Last time, I talked about the first lens in the kaleidoscope, The Lens of Communication & Visibility. Today, I’m talking about another lens: The Lens of Thrust & Momentum.
The Lens of Thrust & Momentum deals with movement…and the fuel and engine that create that movement. If you’re wondering why movement is important, consider this: Have you ever tried to steer a car that wasn’t moving? How effective was that in adjusting where you were headed? Movement is what causes heading to matter. Movement is the substance that brings life to direction. If you’re not moving, how much does the direction you’re pointed really matter?
Fuels & Engines
The second aspect of The Lens of Thrust & Momentum deals with the engine and fuel that together generate that thrust and momentum. What is your fuel? What gives you energy? For me, my fuels are
- Envisioning what can be
- Being with like-minded people
- Crafting innovative solutions to huge problems
What is your engine? What transforms your fuel into thrust and momentum? For me, my engines are
- X Technologies, Inc., where I lead an Identity Credential & Access Management (ICAM) service offering across our U.S. Federal Government clients
- Lamark Solutions, Inc. and Fourth Dimension Identity, Inc., where I’m building the future of identity credentials ensconced in our mobile devices
- Straightforward Consulting, where I’m bringing together a consortium of like-minded, technology-focused consultants to transform technological debt into competitive advantage
The Value of Friction
But even with all the fuel in the world, those engines would never get me where I want to go if it weren’t for friction. Thrust is effectual because of resistance or friction. In a car, thrust is effectual because of the friction between the tires and the roadway. In a plane, thrust is effectual because of the resistance of air being compressed by the propellers or fan blades. In a boat, thrust is effectual because of the resistance of the propellers drilling through the water.
Some people avoid friction and resistance preferring to see them as bad, as indicators that something is wrong. However, without friction and resistance, we would not have the opportunity for movement. And without drag, we would not have the opportunity for lift…to soar.
Thrust & Momentum
Thrust happens now. Momentum is the cumulative result of thrust over a period of time. And…it takes far more thrust to break inertia than it does to maintain momentum.
The next time you fly, listen to the engines. They’re nearly full-throttle for takeoff and climbing. But, when you reach cruising altitude, the pilots throttle back the engines. That’s because the thrust required to maintain momentum is a lot less than the thrust required to break the inertia of momentum.
The same is true in life. It doesn’t take much effort to do the same thing day-in an day-out. But if you want something more, something better, or something different, it’s going to take thrust. And the better tuned your engine, and the better fuel you’ve got in your tank, the better performance you’ll have when you stick a brick on the gas pedal.
The Transformation Formula
So how does thrust now become momentum over time? I’m glad you asked….
Engine + Fuel = Thrust
Thrust + Friction = Traction
Traction / Time = Momentum
So…
Momentum = (Engine + Fuel + Friction) / Time
So What?
The Lens of Thrust & Momentum is important because it gives me options beyond the one in front of me. When my tank is full of good fuels, and my engines are running well, traffic jams are no problem. I know I’m not going to run out of gas because my tank is full. I know I can yank the steering wheel to the right and go off-roading if I want to because my engines are running at peak performance. Through the kaleidoscope, this lens helps me identify performance tuning opportunities with my fuels and engines…and find a creative, fun pathway around the traffic jams of life.
