I like looking at the derivation of words, as it often stimulates clear thinking.
Momentum is a Latin word, and it means “to move”, there are many linked words that have the same origins, such as motion, motor,, and even emotion.
The thing about Momentum is it denotes not just movement but a form of escalating movement, a developing speed of progress.
When you or your Business get momentum, things start to happen as if by magic.
You probably will have experienced this, for example when you have a good sales week, a couple of deals come through and then you relax and more seem to appear, everything starts to work effortlessly. This is sometimes called “the flow”.
So, the question is, can you instigate momentum on purpose or on demand and create the flow, or is it something that just happens?
If you can get momentum when you want it, this would offer up an exciting possibility.
I think you can control momentum, and I would like to explain why this is such a powerful idea.
If you can rewind everything that occurs back to its source, then you will notice that EVERYTHING is derived from some form of energy source.
Nothing happens without energy.
The more energy that is put behind something the faster that something tends to move. That may be a tad oversimplistic, but hopefully you get the point.
Say, therefore, you want to grow your business at a faster rate, then the way to look at it is to consider what energy needs to be expended to achieve this.
This could be aiming for bigger volume orders, more sales, higher value sales, or some form of combination of one or more of these.
So, you need to do something. Reorganise in some way or create a new product, marketing campaign, or new salesforce.
It doesn’t matter what the specifics are (for the purpose of this article), it is enough to say that everything starts with a thought, a source of energy, and then cascades from there into practical steps to meet the target.
If each of those steps can be described as high energy, even if this is simply the expression of an ambition, and those steps are actions backed by high energy, then you will create momentum, it is the equivalent of a rocket, that launches and picks up speed.
The point is that we, as business people, so often get wrapped in the what and the how, those tricky practical aspects that can act as hurdles, that we sometimes forget the sheer force that we possess as humans to make things happen. If the what and the how start to dominate, then any potential for momentum gets lost and we revert to normal performance and normal levels of progress.
If you have any doubt about this thinking, then read how Steve Jobs built Apple (twice!) and his approach to development, because you will never see a better example of momentum in action. He simply got the energy level of everything to do with that business at its highest levels. Ambition, creativity, hard work, and all else were supercharged from the get-go.
Nothing moves without energy – so if you energise your business, you will create momentum, because each extra bit of energy creates a force that leads to an accelerating position.
When you are considering the future of your Business it pays to stand back a little and really ask what it is you want to happen, and then to think of this in terms of what energy is required and where, and then what do we need to do, in terms of actions, to create the requisite levels of energy to develop momentum, because once everything is moving , to a significant extent things take their own course from there.
I have walked through the doors of many businesses where you can feel the energy, when it is high, in the air, and it has an effect on all who are involved.
The way to get real tangible momentum into a business is to focus on how you can raise the energy level, and this is a different way of looking at it, but a highly effective one.
