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Business
Golf Games Offer Insights, Build Relationships
by
Steve Pollock
(Originally published in the Nikkei
Weekly as part of the Japan Business Seminar column.)
A Japanese client just told me that he played four rounds of golf during
the Golden Week holidays. Sadly, that was four more rounds than I played,
but it reminded me of the special connection between golf and business
in Japan – and how useful golf can be as a tool for doing business in
Japan.
Golf (or talk of golf) is one of the most common currencies in Japanese
business. Many, if not most Japanese executives, love to play (and talk
about their game) – sometimes to obsession. I remember the president
of a former Japanese employer boasting that he played more than 180 rounds
a year!
Even by Japanese standards, that was a big number (and perhaps a factor
contributing to his unusually short tenure). However, golf, like the
weather, is a universally popular topic of conversation, and a golf invitation
will usually be well received by a Japanese client or colleague.
The most significant benefit of business golf is that it helps to build
relationships. It’s similar to a night at a karaoke bar – but without
the price of a hangover and bad music. Early in my career I was delighted
to discover that my Japanese employer sponsored one or two tournaments
a month. To my surprise, regular participation in the events did more
to help me get acquainted with (and known by) the Japanese staff than
anything I ever produced for work. It also gave me something to talk
about with everybody in the office, especially when I had the luck to
win one of the tournaments.
Of course, it’s important to keep a few guidelines in mind. As with
other pursuits, the Japanese take their golf seriously. Even for a friendly
round, they show up clad in golf slacks and sport coats, keep careful
score, and know their etiquette. Japanese executives enjoy a friendly
competition, and they expect everybody to play his or her best. However,
they will give high handicappers extra strokes in order to make it a
good contest.
They are very impressed by good golfers, reserving their highest regard
for “single” players (i.e., people with handicaps under 10). However,
a good round of business golf depends more on attitude than hitting ability.
If you happen to have the low score, be genuinely humble and thank your
foursome for giving you good luck, inspiring you, helping you read the
putts, driving the cart so you could focus on your game, finding your
ball, and anything else you can come up with. For the bad player (or
bad shot), a little bit of self-deprecating humor goes a long way – and,
whatever you do, don't ever get mad, swear, or throw the club.
As in the U.S., Japanese golfers have lots of different styles, levels
of competitive drive, more or less adherence to the rules of golf and
so on. Business golf is a great way to uncover those differences, get
insight into your partners’ personalities and approaches to life and
work, and to build relationships that can really benefit your business
in Japan.
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