Continuous improvement is all about small steps and marginal gains. Unfortunately as humans in this day and age of instant gratification we expect to make change quickly and easily - with minimal effort. It just doesn’t work that way. Yes, of course we can achieve quick wins and yes large scale changes happen now and again however, when most improvement happens it is small scale - sometimes imperceptible in the moment. The power in a lean approach is in the engagement of all hearts and minds in an organisation focussed on making the small changes daily. This compounding effect over a long enough timeframe becomes unstoppable. Sweating the small stuff in the pursuit of process flow should be the daily mission. Remove the waste that gets in the way of your objectives, develop your people and learn along the way. Incremental change owned and implemented by the frontline / supported by leadership makes for a paradigm shift and a sustainable environment of excellence. It is a psychologically safer approach as change can be uncertain and confronting and allows people the time and space to adjust and reflect. It doesn’t come easy but if you stay the course, stay disciplined and stay committed you will get there - those small steps stack up to serious competitive advantages! #chaostocalm #lean
Great visual! When coaching action plan development in a3, this is why I encourage teams to the smallest reasonable bite - when something appears too large people will psychologically create barriers to avoid starting. It also is a beautiful hack to adhd success because each little win is a check and each check is a little shot of dopamine to propel to the next achievable shot!
with time to rest between each step
Great visual
Awesome visual metaphor! I will add Step function improvment is sometimes required and most of the time it is exposed through incremental improvement. Breakthrough Thnking has its place. I recall moving 85% of the equipment in a positive displacement pump manufacturer. Designed and installed 5 flexible machining cells and 1 assembly cell….all paced by the “Monument” pump case machining. Added Internal and external Kanban pull system Point of use stocking ABC analysis of purchased parts yeilded over $200K annual savings. And of course Velocty ?? Result: reduced 5 week leadtime on pumps that constituted 80% of their sales volume to 8 days.
Totally agree Paul! Sometimes, it's the first step of any journey that is the hardest to take. Even if organizations think they're doing well, whether in profit margin acceptability or personnel culture growth buy-in, many don't believe the journey will lead to even greater results when current ones are providing a certain degree of security. Looking at success today does not guarantee it for all the coming tomorrow's.
Exactly! Every small step counts and contributes to the bigger picture of success.
A powerful reminder that real progress comes from consistent, small improvements over time. Commitment, discipline, and engagement make all the difference in creating lasting change!
Site Manager at Northwood Hygiene Products | Lean Manufacturing Operations Leader | Focused on Building High Performing Teams through Coaching and Leadership Development
5 个月Hi Paul, this has got me thinking…and I would like to add, the mindset of “sweating the small the stuff” and relentless pursuit of marginal gains or making small improvements daily is the foundation that supports the long term sustainability of improvements. I agree it doesn’t come easy as it requires a real commitment to the cause. A consistent and disciplined application of this approach, in a supportive environment can help prepare a team / organisation for step changes to occur, but more importantly to be maintained. Thanks for sharing, much appreciated. ??