I enjoy speaking with other Continuous Improvement (CI) practitioners. It is always interesting to see how different companies implement their CI programs.
One key aspect of any CI program is employee engagement. It is critical that all employees not only be aware of the corporate CI efforts and its successes, but also understand where they fit in the effort – what is their role?
I have heard of many ways to involve employees in the CI program. One company requires all of their employees to attend White Belt training, so that they are exposed to CI (Lean and Six Sigma) concepts. Another organization brought in a team of consultants so that a majority of employees could take part in CI projects in a short amount of time.
One of the most interesting proposals I heard involved a way to engage new employees. The company found many small improvement projects in which new employees could participate. This approach has the advantage of teaching participants the fundamentals of CI while they are helping their new teammates improve company performance.
Implementing and maintaining a strong CI program requires that everyone in the organization, from the newest employee to the senior leadership members, be engaged in continuous improvement. While not all employees should be Green or Black Belts, everyone should know the basics of CI and be able to support the CI efforts.
How are you helping your company to work smarter by reducing the amount of time spent on non-productive activities and correcting errors? If your business processes need a “check-up,” please email me at michael@leadingchangeforgood.com! I’d love to help you get back to a healthy, productive workplace.
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