From the book What If? How to Start a Creative Revolution at Work!

Children at play have an intensity and happy spontaneity. They have to be almost pried away from what they are doing and can't wait to get back to it. That is momentum.

In the business world momentum is the management of energy. Think of it as an unreasonable urgency. You can spot a team or business with momentum a mile off - they literally buzz with energy and excitement.

Momentum is contagious, but so is inertia. Momentum breeds high corporate self-esteem and makes people feel that anything is possible. Organizations that have it can be characterized as CAN companies. CAN'T companies lack momentum, and after awhile they create a culture that is self-defeating.

Managing momentum involves taking personal responsibility for making things happen, and tilting the energy equation in your favor. You can either reduce the barriers to momentum, or boost motivation by increasing alignment in your organization.

Creating a crisis is a short-term strategy for increasing alignment. Long-term solutions involve confronting the 'hard edge of creativity,' by taking stock of personal goals and motivations..

To reduce barriers to momentum: cut down the number of projects by learning to say 'no'; cut out waste, especially pointless meetings; keep teams small; find ways to focus.