A Tradition Unlike Any Other

Coming off of The Master's weekend, there is no better time to reflect on the value found in traditions.

Talk about "A tradition unlike any other" - from the champions dinner, the par-3 contest, the honorary starters, to the ultimate tradition of the Master's Green Jacket, there truly is no tradition relatively consistent and upheld as The Master's. Not only is there consistency regarding tradition, but high standards and expectations rest at the forefront of every annual tournament.

This past weekend you could not find a fairway at Augusta National Golf Club cut above or below three-eighths of an inch, a tee box cut below five-sixteenths of an inch, or the rough out of alignment with one three-eighths inch. As for the players, each must be invited and meet a series of qualifications, including an exemplified level of skill, focus, persistency, and execution.

Looking at The Master's through a business lens and reflecting on my childhood helped me better understand the value and quality found in tradition.?

Throughout the majority of my younger life, I never found tradition embodied in our routines, family values, or teachings. Instead, in most cases, we seemed always to be flying the seat of our pants, and like most people, those same philosophies I learned growing up have been applied in my life today.

In my corporate career, relevancy, speed, change, and conformity were norms to stay relevant and bring in new business. However, in my government career, I did not understand why we kept doing things the same way when that way was not working. In this instance, a tradition was not to blame, but inefficiency, quality, lack of accountability procedures, and political influences at bay took the cake on ineffectiveness.

After leaving the corporate and government space to join a second and third-generation family business, I learned that I had a lot to learn about traditions. One thing is certain, process improvement and critical enhancements are not to be mistaken as a killer to tradition. In fact, they are essential to carry on traditions that our world so desperately needs, in most cases. Let us also note that there is no promise that there will be no mistakes in the process, but notably, there is a value to transition and a sacrifice we all must make to uphold and carry-on traditions.