Women and Golf?
Hi TPM Members,
I hope you all are well. I wanted to get your advice and opinion on this.
As you all know many important power moves concerning business and career decisions are made over golf games.
As I know it, the key power players and decision making men at work/in business primarily make these decisions over golf.
My question:
Do you feel it is best for women interested in obtaining power and leveling up in their careers and business learn to play golf? and join the men on the course?
Or would women be seen as "intruding" on a "mans space"? And instead maybe there would be a different or better way to hobnob with the key power players and decision making men at work/in business.
If so what would be a better way for women to hobnob with the key decision making men at work/in business than play golf?
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing your responses.
-S.
Hello S.P.
For this:
Quote from S.P. on October 23, 2022, 2:56 amOr would women be seen as "intruding" on a "mans space"? And instead maybe there would be a different or better way to hobnob with the key power players and decision making men at work/in business.
As usual, I'd look at your environment first.
Are there already women who successfully accompany men playing golf?
If so, then you have your answer.
If not, you may be the first one to have to break that new ground.
And while the risk of annoying some key players cannot be totally excluded, there are also costs in NOT joining.
Personally, for personal growth and flourishing, I'd go, do my best, and learn and improve along the way.
While we can't entirely exclude that a few male chauvinists may dislike a woman's presence, it's possible to offset that in many ways.
For example:
- Adapt to the person: If you can spot who those male chauvinists are, be more affable/feminine/warm/flattering towards them
- Make him your mentor: that way, he can get to feel "above the woman", remove the threat, and enter into a collaborative arrangement you can turn a negative, into a positive
- Leave some time for the guys if you're the only woman in a group: Once you've done your few games and reached your goal, if it's all me, let them have their own game among themselves, and you can even say it:
- "Alright, now I'll let you guys have some time among yourself", smile, and go
Quote from S.P. on October 23, 2022, 2:56 amDo you feel it is best for women interested in obtaining power and leveling up in their careers and business learn to play golf? and join the men on the course?
If so what would be a better way for women to hobnob with the key decision making men at work/in business than play golf?
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing your responses.
-S.
Yes, I'd take some lessons just to avoid being a total disaster to the point where it may reflect bad on you (plus, it's never bad to learn a new thing).
The optimum balance is to be "good enough to display some minimum of skills motor/coordinations, but not so much that you become an ego threat by winning".
That's the level where your playing partner enjoys the game and respects you, while also feeling good about himself and can chill and relax without the game ever turning competitive.
Yeah, turns out, playing strategically may be as challenging as playing at a peak level 😀
Hello Lucio,
Thank you very much for your thoughtful and in-depth response. I really appreciate it and will definitely take your advice.
-S.P.