Over the past few weeks I have intervened in my client's continuous improvement programmes.
I did this for one good reason:
They weren't getting results.
They caught the improvement bug, like so many organisations do. They got caught in the trap of wanting to change everything now!
As I said, this happens to most of us from time to time.
You start with some small improvements and you then identify more improvements you could get your teeth into.
The next thing you know, you are trying to run ten improvement projects as well as deliver your day job. I know from bitter experience that this usually leads to having lots of loose ends rather than tangible increases in performance.
So, what can you do about this?
I know that with careful experimenting and resource management, you could find your sweet spot and figure out how many projects you can handle at once.
Or, you can take the quick route and pare back your list until you have one priority. The one project that will give you the biggest bang for your buck, so to speak.
If you don't have a good way to evaluate your improvement opportunities, check out the BCS scoring system I talk about in my book Effective Continuous Improvement. It's a fast way to determine what is going to get you the best results for your time.
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Once you have one project, throw all of your effort and focus at it until you get it across the finish line.
It's that simple. Then, you either take the next item off your list, or you re-evaluate the queue (new things may have been added since you last looked!).
Getting results from continuous improvement projects can bring so much satisfaction. For me, even the simplest improvements that I experience with my clients make me smile. The best bit, for me anyway, is seeing my client's team members growing confidence when it comes to improvement. One small win today, one massive win in a few months' time.
If you find yourself with too many loose ends, running out of time and not getting results, try this one project approach.
Giles
About the author:
Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes and embracing Kaizen.
Giles is also the author of Effective Root Cause Analysis and 'What Does Good Look Like?'.
About the author:
Giles Johnston is a Chartered Engineer who specialises in helping businesses to grow and improve through better business processes and embracing Kaizen.
Giles is also the author of Effective Root Cause Analysis and 'What Does Good Look Like?'.