Coasting or finishing?

Golf is not a sport I watch with a lot of intensity, but I'll often watch the end of a tournament and the fanfare of the final few holes. Which got me thinking outside the box scores about how to approach a finish line, whether it's a golf tournament, sporting event or a project at work. 

If you're not a sports fan, "running out the clock" is something a football team could do. A team that has the lead, the ball and very little time on the clock might do the bear minimum (almost like going through the motions) until the clock ticks down to zero. There's no reason to give extra effort. There's no reason to run an extra play. The game has already been decided and both teams are just waiting until they can leave the field. 

It doesn't work that way in golf. The outcome might have been decided on Hole 16 or 17 but the round is still 18 holes. The winner, and everyone else for that matter, has to play out the round, and there is incentive and pressure to finish strong. 

As I mentioned in the video, there's a time for both approaches in business and personal projects. There could be an instance where the best use of time and resources is to run out the clock and just call it good. Other times, a strong finish is required to meet a tight deadline or adjust to last-minute changes. In either case make sure you communicate what's needed. 

To help you prove your point, this example of thinking outside the box scores to initiate or drive the conversation with your team.