The Equation Needs Direction
Doing Lots But Not Getting Anywhere - A Sign That One Element Is Missing
When I quit my corporate job in 2013, I was clear on what I wanted to do - to be a full time Educator. To facilitate, author, and speak on High Performance Topics. I had management experience, corporate experience, and a huge sack full of random knowledge and experience that comes from working and living all over the world in many different industries. But, I didn't have a name, a business, or any clients. I had to start from scratch. This is the definition of having zero momentum. A fresh start, but one that had many challenges ahead. The first one was to create some forward movement. Like the first 'push off' on a bicycle, the initial stages of doing anything seems to be the moments of most friction.
Similar to many of us now. A slowness and heaviness have entered our workplaces as people took leave, did their best while trying to work from home, and re-jigged their work patterns. In some cases, people have had to re-define their job description. And, it is this re-definition I feel many of us have not spent sufficient thought on, and have therefore found it difficult to get any meaningful momentum into our work.
In the world of Maths and Physics, Momentum (p) is calculated by multiplying Mass (m) by Velocity(v). The equation looks like this (p=mv). In business terms it would look something like this...
Mass (size of business or responsibilities)
Number of Clients
Number of Tasks
Number of Products
Number of Staff
Velocity (speed by which work gets done)
Client Interactions
Processes and Systems
Schedules and Deadlines
KPI's, Metrics, Run Rates
Momentum (continual feeling of progression and winning)
Outcomes per day/week/month
Results per staff/territory/department
On schedule / On Budget / On Brand
The problem is that almost every single person I have spoken to in the last two months is experiencing one of three problems. Either (1) Their Mass has decreased, (2) Their Velocityhas decreased, or (3) Neither has decreased, but their Momentum is shot to bits.
The natural reaction for those needing more clients is to go out and talk to more clients (Mass). For those needing to change or update systems, it is likely that new software platforms may have been invested in (Velocity). And, for those in column three there may be a lot of scramble but with metaphorical shoulders-shrugged. All of these activities bring with them drag and can negatively impact a sense of momentum in of themselves.
But, unlike the two-dimensional equation above, there is another factor that needs attention... Direction. By adding clear and accurate direction to anything it becomes better. A ball being kicked. A ball being bowled. A space ship in trajectory. A family on a road trip. A team at work. A business doing business... They all need direction to be of value. The more specific the better.
Currently there is a lot of work and re-work being done with many factors creating fatigue. The people lucky enough to have been able to continue working through lock downs are starting to say "I need a holiday". We are exhausted as momentum has been near on impossible to generate and maintain.
A bigger focus on direction may be the answer to our drained and sluggish working environments. John F Kennedy once said, "Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction". I feel that if we are more purposeful with defining our direction we would gain a lot more ground in a shorter period of time. And, when people start to see progress they don't feel as jaded all of the sudden. A few questions you can ask that may help with this:
What actions do we need to take to... better DEFINE our direction?
What actions do we need to take to... better COMMUNICATE our direction?
What actions do we need to take to... gain better AGREEMENT on our direction?
If I was to give anyone advice around the use of these three questions I would encourage as much two-way communication around these questions as possible. The more people that are involved, the quicker and more accurate the eventual answers will surface.
I know that as an Educator I have taken many years to define my direction and once I did, everything seemed to come quite a bit easier. The small wins come weekly and creates a forward motion. I hope the refinement of your current project and business direction takes all of your Mass and Velocity and creates a Momentum everyone can feel and leverage off.
