As a women entrepreneur, I feel many times that I need to play with the big boys. The game of golf has been referred to as “The Language of Business”. It has been used for years by many executives for transacting and closing business deals. Men have done an excellent job of leveraging the benefits that a round of golf can provide. Unfortunately, women have not. Women have been missing out on the opportunities for career growth and business advancement that understanding and playing the game can offer. I feel that relationship building with clients and colleagues is critically important to career success.
This has been very challenging for women in male-dominated industries. I always feel awkward when we are in a conversation where men bond over sports and form informal networks, while women are often excluded from the conversation altogether. Many times, it is because women don’t understand the game or don’t have an interest in sports altogether. In a survey that was done by Catalyst, a firm dedicated to expanding opportunities for women in business, 46 percent of women cited “exclusion from informal networks” as the biggest impediments to reaching their career goals. Golf was said to be one of the games in which women feel the most excluded. For women that have played golf, they reported that it has helped them develop relationships and networks.
So, I decided to take the opportunity to learn the game of golf. I invited my 16-year-old daughter to tag along with me because I feel that I should instill this in her as well. She is more of an athlete than I am. We had a Golf Clinic here through the Exton Chamber of Commerce. We learned the basics and got a feel for the game. Now, I plan on getting some additional lessons and trying to get out there more. It is time for Women to get in the game. It doesn’t matter if you decide to learn to play or not, you owe it to yourself to at least understand the fundamentals so you can leverage them for professional and personal success. We owe that to ourselves!
Margherita C. Amplo
MCA Consulting Services, LLC.
margherita@mcacs.us
