ENRON, ETHICS AND GOLF

- Style and Substance on the Fairway

 

Ethics has become a hot issue. In business and politics it is not always possible to determine someone's character in a few meetings or even during a televised political debate. Maybe election choices would be clearer if we were able to watch candidates play a round of golf.

 

Mark McCormack, author of What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School, said "I can tell more about how someone is likely to react in a business situation from one round of golf than I can from a hundred hours of meetings."

 

What are you revealing about yourself?
We've all made judgments about someone's savvy and character based on their dress and demeanor on the greens. Golf is a great business/networking tool that can enhance your business and career if your style and substance are positive.

 

When the going gets tough, the tough don't fly off ...
Let's talk about substance first. Knowing the rules is important but it's not enough. We were once golfing with someone we had never met before. This guest was having a dismal round much punctuated by #*@#% language. (Click to see - And you thought you were having a bad golf day)

 

After missing his forth putt on a green, in a rage he attempted to drive his ball out into the water hazard with his putter. Instead he excavated a huge divot into the green. He apologized but the damage was already done, and not just to the green.

 

The hole truth and...
What about fudging a score? Doesn't it amaze you when people do this? Most golf partners know when a gimme isn't a gimme, when strokes are shaved and rules are bent or “Enron-ed” to suit. This sort of pursuit lowers a lot more than just someone’s score.

 

Style with your substance - clothes make the golfer.
When you've got the substance, use it to backup some style. It often surprises us when we see someone who has his or her appearance really together for the office, but blows it on the golf course.

 

Golf wear is a bit like business casual wear

It gives people more opportunities to make mistakes. Very few people have or admit to having plaid pants in their golf wardrobe but they might be out of bounds on other items.

 

Going to a luau?
We were watching three golfers unload their clubs at the gorgeous Jasper Park Lodge. Two looked like they belonged and one didn’t. He looked like he had just come from an all night luau, wearing baggy wrinkled shorts teamed with a very loud shirt. (Click to see Woody Austin's shirt that blinded Mike Weir in PGA championship )

 

It wasn't that his partners were exceptionally well dressed, but just the fact that they were wearing long pants, in contrast made him look even more poorly dressed. On the golf course as in business, you need to fit in, in order to positively stand out.

 

6 Tips to Look Like a Pro, for both men and women:

 

• We recommend long pants - they look better on most people
• Shoe color should tone with pants - as a bonus this makes you look taller
• Muted colors are best – looks classier and doesn't distract or blind others
• Prints/patterns should be kept small - big horizontal stripes don't look good on anyone (Woody are you listening?)
• Clothing should not be too tight - gives a better swing and a slimmer look
• Details are more important in golf/casual wear - ensure they’re pressed and clean

Keep your eyes open.

Watch how the pros and your golf partners dress and act. Adopt the good and discard the bad. And don't forget to call the TV networks to suggest a national televised golf tournament instead of the debate for the next election! The ratings and voter turnout should soar.

DEAR JOANNE & TERRY Q&A

 

Dress Question:

 

Q. - Sleeve Lengths - How long is long?

 

I was out shopping and received a bit of contradictory information on where the jacket sleeve should end. Could you please clarify this for me: should the sleeve length for suit jackets meet the wrist bone when you're standing with your arms down or when your arm is slightly bent?

 

- Sleeveless in Seattle

 

A.

Sounds like a salesperson is trying to justify sleeves that are too long. Lately there has been a trend towards longer sleeve lengths, verging towards sloppy (click to see what we mean, you could bend your arms in a pretzel and this sleeve wouldn't meet your wrist bone).

There truly is a rule of thumb for this. When we see someone in a jacket, our subconscious expects to see that well fitted sleeves stop just below the wrist bone, where the fleshy part of the thumb meets the wrist, when standing with your arms down.

People who want to show a little bit of cuff, especially now that French cuffs are coming strongly into fashion, may have the sleeves cut a half-inch higher.

 

The above principle is a classic and will stand the test of time. -- To get the most value from your clothing investments, always get the alterations done, especially sleeve length, so the garments look like they were custom-made for you.

 

- Joanne

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Dining Question:

 

Q. - Which bread plate is mine?

 

This seems to happen a lot. I was at a conference lunch at a round table and the person next to me was using my bread plate. Isn't your bread plate supposed to be the one on your left? What can you do when this happens?

 

- Mia Plateoryors in Toronto

 

A.

It is on your left. But all it takes is one person at the table using somebody else's bread plate and then others, who aren't sure, usually follow suit. Often somebody (and for some reason that person always seems to be you) ends up with no plate.

I suggest not compounding the problem. But if everyone else has a plate and the plate on your right is available, then use it. If you end up with no bread plate you can place a bun on the edge of your dinner or serving plate.

 

Or do what I do, and refrain from taking any bread.  As the dining expert, I can't use the wrong plate. People would talk. I don't need all those extra carbs anyway. (Click to see a messy eaters role reversal)
 

- Terry

P.S. - Things like this wouldn't happen if everyone had a copy of Dining for Success. Click here for information or to order this Dining Etiquette Video DVD. Available in a personal use version or a training/educational version.

 

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Quotes of the Month:

 

If you think it's hard to meet new people,
try picking up the wrong golf ball.

- Jack Lemmon

 

That which chiefly causes the failure of a dinner-party,
is the running short—not of meat, nor yet of drink,
but of conversation.
- Lewis Carroll

 

It is possible in England to dress up by dressing down,
but it's a good idea to be a duke before you try it.
- John Russell

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All contents Copyright ©2006, Style for Success Inc. - Terry Pithers and Joanne Blake, except where otherwise indicated. All rights reserved worldwide. Duplication or reprints only with express permission or approved credits as indicated below.

 

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This article was provided by Terry Pithers and Joanne Blake, business dining, image and etiquette experts, speakers and creators of the Dining for Success DVD.
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Copyright © 2006 Style for Success Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

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