These 9 problems will disappear

When we truly understand what continuous improvement really means, we will change the way we live, work, and play. Our energy, creativity, agency, and sense of urgency and ownership will immediately and exponentially increase. The moment we start to incorporate continuous improvement into all of our thoughts and execute accordingly through all of our actions and behaviours, so many problems will disappear.

Continuous improvement is exactly as it reads. It is a mindset, a set of aligned actions, and a responsibility to continuously improve what we do and how we do it. It is a philosophy, a perspective, and a practice through which to filter everything. No matter what the situation is and no matter what the results are, there is always an even better situation and an even better result that we are capable of and responsible for creating.

Continuous improvement is the perpetual pursuit of 'even better' through the process of taking total responsibility for and actually making necessary adjustments. 'Even better' is an inspiring and attractive mirage and 'continuous improvement' is what we strive to do every time the rubber hits the road.

Here are 9 problems that will go away when a continuous improvement culture is truly at play:

1. Toxic conflict. When we are striving towards 'even better' as a team, no one will stand for unhealthy conflict. Toxic conflict, that creates a psychologically unsafe environment, does not help us improve and we will stamp it out as quickly as it flares up. Everyone becomes responsible for changing the way they challenge and accept challenges. Everyone learns how to move from being combative against each other to being collaborative with and for each other and they actually apply what they learn.
2. Blame. There will be zero blame. None. Zilch. Instead of looking at 'Who To Fault' or 'What To Fault' (WTF), everyone's collective focus is squarely on 'So What Now' and 'Shifting What's Necessary' (SWN) to get closer to the shared goals. Teammates quickly accept 'what was' and 'what is' and put all of their efforts into 'what now' and 'what next'.
3. Poor communication. We need to be extraordinary at communicating if we want to continuously improve. Speaking, listening, understanding, making statements, sharing perspectives, seeking solutions, asking curious questions, providing guidance is self governed and collectively elevated. All forms of written, verbal, and digital communication are delivered intentionally and responsibly. Whether in person or remotely, everyone takes ownership for the way they engage individually and as a collective. Poor communication won’t be acceptable by the deliverer nor accepted by the receiver.
4. Walking on eggshells. Both the cautious walking and the eggshells will be gone. There are no eggshells on the grounds of a team that has adopted a continuous improvement philosophy. No one places eggshells down to begin with and by default everyone is walking respectfully, purposefully, urgently, and directly towards the shared goals.
5. Performance Improvement Plans. The intention of a performance improvement plan is awesome and more often than not the acceptance and execution of them is awful. When a team understands continuous improvement and the perpetual pursuit of 'even better', everyone is always and forever more on a performance improvement plan. Day 1 of every team member's onboarding begins with the placing of signatures on our collective PIP. The drama, pain, inefficiency, and costly distraction that used to accompany old school performance improvement plans will be eradicated completely. Instead of the dreaded 'write up', focus is placed on making adjustments to move our collective performance to the 'right and up'.
6. Difficult Conversations. The concept of a 'difficult conversation' and the need to have them will disappear. Instead of having a serious conversation about performance, we are having a series of conversations about performance. Continuous improvement is our shared responsibility and all conversations become truthful and fruitful.
7. Negative Feedback. The challenges and collateral damages that can come with giving AND receiving negative feedback are eradicated. Hurting people's feelings, taking things personally, and other unintended and unhelpful by-products are no longer in our feedback process and recipe. In fact, any adjectives that proceed feedback are removed. It's just feedback! We constantly seek it, share it, and make the necessary adjustments because of it.
8. Managing generations. Poof! Gone! Regardless of the different generations in your workforce and the various labels placed on individuals, we stop figuring out how to manage generations and we start figuring out how to leverage one another. Division, silos, and camps are willing and proactively destroyed.
9. Underperforming partners and suppliers. Think about your partners and suppliers. Are they showing up and contributing to your continuous improvement philosophy? Are they engaging in their own process of continuously improving the way they partner with you and supply their products and services? If one of the conditions to be a partner and supplier of your company is to be a partner and supplier that continuously improves how they engage with you, underperforming partners and suppliers will no longer exist.

If any of these 9 problems exist in your company and if you want to make them all go away, consider discussing this post with your entire company. These problems will continue to exist until everyone associated with your business (internally and externally) understands, learns how to create, and chooses to contribute to a culture of continuous improvement.

You are invited and encouraged to copy and paste this link and utilize the content as widely and as freely as you like. For a PDF copy, let me know where to send it.

____________________________

WTF ∞ SWN © moreco.ca