunity to explore and understand your own nature to an extent that few other activities in life allow you to do.
It’s no real surprise that so much business is done on the golf course. What better way is there to observe and assess a person’s nature before considering doing a business deal with them? Watching how someone else experiences the game provides so many insights into their character that you’ll quickly establish whether this is someone you could work with or not. If, for example, your potential business associate berates himself or herself, throws down their clubs, shouts at the caddie, whines or whinges about making a poor shot - it’s not a big leap of imagination to know how they behave in a working situation. Someone who blames everything except themselves on the golf course will be the same in business. When they sneer at your good shots, and cheer at your mistakes - guess what they be like in business - looking after your interests? I think not. Someone who focuses on the target, learns from mistakes and keeps moving forward in good humour… you want that in business don’t you?
This is one of the reasons that golf is such a great way to develop your leadership as well. Conquer those demons on the golf course, and you’ll conquer them at work too. Golf is a mirror, and the golf ball is perfect feedback. You may not like what you see in the mirror at first, and only you can do something about it. No-one else will do it for you - in fact they can’t. You can though, guide others.
Not only so, but let us also rejoice in our sufferings, because we
know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and
character, hope. Romans 5:3-4 - NIV)
Dr John Kenworthy
CCO GAINMORE™ Golf
GAINMORE™ Leadership
<Playing Styles and Leadership Styles
Many golfers take up the game, in part, because it is known as the sport of business people - it is an especially good means of networking and developing relationships, so is there a commonality between the way people play the game and the way they behave at work - our research and observation shows that there is:There are six main 'styles' of playing golf with a corresponding leadership style - the 6Cs of Golf and Leadership Style.
By 'style', I do not mean to refer to an individual's personality or their innate character as though this were true. I am, instead, referring to the way in which you perform at your best and most naturally - which may represent your true personality - best to ask your spouse or a close friend who knows you in many other situations as well.
We'll consider each of the styles in turn, pointing out the dominant characteristics displayed and consider a few well known players and business leaders who fit each style. Your job is to identify your own style amongst these six - finding the one which most accurately matches your approach to the game of golf, and your approach to leadership. This isn't about choosing the style you think that you 'should' have, or would like to have. This is about understanding where you are now, and knowing that if you play in this style, or lead with this style, it will be the most comfortable. Later you can consider how to compensate for the weaknesses in your own game.
The Conquerer
On the golf course, this player dominates. Blasting a drive as far as possible brings great joy. The conquerer plays to shorten every hole and every shot - going for broke every time. Often an exhibitionist player and like to brag about their prowess.Long carries over water whet the conquerers appetite - long par 5's with a copse on the dogleg right to over-fly bring pulses of energy and make the endorphins flow.
As a leader, the conquerer revels in adversity and challenge. The more impossible others consider the position, the more the conquerer defies the odds. They want results, and they want them now. Excuses will bring wrath, and success will bring a new challenge. Seldom satisfied with the result, it can always be better.
Golf players who are conquerers include: Greg Norman, Bubba Watson, Arnold Palmer, Sam Sneed
Famous leader conquerers include: Margaret Thatcher, George W. Bush, Carly Fiorina, Lee Ka Shing, John Chambers, Michael Dell, David Johnson
The Conjuror
These golfers find excitement in difficult lies, thoroughly enjoy being tested in the rough, or an impossible shot between the trees. They excel in the bunker, and become easily bored with routine fairway shots. They gather their wits before a troublesome shot and have marvellous imagination which they are very capable of transferring directly into their game. About half of the conjurors like to show-off, whilst the other, quieter half, like to core well.The conjuror leader triumphs over adversity again and again. Seemingly intent on making their own lives difficult and forever deliberately putting themselves and their teams into new challenges.
Golf player conjurors include: Seve Balesteros, Tom Watson, Phil Micelson
Conjuror leaders include: Herb Kelleher, Hank Greenberg, Michael Eisner
The Craftsman
The clear headed technical player, deeply aware of their swing. Knowing their game intimately. These golfers, rehearse and practice even during a round - working on particular aspects of their game that needs attention.This player excels when tinkering with the minutai details of how to play a particular shot. These players prefer a low stress game, hitting the fairway just right, and onto the green all day will suit them just fine. Quiet and concentrate more on scoring than exhibition, these are solid players and maintain a consistent game.
The Craftsman leader similarly likes a smooth-running business where they can constantly and continuously improve aspects of their business in incremental steps.
Gary Player, Nick Faldo, Ben Crane, Charles Howell III
Gordone Bethune, Andy Grove, Sandy Weill
The Cavalier
The consummate performer - the true exhibitionist of the game, these players like to shape their shots as much as possible and work the ball towards the target. How the shot, and they, look is important. This is the player who says “watch this“ as they carve a beautiful shot around a tree and over the water onto the green. Others do this occasionally, with luck, but these players thrive on it. They like to wow the crowd and fellow players and are the shot-makers of the game.The Cavalier leader is the 'show-offs' of the leadership world - not necessarily egotistically, but because it motivates them. Often, they will stun the audience with acts of derring-do and controversial behaviours. These leaders enjoy the limelight and are more frequently in the press.
Cavalier golfers include: Lee Trevino, Corey Pravin and Chi Chi Rodriguez
Cavalier leaders include: Richard Branson, Ken Lay, Bill Gates, Martha Stewart
The Conductor
These are the players who pull the others together as much as play for themselves. Often, the unsung heroes of the regular round with friends, these players organise, cajole and hustle. More concerned for everyone's enjoyment than just their own, they thrive on playing with others. Taking part is more important than winning, they can glory in other's success. Few of the world's top golfers fit this style, yet without them, the amateur game and local competitions would not exist for long. Disciplined and organised, these players like to keep accurate scores and seldom show-off.Most leaders would like to be considered as conductors, concentrating their efforts on bringing the symphony together in perfect harmony towards a particular goal. These leaders empower others and seldom take centre-stage in public view (like an orchestral conductor, they have their back to the audience and their guidance focused on their team.)
Players who are conductors include: Tony Jacklin, Colin Montgomerie
Leaders: Charles Heimbold, Carol Bartz, Elizabeth Dole, Ralph Larsen, Bill Marriot
The Chess player
These are the strategists of the game. These players plot their way around a course from point a to point b to point c. Positional golf is their forte and they are content to hit fairways and greens and two-put all day with an occasional birdie. They know that consistent, planned performance will win most of the time against all other styles. The Chess player gets the most from their game when they are thinking clearly, and using their minds throughout the round. Nothing flashy about their game for the most part, these players are good in all aspects of each hole and tend to strike the ball cleanly and well. These are the scorers of the game - they may appear to showing-off but that is due to their considerable skill and focus.All leaders would like to consider themselves to be chess players, understanding the 'art of war' and the plethora of books on strategic management. But that's just it, the vast majority of strategists are managers, not leaders (except by title). These leaders understand the environment, the context, the shifting positions of the competition and play a solid game along known successful routes, not too greedy and with contingencies for rough times. They understand foremost, who they are and what drives them, secondly they know their people and leverage their strengths and deploy all their resources to best effect.
Golfing chess players include: Ben Hogan, Bernard Langer, David Toms and Tiger Woods (an ex-conquerer turned strategist)
Leadership chess players are most exemplified by Jack Welch, Walter Shipley, Howard Schultz, Gordon Bethune, Tony Blair
Each of us in reality possess aspects of each of these styles in our game and in our leadership. Underneath the situational style we may have developed though, lies a core style that suits us best. A style in which we are truly 'playing with ourselves' - a place where we are at ease with our game, and feel confident that we will achieve what we set out to achieve. Knowing your pre-disposition for a preferred style means that you know where, when the pressure is on, you are going to play naturally and with least effort. Knowing yourself and trusting in the strengths of a particular style will enable you to actively reduce your golf score and pro-actively lead your people.
Motivation Direction
Many successful players are motivated by their own dissatisfaction with their performance. It can be a very powerful motivator. You would expect someone who is thus motivated to improve their game to be similarly motivated in other aspects of their life.Do you see a golf course as a series of obstacles to be avoided, or do you see the fairways and greens as the thing to hit. There are a few people who actually aim for the obstacles because they excel at the tricky shots - something discussed in the session on character and nature.
For most people, the self-directed anger resulting from dissatisfaction is not a positive state to be in. If you condemn yourself for playing poorly and use self-talk phrase such as “I should have…”, or yelling (at yourself or outwardly) your self-disgust such as “useless idiot” and perhaps more colourful phrasing - you are doomed to repeat it. Not only will you repeat the ‘error’, you are physically hurting yourself - self-condemnation causes self-directed anger causes stress causes physical distress causes physical sickness and, for many, heart failure. It’s a little as if your heart decides that’s it’s had enough of your inward abuse and is desperately trying to communicate your need to stop doing it. If you’ve had a heart attack or stroke you’ve probably completely reassessed how you live your life - and sought more tranquility, less stressful behaviours - in some cases avoiding the major contributors to your previously high stress levels - work and/or golf.
Some people don’t realise that this is what they are like. The way you drive your car is often a good indicator of your style. How angry do you get when someone cuts in to the queue in front of you? When you pull up to the red traffic light, do you swerve over to the other lane to be at the front of the queue? When motoring along are you more concerned about getting somewhere quickly, or more concerned with the traffic around you?
Back to golf. When you stand at the tee, what do you focus your attention on? Your target? Avoiding the trees/bunkers/water/rough? I hope the former by now if you’ve been with me all this time. What you focus on is what you’ll get.
Motivation is a multi-faceted phenomenon. In large part, motivation is about the satisfaction of values held. It is the result of using particular personal resources towards a specific goal that satisfies a value or value held by that individual. Connecting any of these three in any order, resources, values and outcome creates the feeling of motivation. In smaller part, though often the critical component, is encouragement to achieve a goal.
It is worth spending some time here on what we mean by encouragement. The word has ‘courage’ at it’s root. Thus, to encourage is to develop, enhance or build courage. Courage, you’ll remember, is not the absence of fear but the continuation to do something of which you are fearful. It follows therefore, that if we ‘encourage’ ourselves - we are building the strength to overcome our fears and commit to an action. Encouragement itself, is often mistaken for motivation - or exchanged for it. In order to get someone to accomplish something - they will need to be motivated and/or encouraged to do so. it is possible to get someone - or even yourself - to do something which does not satisfy a value - but such actions are not repeated if no personal value is realised.
For example, many beginner golfers give up playing after being encouraged (usually by a relative or close friend) to take up the game. They continue to ‘try’ to play until they find that they do not realise something of value for themselves. Yes, there are people who don’t like or enjoy golf. Shocking but true. Encouragement is good, but it is not a substitute for genuine motivation.
There are some fundamental needs that we as human beings find motivational. There’s plenty of books and papers on the subject for the interested individual and I don’t intend to argue every combination here. However, there are some generally accepted ‘big’ motivators that the academics agree on - even if they want to put different labels to each term and put them in a different order.
Dr John Kenworthy
CCO GAINMORE™ Golf
GAINMORE™ Leadership
<The hardest thing in golf is not hitting the ball...
Many people who play golf have never taken a lesson! They get introduced to the game by a friend or family member and learn to play by going along to the golf course and playing.When you learn this way, by instinct as it were, you develop a muscle memory of your technique and a discovery process of what works and what doesn?t, hopefully repeating the positive patterns that achieve roughly what you want to achieve. Someone who finds that there ?natural? swing slices the ball, will compensate by aiming to the left of the ball so that it will slice back onto the fairway.
The hardest thing in golf is not hitting the ball, it is consistently hitting the ball straight - or at least in the direction intended. You'll hear many a golfer say something along the lines of "I was hitting the ball really well today, but my score doesn't reflect it". The reason for most is that they aren't aligning their body and their swing with the target.
If you can clearly see your goal, both in your mind's eye and in reality - it would be strange if you faced your club at a 90 degree angle to it? How about 5 degrees? How about 1 degree? Perhaps if you are compensating for your very "natural" slicing habit but let?s take a quick trigonometry reminder. You see, those maths classes were going to prove useful!
Let's assume, for a moment that you have a clean fairway shot to the green 135 yards straight ahead and plan to use your trusty 7-iron in that straight line, oh, and you would strike the ball clean and straight. Aligning yourself and your club just 5 degrees away from the straight line will put your ball about 6 yards away from your target - assuming that you still hit the ball the full yardage. You don't need me to tell you that 6 yards from the hole is usually the rough, or a bunker, or a pond. And this is when everything else is working very very well indeed. The added complication with alignment in golf is the club face alignment. 5 degrees off centre alignment with an open or closed face, will reduce the yardage of the ball because the ball will not loft as high - it'll hit the ground sooner which robs the ball of some momentum depending on the friction between the ball and the ground. You don't need me to tell you that a ball landing on the fairway rolls further than a ball rolling in the rough. Oh well, I told you anyway.
So how do you ensure alignment with your target. In the words of Harvey Pennick, "Take Dead Aim". Well that's pretty simple and something you can easily practice on the range. Many practice ranges have sticks or plastic arrows - you align one with your feet and another with your tee or ball, directing them both in parallel to your target. Swing, thwack and low and behold, on the practice range, the ball flies straight to the target. You do it again, and again, and again - eventually removing the visual markers and "imagining" them. Settling yourself calmly and your G.A.S.P. (grip, address, stance, posture) and "thwack" off the ball flies straight to target. If it were that easy, we?d all be able to do it. The physics is unarguable, the theory straightforward, the requirements from you are not overly demanding - yet, somehow, the swing just doesn't align to the target. You spend a small fortune on your highly-engineered custom clubs to eradicate the anomaly, and still you miss the target.
The physical process is important, don't let anyone persuade you different. A good golf coach will see if there is anything to correct in your swing that may be causing the problem, but only if the problem is physical. 95% plus of the problem is not physical, it's mental. It comes back to your unconscious giving your body instructions. When you're on the range, you're hitting ball after ball after ball. Concentrating on your technique and getting into a rhythm.
Out on the course, your hitting a ball, club back in bag, pick up bag, walk, walk, walk, chatter, talk, "oh that's interesting", thinking, "I wonder if my better half is still angry with me?", "I must finish that report". oh and that email I received. so and so was a bit odd today. walk walk walk, and then getting closer to your ball. "ah there it is, a bit of long grass around it, but otherwise, a pretty nice lie, hey and not bad - a couple of feet further to the side than I wanted, but I'm getting better. I wonder if I'm going to get this right, now which club, hmm" and on and on. How much of your game is hitting balls, and how much is not hitting balls?
See, if you play a game like squash, say. You don't have much time after hitting the ball, before it's your turn to hit it again - and that short time is spent focusing on where the ball is, your opponent is and so on - a few seconds at most. Now the brain works very very quickly, but essentially you don't have much time to drift into other matters - it's all about the ball.
How much time do you spend aligning yourself - and by now I think you realise that I mean mentally and physically, before each shot.
Alignment is not just a physical process - that funny little waggle that golfers do. It's about training your mind to align as well. Taking each goal for each and every shot, envisioning how it is going to be successful. Settling the body and focusing your mind - trusting your technique to deliver what it delivers. What you focus on, you will get more of!
In training your mind to give you an advantage, there is an important element. Do NOT reinforce the bad. Now if you've stayed with me so far, you know that the unconscious cannot process negatives, and I just gave you a negative. But that's to get it out of the way so we can now focus on the positive. Reinforce the good.
Dr. John Kenworthy
CCO
GAINMORE Leadership
GAINMORE Golf
