Tag Archives: getting better all the time

Continuous Improvement

Everything is constantly changing.  Sometimes in small increments and sometimes change is very rapid and the impacts can be  of a greater magnitude.

By definition working to achieve or produce something better than it previously required a change.  This will be a change for the better (or at least that is the intent) but still, it is a change

Little Steps

Constantly getting better intuitively makes sense.  Making changes in small increments is most often better than the big bang approach.

Moving rapidly and doing everything all at once has been demonstrated through numerous studies to initially reduce productivity and quality as people worry about the impacts of the changes.

As you seek to move forward try not to step on those in front of you or leave a trail of crushed bodies behind.   Continuously improving in small increments is a solid approach to achieving better results with minimal disruption.

Often the changes can happen seamlessly relatively noticed by those impacted the most.  Ultimately better results are achieved by stealth.

Minimal Impact/ Maximum Gain

The concept of continuous improvement is associated with change management.  Rather than modifying processes, practices, and behaviors all at once  thus creating greater stress and resistance the goals are slowly progressed toward in increments.

It is important to have the overall goal in mind and even mapping out the steps fully help make sure the result is coherent and integrated but this does not mean the change needs to occur all at once.

Continuous improvement is continuous changes and thus becomes the norm so that in a way it is not really a change but rather the usual.

 

Setting Your Bar

For many years I worked for organizations that focused on driving excellence by regularly increasing performance expectations.

In essence, great achievement or success from the past became only mediocre in the present and perhaps even below expectation in the future.

Resting on your laurels

Having one successful book or a hit record or implementing the most complex project does not make for success.  True greatness requires continually performing at a higher level.

Like the concept of infinity, raising the performance bar is never-ending.   This applies even as you move through various stages of life.

For example, a student to professional to the leader and then retired, the quest for improvement and excellence does not need to end, in fact, should not end.

You Can Do It

When I was younger, I was engaged in competitive track and field. Two of my favorite events were high jumping and pole vaulting.  In both cases, you attempted to jump over a bar without dislodging it.

Each successful attempt led to another after the bar had been raised of course.  Ultimately the bar reached a height I could not jump over at that point.

This led to more training and preparation.  At the next meet, I always beat my height by at least one raise of the bar.  Until I stopped competing (admittedly there probably was a maximum height I could jump).

Challenging myself, proving I could do it was both motivation and a thrill (the thrill of success).  From an early age, this taught me the value of pushing the bar.