As I write this post, I hope that you have already got plans in place for 2021 with regards to your process improvement projects. Even if your plans do not run in line with the calendar year, it can be worth taking the time now to reflect briefly on your plans to make sure that they are still inline with where you want to go. It is also, unfortunately, a task that many people don't get around to. Reviewing and revising business plans and continuous improvement plans can seem like a huge task. As you know, huge tasks often fall by the wayside as the day to day activities (and possibly crises!) take over. Kaizen, the art of using small steps, can help us here. Instead of firing off the 'fight or flight' response in the brain, consider having a five minute review of your plans. Don't commit to anything more than this. When you do carry out this quick review, if you feel inclined to make some changes and alter / improve your plans then feel free. This is the art of Kaizen,

One of the troubles with continuous improvement is the infectious way that you can create opportunities for improvement once you get the 'bug'. You start off with a few small items that you want to improve in the business and then suddenly you are spotting opportunities left, right and centre. Now, this can be great for some people. They'll dive in, change the world and still manage to deliver on their day job. Wow! ...and then there is the rest of us. The list no longer looks like a wealth of opportunities , it looks overwhelming. I see this all too often and it usually leads to one problematic eventuality: Continuous improvement stops. Has this happened to you? If it has, let me share with you one simple method that can help you to get back on track. Narrow your view! Pick one improvement and focus all of your energies on it. Nibble away at it, a little bit at a time and just park the rest of your improvements for later. I have worked with two teams in just the last week