In one of the closing talks of HACR’s 2022 Latina Empow(h)er Summit, Fernando Rosario, Founder and President of Exeqpath, taking advantage of a day full of events around golf, shared with the attendees an analogy that for him has been fundamental in his career.

Highlighting how many businesses and connections are carried out in the fields where this sport is practiced, Rosario makes an important recognition of the figure of the caddy, who is the person in charge, not only of carrying the bag with the player's clubs, but is also the one who knows the particularities of the course and takes into account aspects that the player often overlooks, such as measuring humidity, indicating the direction of the wind, among other things.

Thank you to everyone who helped make the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility's third-annual #HACRLES22 an insightful and affirming space for Latina corporate executives. See you for the next one in Scottsdale, Arizona, March 6-8, 2023. https://t.co/4vo72KKOrl pic.twitter.com/hSzYpSjeiW

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Likewise, Rosario indicates how in corporate life there are people who, like caddies, accompany and provide advice to help entrepreneurs and executives achieve their goals, pointing out the most convenient path and offering them the tools they need to achieve success.

“On the golf course everything is exposed. Your manners, your ethics, your knowledge of the game and your personal habits,” underlines Rosario comparing this sports scenario with a business one, while indicating that this exercise can be applied at a professional level regardless of the goals that each one sets for himself.

“Whether you want to climb the ladder in the corporate world, get a better job, change careers, seek advice, found a project, or make valuable connections, it will always be important to have someone with experience that allows us to calculate each one of the steps that we take,” said Rosario while pointing out the analogy with the caddies.

What does an executive caddy look for?

Rosario pointed out six key aspects in which an executive advisor or coach must work so that their client can evolve:

1. Communicative skills.
2. Strategic relationships.
3. Influence.
4. Introspection.
5. Bad habits.
6. Balance between work and personal life.

Likewise, and following the analogy of golf, a business caddy, who has relevant information about the specific business field, must look for strategies to avoid, for example, falling into a corporate "sand trap.” The caddy also invites to reinvent themselves and develop an action plan in which people, time, vision and economic investment are prioritized, as well as the assets about the interpersonal skills that allow them to stay in the “game."

Rosario also proposed attendees to strategically define who are the actors that accompany this process and to define their specific roles according to their area of expertise, highlighting qualities that a caddy possesses.

• Tutor: Someone who knows the field and knows how to function in it.
• Player: Through his experience he has significant knowledge of the field.
• Friend: Grows with the player and keeps him focused.
• Colleague: He has full knowledge of the game and is a good player himself.
• Coach: Understands the style of the player and knows his strengths and limitations.

The Moment of Truth

“An executive caddy is even more important when you are close to reaching the goal,” underlines Rosario. He explains how it is exactly at this juncture that coaches can offer all their experience to make the goals of their protégés possible. 

Specifically, advice to close a key business or climb to a leadership position within the organization requires the following tasks:

• Offer suggestions and improvements.
• Help visualize success.
• Suggest small trajectory changes.
• Work as a catalyst to achieve goals faster.
• Inviting to be calm and focused, boosting morale and being a friend.
• Prevent the appearance of an error at the last minute.

Rosario also presents us with a list of tools that we should always carry in our golf bag if we want to achieve the goals set.

An executive diary, where the connections and the specific actions that you have carried out to achieve the objectives are recorded; a network of trusted contacts; interpersonal skills and intellectual capacity; and having around us people who teach, advise, and support us.

How to Pick a Caddy?

Rosario underlines the following conditions to find the ideal caddy:

1. Choose carefully.
2. They are not easy to find.
3. He can help you or he can “break” you.
4. Select someone willing to grow with you.
5. Work together with someone who plays the game very well.
6. Go for someone who knows your strengths and weaknesses.

To conclude, Rosario points out that we can also be someone else's caddies, highlighting why it is important to have people with these characteristics in our careers along the business path we take:

• He will help you play better.
• He will take care of you.
• He suggests how to avoid problems.
• He teaches you to get out of trouble.
• He helps you resolve past mistakes.
• He softens the obstacles that can be found on the way.
• He gives you his full knowledge of the game.
• He helps you make adjustments to the way you play.
• He keeps you focused and calm.
• He forces you to stop listening to your negative side.
• He reminds you of who you are.
• He leads you on the right path.