28 Sep
Building momentum…everyone talks about it. But – don’t you find it’s hard to measure? How does one “build” momentum? After all, momentum is a force. A quantity of motion, measured. In business, how do we measure our momentum? By our success? By revenue generated? Any business owner will tell you that energy given does not always equal revenue and success gained.
The key to generating the right kind of momentum is to ensure you’re directing your energy efficiently in the places where it will make a difference. If you’re the kind of business owner that succumbs to starts-and-stops in your model, you may want to reevaluate how you’re using your energy. Newton’s first law of motion says that something in motion will remain in motion unless acted on by an external force. What external forces are stopping your momentum?
Many times, momentum stops because of uncertainty in the market. I don’t need to tell you what 2020 has done to organizations across the globe to illustrate this point. Other momentum-killers include; the superstar employee suddenly finds other work, an unexpected cost propels the balance sheet into outer space, or, a new investment is needed to keep up with the marketplace, but no one knows how to implement it fully into the existing system. Each of these can take a humming and profitable business engine and throw a serious wrench into the works.
Physics in business is a thing. Momentum and energy drive operations forward or backward every day and in each decision made. Applying deliberate energy and a concerted effort to get momentum humming can be intimidating. Especially for a small to mid-sized business simultaneously navigating serious opposing forces: with profits, customers, and the economy. However, just as Newton’s first law of motion suggests, once you are in motion it is much easier to sustain that motion. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to create and sustain momentum within your organization:
- Set and stick to a regular meeting rhythm (including daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual)
- Set quarterly, monthly and weekly goals to make direction and action items clear
- Review weekly goals and progress in your daily huddle
- Review monthly and quarterly goals and their progress in your monthly meetings
- Pick a public place and display the goals and rocks for the business to keep everyone motivated
- Have all team members publish their goals and rocks on a prominent place by their desk
- Lead by example and execute on your action items
- During meetings, encourage team members to share where they are stuck so blockers can be removed quickly
Let us know how it goes!