How can I apply the principles of continuous improvement within the organization?
A common feature of all successful individuals and organizations is a capacity for self-improvement. Part of the ability to push constantly for better performance is undoubtedly an individual’s mind-set or the collective philosophy of organizational leaders but having a defined structure in place to facilitate continual improvement is also an important factor; it will not happen by accident. Note also that periodic improvement is not the same thing as continuous improvement.
Key elements in any continuous improvement process include:
In any attempt to improve, at any level of the organization, there has to be clear definition of the expected results. Without defining expectations in measurable terms, how can progress be gauged?
The key tocontinual improvement is to use your measures to identify where problems lie. Then, in addressing these problems, it is important to use your process for managing innovation, as it is only through innovation that you can find new ideas and better ways of doing things.
