Often we see organizations with a top down approach to making improvements to their processes in efforts to provide better goods or services to their customers. Process Improvement should be inclusive of all members of an organization to reap the greatest benefits of a change. Your staff that work with processes day-to-day or are in direct contact with your customers have invaluable information and hidden insights into the main obstacles and challenges getting in the way of creating value to the customer. The trick as a manager is getting your team to generate Process Improvement ideas. In fact, doing so can make the difference between a change sticking or not sticking.
How to Start a Continuous Improvement Culture:
So just how do you get a team to generate ideas? Below are some tips to start a Continuous Improvement (CI) Culture in your team:
- Keep the Process Simple: design a simple process for staff to communicate their ideas. This could be in the form of a one-pager that says the problem, proposed solution, added value, and steps to implement. Give autonomy to the area manager to approve and keep this process simple! Communicating ideas at a daily huddle to a Manager is a great way to keep this simple.
- Encourage Small Improvements: Encourage staff to come up with small improvements that are easy to implement, and even better if staff can implement themselves. Small improvements go a long way to making a lasting impact, and the short implementation times allows staff to see the results sooner.
- Recognition for Implemented Ideas: Don’t forget to celebrate successes and recognize the staff member for their idea! This will provide momentum for ideas to come and entice other staff to participate.
- Transparency: Keeping lines of communication between Management and staff goes a long way in making improvements. Staff needs to be aware of what the organization’s goals are and where service levels may be falling short to know how they can contribute to the organization. Results for implemented ideas should also be shared with staff, whether that means quick delivery times or reduced processing errors for example. Even unsuccessful improvements can make a positive impact: share them and identify why they are not working. Use this to course correct with your team.
- Measure the Program: Introduce some Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure how well your Continuous Improvement Program is working; an example that tracks the efficacy of your teams’ voice is the percentage of submitted ideas that are implemented.
Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement (CI) takes some work. However, with open communication and a simple process in place, your teams’ ideas can contribute to the overall success of your area.
Questions? Contact Us
If you want to learn how to instill a culture of Continuous Improvement within your organization contact us at Propel Solutions today. We specialize in creating high performing teams and have a proven track record of powerful results. Contact us at [email protected] or using the form below.
Propel Solutions
- 📍 789 W. Pender Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- 📞 604-346-5185
