Welcome to Momentum’s Blog & Media page. This is the place where we share the information most aligned to our Mission. Whether it’s something we have created or the keen ideas of a collegial thought leader, this is where we provide insight and inspiration for people in business.
Enjoy!
If you are reading this right now, there is a 100% chance that you are a human being. Incidentally, for you sticklers out there, I do not consider a scanner or any other technological device to actually be “reading” the way we humans do. So, back to a 100%. The reason I bring this up is that for each of you reading this composition, there is a unique and distinct article being read. It’s not the one I wrote. Nor is it the same for any other person reading this very blog. For every reader, every person, this article will be sui generis…unique and singular. I see that as one of the great mysteries of being human. We are a parade of uniqueness. We tend to believe that this world is being perceived in a similar fashion, in a similar way. By similar, I mean, like we see it. But, not so. For every person there is nuance and novelty in both perception and reality. It’s an exclusive lens, this lens of ours,...
read moreYou remember those days…back in junior high and high school, when most of us had an ever-open eye out for what was cool or interesting or compelling. During that time we were actively scanning people, behavior, clothing, activities, interests, attitudes—looking for what lined up with out mostly unconscious objectives, be they social, physical or vocational. How those around us acted and appeared, mattered. That environment was a powerful sculptor of behavior and mindset. In those years, we referred to it as “peer pressure.” More persuasive oftentimes than parents, teachers, media or even our own good sense. This particular field of energy possessed an enormous ability to direct action and thought. Like the wind, invisible to the eye, but no less real and profound. This amazing energetic resource lives on and with constructive intention, can catalyze remarkable results. Today, as grown ups in the world of business, we refer to it as peer accountability. The difference between the “pressure” and “accountability” factor is a product of awareness and elevated consciousness. Whereas in school, we...
read moreMoney is one form of energy. It’s the form of energy that most businesses tend to focus in on. Financial reports, profitability statements, quarterly earnings—all are valid and important. But the focus is almost exclusively on this one form. The truth is, businesses are comprised of multiple energy sources and the most potent of these is the human being. This proposition can be easily proven…humans created money. We are the energy that created money. No business has ever sprung up from the earth untouched by human beings, and simply generated money. We humans, as the creators of money, are the more powerful energy source. But, business paradigms oftentimes reverse the pecking order and place financial value squarely ahead of human value. That’s a big mistake. It’s “the cart in front of the horse” kind of mistake. And, while it is largely unrecognized and unrevised, is proving untenable. When energy is tamped down and controlled, it first causes stagnation, and decay. From there it can move into disorder and chaos. We’re talking universal law...
read moreIt’s easy to be yanked forward and backward in business. Let’s face it, the areas that demand a leader’s attention are vast and ever changing. Technology, forever promising greater efficiencies, has largely added to the already impressive heap. Communicating used to be straightforward, demanding very few choices. You simply built a fire, grabbed a wet blanket, and sent your message. Now, there are so many various channels of communication, it becomes a question of which channel, for what reason and for who. Added complexity. Now, I’d like to be clear… I have nothing against complexity. Complexity is amazing and fascinating—it’s naturally tied to evolution and I’m all for it. However, as a business leader navigating multi-faceted efforts and relationships as well as energetically guiding the company forward, added complexity is not always helpful. In fact, it can seductively rob attention, hijack energy and eventually wear a good leader down. Getting clear on the complexity that actually serves your performance as a leader and releasing that which doesn’t, can be profoundly valuable. Part of...
read moreAha! There it was, staring me straight in the face. For months I had been on the look out for a word to replace “Manager.” I had Thesaurus-ed it like crazy, finding all sorts of possibilities, but nothing new ever hit the mark. Meanwhile, I had been reading study after study lamenting the critical rise of disengagement in the workplace—52%, 68%, and, Gallup’s most recent number, a whopping 87%! The creep towards greater disengagement was in full swing, and I had no replacement word for Manager. If you’re wondering why I was so keen on replacing the word manager, the reason is this: When it comes to people and their performance, “managing” is not the best tool for the job. If you’re interested in boosting performance and fortifying the company culture, a lot of time and energy will be expended trying to tighten a bolt with a screwdriver. Here’s why—if you ask a hundred people if they believe traditional business management brings out their best, you will hear a resounding NO. People, by...
read moreTry as you might, you won’t find that intersection on Google Earth, Bing or Tom Tom—these technologies simply aren’t programmed to know it exists. But interestingly enough, many companies operate from that location just the same. To be fair, this isn’t simply a phenomenon of the business sector. It’s also true for people, cultures, governments as well as our educational, medical and religious institutions. The pull towards the symptomatic and the desire to quickly fix that symptom is both seductive and habitual. Add to that, that examining and considering things as a whole is rarely modeled. We have become conditioned to view and interact with much of life from the perspective of its separate parts. When it comes to business, that tendency can generate chaos. Issues arise that are deemed problematic and if they are attended to, the issue is likely dealt with or “fixed” in isolation of its root cause. Disconnected from the true source of the problem, these “fixes” are oftentimes short lived, with the added liability of creating new symptomatic...
read moreAs business leaders discuss and strategize economies and markets, process improvements, cost reduction, new technology and system efficiencies, one area seems largely unrecognized. That area is the vast energetic untapped potential that shows up every morning—the company employees. First of all, the word employees can retire. It’s an old word for an old time. Laborers, workers, employees—all have had their day and that day is gone. No matter how far away we think we are from the grim industrial age of old, it’s legacy is sticky and can find its way into the present if we are not vigilant. If you listen closely, you can hear the call of the canary in the coal mine. And, I encourage leaders to pay heed. Most of us feel the undulating movement of change below the very ground we work upon. Make no mistake, it is coming. With it, change that will feel very much imposed if not recognized sooner rather than later. The dot com experience may have been the first dot on the emerging...
read moreIt fascinates me that ‘leadership development’ is really code for developing as a whole human being. For years, I considered the idea of a leader and leadership to be in its own category, in many ways distinct from being human. I was inclined to perceive that particular designation as less human, and more heroic and superhuman. I incorrectly assumed that extraordinary leaders possessed traits that were not likely bestowed to mere mortals and that they behaved in ways that seemed almost removed from the confusion and messiness of the rest of us. What a surprise when I came to learn that I’d believed a conditioned falsehood all these years. Instead of recognizing the immense humanity of true leadership I was focusing on some false non-humanity. Placing the idea of leadership beyond the attainment of most people. And through that conceptualized understanding, vastly reducing the opportunity of leadership being possible for anyone. True leadership does not require vast numbers of people to lead. Instead, it is the ability to lead yourself first. To move...
read moreThere’s a prescript that’s uttered when people are feeling distracted, disconnected, overwhelmed or fearful—and that is, “pull it together.” It struck me several days ago, that that is what my work is about. Helping companies and the people that work there, pull it together. But, it’s more than moving out of disconnect and overwhelm—it’s about energetically and actively coming together. In essence, becoming a healthy community of people committed to a shared vision…and “pulling together” towards that vision. Right now, we are in the midst of a significant shift in our paradigm of “work.” There is an up-leveling underway and it’s gaining traction. If you aren’t aware of it or aren’t sensing the shift, it’s time to take note. Business has, in essence, examined and refined most every aspect of business operation. Technology, systems, reporting, data, automation and process have experienced remarkable change and improvement. There remains, however, one glaring area that has yet to be powerfully understood and attended to…the people who get the work done. The reasons for this are numerous, but...
read moreOur Mission At Work At the core of everything related to Momentum and the work they do, is Mission. Founder Barb Hammer describes the evolution that led to the programs and services Momentum offers and explains why creating great workplaces is more vital than ever....
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