I shared with you how important a “quick start” is every day.

The second part of a “quick start” is focusing on having a “great first hour.”

There is nothing worse than having a balky start with inconsistent results in the first hour. Once you get behind, it is difficult to make up ground. A bad first hour will cause a variety of things: unplanned overtime, multiple changeovers, a bad climate fueled by pressure and frustration.

A great first hour occurs when everybody on the team makes it her intention to attack the day’s tasks with enthusiasm and urgency. Intention is the key word. Too many days start wrong because urgency, enthusiasm and intention are substituted with lackadaisical purposelessness.

How did you start the day? Did you have a great “first hour”? Was your team united in committing to achieve great results? Was everything in place? Did you have your mind right?