Continuous improvement is an ongoing effort to improve all elements of an organization such as processes, tools, products, and services, etc. The improvements can be small and incremental, or they can be more breakthrough in nature. Continuous improvement itself is a key ‘hidden area’ that many businesses miss out on, losing the massive gains it can give. Not because they don't want it, but because they don't understand how easily it can be included in the business structure. How it can be part of the people make up of the business, allowing it to take on a life of its own that benefits everything, people, culture, bottom line and success. In fact Continuous improvement can be one of the best tools for engaging your people for success, and it costs you nothing but can give back more than you can imagine. One of the key issues to grasp is that this should be an “ongoing” process if you really want to get maximum benefits for your people and your company. It should be part of the DNA of your company, embedded into the culture, not just an activity that your organization undertakes to tick some boxes and move on. The most successful organizations can instill a culture of continuous improvement, which adds benefits and cost savings to all areas of the business. While actively engaging your people and creating sustainable success. I will not only talk all about continuous improvement, I will also review the more interesting and engaging ways in which you can make this part of your culture and staff mindset, throughout all 4 parts of this series. After all Continuous Improvement is an ongoing, consistent effort to improve products, processes, or services, and the reason we are focusing on it is because it reduces waste and increases quality in a business, while also having the opportunity to fully engage your staff and take your business to the maximum level of success. Sometimes Continuous Improvement gets a “bad-rap” as being just another process where people are going to critique a department or someone’s work. It should never be presented this way. In fact if done well it can be fun, and engage your people to greater utilisation of their skills and ideas. This ultimately benefits everyone! The key is to tie the Continuous Improvement process to business needs, and the engagement of your people. Doing this will give your organisation an edge, as it will lead to a competitive advantage for your business and an improved culture for your people. Core Steps to Establishing Continuous Improvement in Your Business 1- Define- you need to know just what your business needs, and how that works with your brand and vision 2- Get feedback from the floor- Your people will make all the difference here! 3- Understand the intended outcomes- Make them measurable 4- Implement- Use working teams 5- Review outcomes- Remember to be agile 6- Repeat Subscribe for free to the entire season of Engaging Your People for Success Subscribe Most businesses and leaders need help to really see this key area with ‘fresh eyes’. If you have reached this point do contact me directly at [email protected] for a free no obligation discussion of just where you are and how we may be able to help. Tags; strategy and culture, aligning culture and strategy, strategy implementation, strategy vs culture, culture and strategy, business strategy, strategic planning, strategy software, humantelligence alignment, organizational culture, cultural change, strategy cascade, strategy, culture, align team goals, objectives, technology, people, training, continuous improvement