Business To A Tee, by Jeffrey Reed

As Published By Business London Magazine

A game of golf has forever linked business and pleasure. Now, a London-based company is teeing up a true partnership between fairways and boardrooms.

Business To A Tee, from Soar Management Group, combines nine holes of golf with interactive workshops over the course of a full business day. In fact, role-playing actually extends from the workshops out onto the tees and greens, in order to teach clients how to strengthen their own skills, and ultimately the company.

Soar Management president, Jeff Hill, says the twinning of golf with personal and professional development is a natural combination. "Golf is really just an extension of life. There are so many metaphors that can be played out on the golf course," Hill says.

Golf is the subject of numerous motivational posters, one of which emphasizes the importance of vision. "Imagine being on a golf course, hitting a great drive onto the green, and finding out there’s no cup to putt the ball into," writes Don Martin.

Business To A Tee, developed by Hill and his dozen employees over the past two years, and piloted across Ontario, aims to provide vision to a myriad of clients. Hill drew in part from his international business experience in 34 countries when developing this new program. Soar Management, a consulting firm specializing in training and specializing in leadership and team development, will eventually employ 20 consultants to deliver Business To A Tee to any industry, including Soar Management’s existing Fortune 200 clients. 

The Business To A Tee program begins in advance of the day-long golf and development experience. Hill and staff first get together with company management during an intake session, when the client’s corporate strategies and priorities are discussed. Personal, interpersonal and leadership development are the goals.

Soar Management and clients select a golf course to host the team-building golf day. "The logistics are similar to running a golf tournament," Hill explains. Local courses involved with pilot projects included Sunningdale Golf Club, and Oakwood Inn Resort in Grand Bend. Hill says, Business To A Tee has attracted attention across Canada and the U.S., including golf resorts and conference centres who wish to market the program on behalf of Soar Management. "We’ll go anywhere," says Hill.

At a cost of $500 to $800 per person, depending on the size of the corporate outing, company personnel are assembled as foursomes. The day starts at 8:30 a.m. with a two-hour interactive session, using golf studies and stories. Manuals – called "caddies" – are the participants’ guides. Foursomes break for a working lunch from 11:15 a.m. until 12 noon.

The afternoon session involves up to three hours of golf over nine holes, using a shotgun start and Texas Scramble. This is where the real fun begins. Hill says the golfers are "thrown curveballs, just like they would encounter in the real business world. What happens at hole No. 7 when you don’t have a putter? We also change foursomes through the match: how does that affect your team?"

The 10th hole substitutes for the 19th hole, says Hill. "The bar opens up, but we continue the conversations." An hour and a half discussion/summary wraps up the day, with Soar Management providing instant feedback, with help from the "caddies." Two weeks later, Soar Management submits a more detailed executive summary, and holds a final intake session.

"We use golf as the vehicle," says Hill. "We’re all about a process, not just an event." 

BUSINESS TO A TEE – SOAR MANAGEMENT GROUP

BUSINESS Personal growth and team building, combining workshops and golf

ESTABLISHED 2004 (SOAR Management, 1995)

EMPLOYEES 20 (SOAR 4 full-time, 8 part-time)

MARKETS London, Canada and U.S.