One thing I genuinely love about my job is mentoring young professionals who are just getting started in their careers. Gaining a foothold in the tech industry is tough, especially in the AI age. And today’s new generation of employees are asking compelling questions: How do I focus in complex environments? How do I create a competitive advantage? What happens if I fail?
I recently found myself asking similar questions—about my golf game—to one of the world’s top golfers, Padraig Harrington. It was humbling to be on the other side of the fence, getting insights from a global legend that not only improved my swing, but helped me better coach the next generation of tech employees.
Here are four highlights.
Commit to a strategy.
Pressure’s on. It’s time to step up and take a swing. But then you second-guess your approach. Do you have the right strategy? Should you try something new? Padraig says that changing your strategy at the last minute could ruin your shot; you need to have a plan and stick to it. Your key goal on the golf course, he says, is to not change your mind over the ball.
This might seem counter to advice you would typically give young professionals. At SAS we talk a lot about staying flexible and agile amid changing market conditions. But while flexibility has its place, so does confidence and consistency. Once you lock in during the moments that matter most, you’ll get the job done the way you intended, instead of panicking under pressure.
Seek metrics that no one else measures.
This one really resonated with me, because in data and AI it’s tempting to default to metrics that are easy to capture: latency, throughput, conversions. But Padraig also zeros in on his own personal performance indicators that are slightly outside the norm, like how often his first putt is taken from inside the eight-foot mark—not because it looks good on paper, but because it increases his chances of converting birdies or rescuing par.
As a data and AI organization that helps customers stay ahead of the game, this insight is incredibly useful. We will always track the necessary metrics, but we can also dig deeper to find that extra edge. This is true for individual employees, as well. If you do things a little differently than everyone else, find your own performance indicators, and sharpen your unique skills, you’ll stand out from the crowd.
Lean into the difficult shots.
“Practice putting from off the green” is a strategy Padraig lives by for short game. It sounds simple, but what he’s really saying is you should challenge yourself when practicing. Great golfers, he says, practice being under pressure. They give themselves obstacles to overcome and being out of position by practicing from difficult lies or in unfamiliar wind conditions, so they’re ready for anything when it’s tournament time.
In organizations, just like in golf, you don’t only win in good conditions. You also win by managing through tough conditions. It’s how you adapt when facing a challenge, like overcoming a volatile market, mitigating bias, or managing data quality. If you’re just starting out in your career, uncertainty is a given; but if you learn to anticipate it, or even welcome it, you’ll be ready for anything thrown your way.
Love the next shot.
Padraig’s advice is pivotal when it comes to playing the game: Love the next shot. Don’t dwell on past mistakes, especially as there’s nothing you can do about them.
This is a powerful mindset shift in any profession, especially in tech, where failure is part of the terrain. I’ve found that young professionals tend to be harder on themselves; they fear that one mistake could tank their future career. As technology leaders, mentors, or even golf professionals, we need to remind the younger generation not to beat themselves up over the last shot. Just learn, adjust, and commit fully to the next one.
Bryan Harris is the executive vice president and chief technology officer at SAS.