The Catalyst Perspectives Group
A Continuous Improvement Culture
Stop. Think. Change.
Stop. Think. Change.
Stop. Think. Change.
Continuous improvement is a systematic process. To change (and get better) requires that one stops and thinks about and then makes the changes needed to bring about improvement... to the organization, a process or a specific output.
The Customer
Stop. Think. Change.
Stop. Think. Change.
First (and always), you must think about the Customer. Who are they? What are their needs and wants? What could you provide that would meet those expectations and represent outstanding value from the customer's perspective? Where are growth opportunities? Are there similar potential customers you are not yet serving or, even better, new types of customers that you may be "uniquely" able to serve.
Assess
Stop. Think. Change.
Assess
Assess where you are and consider where you need or want to be. What are the gaps between what you are providing and what your customers need and expect. Evaluate how effectively the organization is positioned to meet customer needs. Are you heading in the right direction? In simple terms, where are you and what changes are needed to get the organization to where it needs to be?
Plan
Verify
Assess
After you assess where you are and determine where you need to be, you must develop a Plan that will get you there. Without a plan, your destination won't matter because you'll never get there anyway. The plan must be bounded by the scope of change you are attempting to accomplish. It should reflect the priorities needed that will enable the organization to progress as far as possible with the available resources. The plan must include a balance of what must be done "in the now" and what must be done to progress towards the future state.
Do
Verify
Verify
The Do step is to "execute the plan". That is, the actions you must take to transform the organization while continuing with the actions that must be performed that are needed to maintain current operations and a sustainable level of performance. Executing these two sets of actions will require prioritization, adjustment of who is doing what when and will likely need additional resources to "get over the hump". Communications and leadership are essential elements for successfully executing the plan and turning the "To Do" into the "Now Done".
Verify
Verify
Verify
An on-going element of the plan is to Verify if the implementation of changes specifically and the plan more broadly is working and if the expected progress is being made. An effective plan includes elements that identify when and how the plan must be adjusted to keep progress on track. It is essential that the verification of the progress being made is shared broadly throughout the organization. Doing so helps reinforce the effectiveness of the actions being taken and help overcome the anxieties associated with change. Change is difficult. Verify that the changes being made will bring the organization to a better place.
Continuous-Improvement
The Customer...again and always
The Customer...again and always
It's described as Continuous-Improvement because effective organizations are continuously repeating the steps needed to take so that the organization can always be improving. In general, each of these steps is always happening and the overall process being adjusted accordingly.
The Customer...again and always
The Customer...again and always
The Customer...again and always
Effective organizations are always focused on their customer. Meeting the needs and expectations of the customer in a manner that represents outstanding value is the hub around which all activities must turn. Each step of the continuous-improvement process must be directly linked to the customer.