How can you avoid common pitfalls in the Act phase of the PDCA cycle?

1 Pitfall 1: Acting without checking

One of the most common mistakes in the Act phase is to skip or rush the Check phase, where you analyze the results of your solution and compare them to your goals and expectations. If you act without checking, you may end up implementing a solution that does not solve the problem, causes new problems, or wastes time and resources. To avoid this pitfall, you should always review the data and feedback from the Do phase, use appropriate tools and methods to measure and evaluate the impact of your solution, and verify that your solution meets your criteria for success.

2 Pitfall 2: Acting without learning

Another common mistake in the Act phase is to act without learning from the previous phases of the PDCA cycle. If you act without learning, you may miss valuable insights and opportunities to improve your solution, your process, or your skills. To avoid this pitfall, you should always reflect on what worked and what did not work in the Plan, Do, and Check phases, identify the root causes and contributing factors of the problem and the solution, and document and share your findings and lessons learned with your team and stakeholders.

4 Pitfall 4: Acting without planning

A fourth common mistake in the Act phase is to act without planning for the next steps. If you act without planning, you may encounter difficulties or delays in implementing, sustaining, or scaling the solution, or you may miss opportunities to repeat or improve the PDCA cycle for other problems. To avoid this pitfall, you should always plan for the actions and resources needed to execute, monitor, and evaluate the solution, define the roles and responsibilities of your team and stakeholders, and set a timeline and milestones for the next cycle.

5 Pitfall 5: Acting without celebrating

A fifth common mistake in the Act phase is to act without celebrating your achievements and recognizing your efforts. If you act without celebrating, you may lose motivation, engagement, or morale among your team and stakeholders, or you may fail to appreciate the value and impact of your solution. To avoid this pitfall, you should always celebrate your successes and challenges, acknowledge and reward your team and stakeholders for their contributions and feedback, and showcase and share your solution and results with others.