“In life, when you have momentum, you have to keep it. When you lose it, you have to build it.” — Ryan Day, Ohio State’s national championship-winning head coach.

 Do you stay alert to momentum?

As you begin each day, it seems you have two options. You can build on the momentum you ended with the day before, or you may have to take action to get it going.

There’s no such thing as staying neutral. Momentum usually doesn’t manifest itself from thin air—someone has to take the initiative to shift things.

• If you are in sales: Shift the momentum by making some cold calls or reaching out to customers who have been silent for a while. Alternatively, check with colleagues in other markets to see what’s driving success there. In any case, momentum starts by doing something different today.
• If you are in the plant: It might be the perfect day to launch a fresh cleanup product. Gather your team, review recent production results, and brainstorm ways to boost performance.
• If you’re a teammate: Scan your colleagues, observing their expressions and body language. Perhaps someone is feeling down or bored and could use the right encouragement or a new challenge to reignite their enthusiasm.

I recently heard it said that you’re either a thermometer or a thermostat. A thermometer reports the temperature, while a thermostat sets it.

• Do a momentum check.
• Invite others to join you in raising it.
• This is no time for drifting.

Let’s stay proactive and keep the momentum going strong!

-Howe Q. Wallace Jr