Become the dream makers

Photo by Don Stouder on Unsplash

Over my career I have always felt lucky, being able to say I am part of a game, a sport, that millions love to play. Having the opportunity to earn a living from this game has been a real honor for my entire career. It has been an amazing joy. All of us, in fact, should feel unique and special with the fact that we are employed by a game. Many of my friends work as quality control people, accountants, lawyers, sales managers, etc. Me and you: we hang around people who come out to play. While I feel very fortunate having been a part of this game for 5 decades, I am intrigued by the idea that all of us are part of a group that I’m going to call dream makers. Think about it: how many times in your career have golfers said to you they dream of breaking 90 and would give an arm to do it? If I had a dollar…you know. Yes, you and your team are dream makers. The subject of this post: how can dream makers bring their best game to add more rounds, more golfers, and build member retention?

As you develop new training, as you bring on new people, what if you added a new story, a new level of conversation as part of a training module? What if you added a dream makers category to your training effort? If all on the team understood the way most golfers feel about the sport, maybe they would up their game, as you put a new direction in motion. Why not establish the attitude or at least the idea that golfers are passionate about their sport, and in many cases would go the distance to play better, score lower, and to drive it out of sight? This highfives post is about raising the temperature in the clubhouse, fueling the fire and passion for the game:

1. Hire great: spend lots of time looking for those passionate people that will talk the talk, walk the walk. Bring on team players who can be a positive force to the feelings that already exists amongst your golfers.
2. Set up a daily huddle at the start of each day: have a 10- to 15-minute session for the opening staff, setting a tone for a great day of golf. No Rah-Rah, just a straight conversation.
3. Teach the typical golf language: to all, but especially those team members who do not play. If every staff member talked a “good game,” the personality of the property would just exude golf and all of its wonderful parts.
4. Celebrate in a larger way, the special shots, rounds, and scores of your members and guests: recognize and reward, in any way that fits, the special experiences that happen at your place. Never miss the chance to identify your golfers’ best moments.
5. Remind the team: most of your golfers love the game, want to enjoy the game, shoot better scores, while spending time away from the noise of the world beyond your gates.

This simple piece suggests that your team add some magic to the day. Not every golfer wants to play tour quality golf. They would however, love to beat their friends, lower their scores, drain an occasional long putt and do the things typically out of reach. As people go back to work, and fewer golfers come through those gates each day, why not reset the table by showing all great enthusiasm at all corners of the day. When you and you team tie daily execution to your golfers’ dreams, can magic be far behind? Your golfers feel great about the game that you and I have the great fortune to wake up to every day. All you need do is to add a bit of oxygen and attitude.

Jack Dillon writes the highfives series. Jack is a speaker, expert buyer, consultant, coach. Now part of Career Dividends, Jack is ready to help your shop, your team or your brand. You can reach Jack at 407-973-6136 or e-mail him at: jackd@careerdividends.com. Jack lives in Orlando.