How Good Are Your Bad Shots in Business?
In construction, just like in golf, it’s not about how great your best projects are—it’s about how you handle the ones that don’t go as planned. My high school golf coach used to say, “It’s not how good your good shots are, it’s how good your bad shots are.” That’s a lesson that sticks with me because it applies far beyond the golf course. It’s a lesson in entrepreneurship, in life, and especially in being a contractor.
When you’re out on the course, hitting a perfect shot feels great, but that’s not where most players lose strokes. It’s the bad shots—missing the fairway, landing in the bunker, or hitting it out of bounds—that cost you. If your bad shot just lands in the rough, you can recover. But if your bad shot goes into the water, that’s a penalty stroke, lost distance, and maybe even the game.
Now think about this in your business:
Landing a big project is your “good shot”—it feels great, boosts your reputation, and brings in revenue.
But what happens when things don’t go smoothly? Maybe a project runs over budget, or a subcontractor misses a deadline. Those are your “bad shots.”
The key isn’t to avoid mistakes—it’s to make sure your mistakes don’t sink the ship.
In business:
A bad shot is going slightly over budget, but having contingency funds to cover it.
A really bad shot? Over-leveraging yourself, losing a client’s trust, or making decisions that jeopardize the entire company.
Here’s how to minimize the damage:
Take calculated risks. Don’t bet the farm unless you’re absolutely sure of the outcome.
Have safety nets. Build in buffers—financial, operational, and even emotional—to handle setbacks.
Learn from your mistakes. A bad project isn’t a failure if you walk away with lessons that make you better next time.
Entrepreneurship isn’t about perfection. It’s about resilience. It’s about how well you recover from setbacks. So, ask yourself: How good are my bad shots? Because that’s what will keep your business standing when things get tough.
