5 ways to gain and maintain momentum

Mass times velocity is a cornerstone concept in physics but also an important element of progress in business projects. It is easier to shift or accelerate something in motion because you are harnessing its inherent kinetic energy. In contrast then, stopping and starting something is a very inefficient means of moving it towards a goal. This energy in business projects is represented both by money and by the emotional or intellectual energy of people involved. Five ways to gain and maintain momentum in projects include:

1. create passion with vision: get the people in, and affecting, your project excited about it and what it will achieve, about the reasons for the work and about how their role will help - this vision can be a great tool to draw people through the trenches when things gets tough
2. get commitment with visible dates: make sure people commit fully - where, unlike the chicken, the pig is committed to bacon and eggs, have people state their commitment and give visibility to this against specific dates
3. define realistic steps: be realistic in the movement you seek and take a crawl walk run approach, if necessary in order to create a momentum tipping point
4. avoid gaps: try and avoid building gaps into your plan where resources are redeployed to other projects - this will create lags as they get back up to speed again, a natural hit to productivity
5. be decisive: ensure your project can get the decisions it requires in time for action - this will mean lining the right decision-makers up in advance and ensuring they have all the information they need to take a calculated risk.

By harnessing momentum, your outcomes will be achieved most efficiently - for the business and for the individuals contributing their intellect and emotion.  This is the parkour principle: stop at nothing.