| There is an urgent need for every company in this | | | | improvement projects. This means your employees will |
| global economy to improve its processes continuously. | | | | be responsible for additional tasks including completing |
| The ongoing strive to be better than everybody else | | | | the required training in the new processes and tools |
| and become better than oneself the day before, is at | | | | and collecting data for the control. |
| the core of survival. And the key to the success of | | | | Your management team will need to acknowledge this |
| the program lies in sustaining the gains from every | | | | additional workload. A certain amount of add-on work |
| step! | | | | will be unavoidable to start the process. But it is urgent |
| Step 1. Get Everyone Engaged | | | | to introduce a way to free people for the work in the |
| To sustain the results for your continuous | | | | improvement process from the normal tasks of their |
| improvement process, you must first engage all | | | | jobs. Maintaining hours worked during a time of lower |
| employees involved in the business. This should also | | | | production or adding additional people to create |
| include those contractors and suppliers you do | | | | dedicated improvement teams are ways to start a |
| business with for an extended period of time. Here's | | | | great program. The advancement of the improvement |
| why: | | | | process will pay for the added labor costs fast. |
| * By including the biggest number of people with insight | | | | Step 5: Celebrate Milestones and End Results |
| in your business processes, you open the widest idea | | | | Build personnel engagement for the continuous |
| pool. | | | | improvement process by celebrating successes. |
| * When every person impacted feels as if they are a | | | | Appreciation for progress made in all different layers |
| driving part of the change, they are more likely to | | | | of the improvement process must be shown in a |
| accept changes and new ideas. | | | | timely way by management from the CEO to the |
| Step 2: Visualize | | | | direct supervisor and his or her peers of every team |
| To sustain success, you must visualize the process | | | | member. |
| and the progress achieved for every person in the | | | | Appreciation can be shown in many ways, from lunch |
| company. The visualization needs to be physically | | | | or dinner invitations, gift certificates, or direct monetary |
| present for all managers, team leaders and employees | | | | rewards to the individually targeted public |
| as well. Everybody needs to see the rules of the | | | | acknowledgement of the success or a special service |
| program and the baseline, target, and ongoing progress | | | | provided to the employees. Rewards work best when |
| for the key performance indicators (KPI). | | | | every employee feels they are appropriate for the |
| Step 3: Use Realistic Optimism | | | | success achieved and when they fit the needs of the |
| Your company's business process key performance | | | | individual employee. One of the most effective |
| indicators need to be determined in a way that directly | | | | appreciations for reaching a milestone was the |
| indicates how successful your improvement efforts | | | | personal effort of the team facilitator in washing every |
| are. Here's how... | | | | team member's car in front of the company building. |
| * Start with the baseline performance from the last | | | | Your 3 Action Items for Success |
| one or two business periods. | | | | To improve productivity and sustain improvements |
| * Targets for the KPIs should be set with "realistic | | | | over the long haul your employees must drive the |
| optimism" from your baseline data. They must pose | | | | continuous improvement process and be at the core |
| challenging goals while not being out of reach. | | | | of sustaining it. In order to make effective strides |
| * Ongoing progress needs to be measured in a timely | | | | forward your company must work to engage every |
| manner | | | | employee in the process. So start performing these 3 |
| * Representation of the KPIs should be given in | | | | action items for success today: |
| graphics, not purely numerically. | | | | 1. Visualize the steps it will take to achieve results so |
| When improvements are implemented, the KPIs will | | | | that every person involved sees it every day |
| show the positive impact. They also will show the | | | | 2. Make organizational adjustments to allow people the |
| sustained achievement. Or if things fall back, it will give | | | | time to participate in the effort |
| you early feedback so corrective actions can be | | | | 3. Develop milestones and celebration schedule to |
| started fast. | | | | show your company's appreciation for every |
| Step 4: Balance the Workload | | | | successful step forward in a balanced way. |
| As your company moves forward with the continuous | | | | Bottom line: Think positively about it, put your best |
| improvement program, teams should be established | | | | support forward for it, and feel part of it! |
| for ongoing administration and support and for specific | | | | |