Every fall, with the return
of football season, we hear countless announcers inform us about the importance
of momentum in sports. One team has all the momentum; with everything seemingly
going its way as they cruise up and down the field adding points to the
scoreboard. But suddenly, momentum shifts and their offense stalls while the
opposing team finds new life and begins to move the ball.
“Old Mo is fickle” we are
told as the pundits excitedly report on the sudden change in the complexion of
the game. “You can feel the shift all the way up here in the press box” the
announcers proclaim breathlessly.
But what really is momentum
and how does it apply to your business?
Momentum is really nothing
more than the feeling or excitement that comes from success. When people have
success, it improves their confidence. And improved confidence leads to more
success. On the football field, momentum shifts because the defense calls a
blitz and catches the offense unprepared. The result might be a loss of yardage
at a key point, or maybe a turnover. And that success translates into
confidence for the players on the field. Suddenly, they know what they can do
and they start believing in themselves and their coaches.
It is the same way in
business. Momentum comes from having success in developing that new product,
finding the financing that you so desperately need, or closing that first big
sale. A company with momentum starts to grow because the team has confidence in
themselves and their leadership. Success tends to breed more success so that
one victory leads to another. And once momentum begins to pick up, and the
confidence level increases, victories become more common and everyone on the
team learns to expect success.
But just like in football,
momentum in business can be fleeting. A setback in the product or the loss of a
key customer can shatter the confidence of an organization, reverse the
momentum, and begin a downward spiral. This downward spiral is often only
reversed by another victory that restores that confidence.
But victories don’t happen
by accident. Victories are the result of good planning and good execution. The
team practices that blitz every week, but in a game, the coach makes the call
at the right moment and the momentum of the game shifts. In business, the sales
team is trained and the product features and benefits are built based on the
needs of the customer. As in football, the tools are there ready to be used,
ready to create momentum and confidence. What is needed is for the leader to
create the opportunity for success, to call the right play to allow the team to
win.
They say that a leader has a
strategic vision, and that the leader sees what others do not. It is this
vision that the company relies on to bring about the right play at the right
time to allow the team to succeed.
As a leader are you setting
your team up for success? Are you calling the plays that allow your team to
win? Are you creating moment and creating confidence in your organization? Success
builds confidence and confidence builds more success. Build the confidence of
your team and let that momentum carry your business on to victory.
I hope that you enjoyed this
article. At ECI Learning Systems LLC we are dedicated to improving productivity
and profitability by creating engaged organizations. Our unique combination of
training and personalized coaching, combined with our expertise in assessments
allow us to create a development plan tailored for your success.
Until next time,
Dave Meyer
ECI Learning Systems, LLC
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment