Why Job Security Won't Make You Perform Better
Scott Stallings's business is golf. He's blogging for BNET from the Nationwide Tour as he travels about 300 days a year in pursuit of a PGA Tour card. Click here to find all of Scott's posts.
Building a sustainable golf career is all about gaining "status." In a lot of ways, it's not all that different from how an entrepreneur must establish himself in his industry. The more credibility you have, the more likely you are to succeed even if you hit some rough patches. Likewise, the more status you have as a pro golfer, the less you have to worry about a bad round (or week, or even year) kicking you off the PGA Tour and back to square one where you'd have to work your way back up.
Status is like a buffer for your career -- but its durability varies depending on where and how you win it. And at my level, it can be easy to lose.
I first gained status trying to qualify for the PGA Tour. I missed my Tour card by one, but my performance at Tour school gave me fully exempt status on the Nationwide Tour, a one year insurance policy that meant I wouldn't have to qualify for every event -- I had a guaranteed slot. This year, I've picked up one more year of status (for 2011) because of how much revenue I've earned from tournaments: $121,806, which puts me at #53 on the Money List.
Win a tournament on the Nationwide Tour and you get status for a couple of years. Win on the PGA Tour and you have status for the rest of that year and two more. Rack up 20 wins on the PGA Tour and you're golden -- you have a guaranteed spot on tour for the rest of your golf career.
Like any other pro golfer out there, I want the kind of status that will mean I have to worry less about keeping my job. But the last few weeks have made me realize that while these insurance policies are great for peace of mind, they're not always the best motivating factor.
For the last five or six events, I've been extremely frustrated with my performance. I already know that even if I don't qualify for the PGA Tour this year, I have a guaranteed spot on the Nationwide Tour again next year, which is not a bad plan B. In fact, most rookies would love to have that to fall back on.
I thought without some of the pressure -- at this point, I have nothing to lose -- I'd play much better than I have all season.
I was so wrong.
Without something pushing me, I had fallen into the habit of going out there with no sense of urgency. I wasn't holding myself to the highest standard and when I'd make a bad shot, I let myself off the hook too easily. The result: I missed the cut in Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago.
The next tournament was in Miami. I decided I was fed up with flying, so I said screw it, I'm driving the 11 hours from Chattanooga to Miami. I turned off the radio and drove the first few hours in dead silence. By the time I got to Miami, I was completely exhausted but I had resolved to go out there with more intent and to play as well as I know I can play. (I also resolved to never drive 11 hours to a tournament again.)
My practice partner Martin Piller called me up and said, "I have something to tell you." We play almost every practice round together, so we know each other's games pretty well. "You're better than this," he said. "Why are you not in the top 25? You shouldn't accept lackluster play."
It was exactly what I needed to hear. Martin still held me to a higher standard, so why wasn't I holding myself to the same?
I finished 15th in Miami -- a good, solid finish. Even my caddie noticed that my attitude had done a 180 from the week before.
Even as I come closer to mastering the mechanics of the game (though I still have a fair amount of work to do there), I know the biggest threat to my career will never be a particular course or shot -- those are small things.
If I should be worried about anything, it's my comfort level -- as in, if it's too high, I'm in trouble.
Lesson learned this year: Job security is overrated.
- Find out where Scott ranks on the Nationwide Tour here.
- Follow him on Twitter @stallingsgolf