You’re a change management leader. How can you build a culture of continuous improvement?

Clarity in vision makes the process engaging. There is nothing more motivating than having a purpose to pursue. I have often held the view that a supervisors role is not to supervise, but to create a superior vision. When you supervise the responsibility of the task shifts from the team to yourself and you become the bottleneck. On the other hand by creating a superior vision your real task is that of aligning the team to the vision wherein the team takes full ownership to deliver remarkable results.

You could consider bringing about passion for continuous improvement only by consistently living the behaviour yourself. As a leader, challenge status-quo at every opportunity. Leader "walking the talk" is critical for effectively bringing about the desired change in organisational behaviour.

In change management, and in any other project continuous improvement is a really important track to success. Here are my best tips: 1. Empower team members. Solve problems collaboratively. 2. Celebrate small wins. Sense of responsibility, accomplishment and belonging is a super catalyzer. 3. Allow failures & learn from them. Setbacks are opportunities to learn and adapt.

It's quite easy. As I am a coach as well, I work a lot in people mindset. Mind has the power to create or to destroy. If as a leader I want my team to deliver better each day, then I must ensure these two things. Firstly, I must make sure that their goals are aligned with company's vision. Things become easy. Secondly, their goal sheet must have self_growth as one of the goals. When each employee realises that each day by working for the company, they are actually growing themselves as well, company's growth becomes easy

It's very tempting under time pressure, to complete a project stage, close the book and move on. The problem with this approach soon becomes painfully clear. Invariably, if you fail to actively check how newly installed solutions are doing and fail to get feedback from the people using these new workflows, then you won't be in a position to keep improving it and very soon your hard work will be obsolete. There are several reasons but I think the most powerful reasons are a) human nature is to focus on that for which we are accountable and b) if we don't improve we are overtaken by those who do. Continuous improvement is the change manager's friend.

My role has been in sales and therefore, my views are predominantly sales management point of view. Role of a sales leader is 80% mentoring and 20% reviewing, as every frontline salesperson knows if they have met their targets. As a mentor, it is critical that we help each individual member of the team to develop. We guide / encourage / challenge them to think for themselves (and avoid telling them) on their planning and executing their strategy.

A leader can cultivate a culture of continuous improvement by championing collaboration and empowering team members. By employing tools such as surveys and brainstorming sessions, leaders can harvest diverse insights, fostering an environment where every voice is valued. Creating cross-functional teams and communities of practice not only encourages innovation but also breaks down silos, promoting a shared responsibility for growth. This inclusive approach ensures that improvement is a collective journey, leveraging the unique strengths and perspectives of each team member to drive meaningful change.

As a change management leader, engaging your team in the improvement process can lead to more comprehensive solutions and higher levels of commitment to change. Seek Input: Encourage team members to share their ideas, insights, and suggestions for improvement. Empower Action:Empowerment fosters a sense of ownership and accountability for positive change. Collaborative Problem-Solving: Create opportunities for collaborative problem-solving and brainstorming sessions. Cross-Functional Teams: Establish cross-functional teams to tackle improvement initiatives that require input from various departments. Celebrate Team Achievements: Recognize and celebrate the successes of teams that have contributed to significant improvements.

As a change management leader, I believe in harnessing the collective power of my team to cultivate a culture of continuous improvement. By involving them in the change process, I empower each member to contribute their unique perspectives, ideas, and solutions. Through tools like surveys and brainstorming sessions, we gather diverse insights, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone feels heard and valued. By creating cross-functional teams and learning networks, we encourage innovation and shared learning, driving our organization towards constant growth and evolution.

You need to understand why the company has not adopted continuous improvement in the strategic areas. A typical pitfall (especially for traditional Fortune 1000) is a succession of "Stop and Go" initiatives. Customer satisfaction, then internal processes then Sales efficiency then employee satisfaction... The result is terrible internally and externally especially if the firm is quoted. Even worse, every CEO comes with a motto, and guess what, most of the time, they are against each other. As a CEO/Leader, be very careful with those mottoes. For instance "Simplify": comes from a good intention but tell me which company intends to make the business more complicated? So, look at the firm history and listen to the "why".

Continuous improvement is not linear. So the priority may not be small changes. What matters is - start the process - make sure it will be sustained i.e. continues beyond the talents involved - the firm understands why it needs every year to improve by X,YZ %

Here are some strategies for implementing small changes: Pilot Programs: This allows for evaluation of the effectiveness of the changes before broader implementation. Incremental Adjustments: Break down larger improvement initiatives into smaller, manageable steps. Continuous Feedback Loop: Establish a system for collecting feedback on small changes from employees and stakeholders. Agile Methodology: Adopt an agile approach to change management, where small, incremental changes are made in short cycles. Recognize and Reward: Recognizing these efforts encourages a culture of continuous improvement.

I thrive on nurturing a culture of continuous improvement by championing small changes. Embracing frameworks like PDCA and Agile, I foster an environment where every tweak matters. Leveraging tools such as A/B testing and prototyping, we refine ideas through experimentation, ensuring their effectiveness before widespread implementation. By instilling a mindset that values incremental progress, we collectively pave the path to transformative growth, one small change at a time.

Celebrating Successes: It not only acknowledges the hard work and achievements of individuals and teams but also serves as a motivation to continue striving for improvement. Celebration can come in the form of public acknowledgment, rewards, or other forms of recognition, all of which contribute to a positive work culture. Celebrating Failures:By openly acknowledging and analyzing failures, the organization can extract valuable lessons, improve processes, and encourage creative problem-solving. In essence, It demonstrates that the organization values resilience, adaptability, and a proactive approach to change, ultimately leading to a more innovative and agile work environment.

As a change management leader, nurturing a culture of continuous improvement is paramount. By personally championing the celebration of successes and failures, I foster an environment where teams feel recognized and supported. Through tailored recognition programs and genuine appreciation, I encourage positive behaviors and drive innovation. Additionally, I facilitate open discussions around failures, guiding teams through after-action reviews to extract valuable insights. This personalized approach cultivates a resilient and empowered workforce, committed to ongoing growth and excellence.

I have a memorable mantra that keeps me and my team on track let me know if you like it: Delegate, Regulate, Celebrate. Delegate authority and give your team the autonomy to implement iterative improvements without needing approval. Regulate: Use a structured approach to continuous improvement, such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle, to systematically address and implement improvements. Celebrate: Recognise and celebrate improvements, no matter how small, to motivate the team and reinforce the value of continuous improvement.

Allow everyone in the organisation to be curious and let it be safe for everyone to be always asking- there is no stupid question when we are continuously learning, seeking to understand and finding out if there is a better way than the norm.

Learning and developing by professionals has to go side by side, as they need career growth in their respective professional streams. As Training helps in refining the process of learning, therefore it augments the developmental cycle and removes the obstructions confronted enroute in achieving the outcomes.

Cultivating a culture of continuous improvement begins with championing individual and collective growth. Encourage teams to embrace learning opportunities through tailored training, personalized coaching, and mentorship programs. Provide resources for self-directed learning, empowering team members to pursue their professional development aspirations. Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices, sharing insights to inspire innovation and progress. By fostering a culture that values ongoing learning and growth, we empower our teams to drive meaningful change and excel in their roles.

Essential in a culture of continuous improvement is safety - a culture in which people can speak up, address issues and concerns without fear of being punished, ridiculed or excluded. I name Boeing as an example, where the culture shifted after they were taken over and people stopped speaking up. Leading to the disastrous outcome with design failure of the Boeing Max airplanes. If the system is not willing to be open and address what can be improved, no improvement will happen.

Good culture is the one that helps the company transform the vision and strategy into reality. There is no great culture that can be implemented in every company. It is called organizational culture, it is not about people and feelings or perception, it is about action and a way of working. What is the context - growth, crisis, plateau, stability? What are your plans - build people, launch new products, take over new markets? What are the values and principles that guide the conpany. In the end culture is about habits and behaviours, find out the real, design the ideal and get leadership to build a bridges between those two. We are all different, and that is a great thing! And so are the companies we work for.

One thing important here in a continuous improvement journey is starting from myself as an individual and tomorrow 'me' is better than today 'me' as long as I compete myself with me. I can always be better tomorrow than today by keeping being curious, developing myself and believing in myself.

Always, always lead by example by modeling desirable behaviors and being an agent for change. Clearly connect all actions to some aspect of the change, either the future state or helping retire the former state, or maintaining continuity until the change can occur.

Change is permanent, yet not readily accepted by everyone at work (or in life) due to fears of failure, uncertainties, consequences, results & impact on their day to work (or routine or life). As a change management leader, to build a culture of continuous improvement, I'll need "trust" & "buy-in" from those involved in whole change management process. I can gain trust & buy in by - 1. being transparent about change & need for change 2. addressing concerns & questions related to change 3. having plan to implement change by identifying gaps & smoothening process 4. giving sufficient time to absorb, digest & adjust 5. continuous guidance & coaching; providing training to up skill if necessary throughout process 6. seeking & acting on feedback