Organizations Can Effectively LEARN Continuous Improvement

Views > Change and Organization > Article > Organizations Can Effectively LEARN Continuous Improvement

Organizations Can Effectively LEARN Continuous Improvement
None

Leila McKenzie, Business Consultant, United States

Continuous improvement maintains, when processes fail to add value, the root cause must be immediately identified and corrected. In order for organizations to LEARN the concept of continuous improvement, leadership, education, awareness, readiness, and new initiatives are necessary.

In order for organizations to LEARN the concept of continuous improvement:
- Leadership
- Education
- Awareness
- Readiness, and
- New initiatives are necessary.
Companies should understand that thriving on invariable progress must not encourage stagnant attitudes for improvement. To facilitate competitiveness in today's market, it is essential to provide consistent quality and value to customers. Continuous improvement maintains, when processes fail to add value, the root cause must be identified and immediately corrected.

Leadership is a process for action, influencing followers throughout various levels of an organization. Leaders play the pivotal role of bridging strategy and operations during continuous improvement initiatives. Showing integrity, building a culture of partnership, and affirming organizational stability are leadership traits proven to be instrumental in the success of change.

Continuous improvement includes a broad array of knowledge and tools needed to develop the efficiency of business operations. The education of new innovation carries the greatest impact when shared throughout the company. In order to progress, an organization has to grasp new practices. Continuous improvement requires a commitment to meaningful learning, which must be understood in preparation for change. The core element of understanding any process within an organization begins with education.

Becoming aware of the need for continuous improvement is progressively being seen as an essential balance to a more radical process within a rapidly changing environment. In essence it involves a company-wide practice of enabling a continuing stream of focused incremental innovation. Understanding that transformation can be extremely poignant, change has a tendency of removing the comfort zone. Having awareness and being reactive to the arousing element of change is now a prerequisite for effectual leadership. Awareness of continuous improvement means taking a problem solving approach when looking at a method of being more efficient. While engaging in process improvement, organizations seek to learn the cause of problems and focus on precision.

Providing training to employees does not constitute change readiness. One of the most critical aspects in the success of improvement initiatives is the shift in mindset. Readiness involves preparing personnel to perform in a new environment. Organizational willingness for change is a shared determination to implement new processes that add value to existing business practices. Continuous improvement describes a culture where companies and individuals proactively plan to improve processes.

New initiatives are at the core of continuous improvement. Establishing a baseline for progress by identifying best practices in desired states are key features for implementing change. Proposals for revisions embody the principals of fresh ideas, processes and innovation. Learning new initiatives is an important enabler, reinforcing what was trained, driven by the determination to thrive.

Companies that experience invariable progress must not be encouraged by stagnant attitudes. Integrity, organizational stability, and fostering a culture of partnership are leadership traits proven to be instrumental during change. The learning of new initiatives provides the greatest impact when shared throughout the organization. The shift in mindset is a critical aspect in the success of improvement initiatives. Identifying best practices in desired states are key features in establishing a baseline for improvement. In order to understand the concept of continuous improvement, leadership, education, awareness, readiness and new initiatives (LEARN) are essential.

React | More on the Author | More on this Interest Area