In American football, you can feel when there is a momentum shift. Some form of invisible energy moves between the teams throughout the game. It becomes pronounced at times, and at other times it seems to be in the background. I believe the concept of momentum is not only reserved for the field. There is momentum in our lives as well. Momentum that puts the wind at our back for certain personal initiatives while making other initiatives more difficult. In football, the shift tends to happen after a big play. For the rest of us, I think it is more subtle. So subtle, in fact, that we can easily overlook it. Just like in football, our momentum is subject to change over time. So, we need to be cognizant of it and willing to take advantage of it when the time is right. Think about it for a moment – Where is the momentum for you right now?
With your teams, don’t get out of the way, do this instead
"Get out of the way!" I often hear some version of this sentiment when talking about building a culture to incentivize high performance teams. "You have to find the right people, equip them, and then get out of the way." People who talk about getting out of the way...