Let's face it, folks - we're creatures of habit. Once we find a process that works, we tend to stick with it like gum on a shoe. Fact is, though, what worked yesterday might not cut it tomorrow.

Take the annual performance review, for instance. For decades, companies swore by this ritual, believing it was the best way to evaluate employees. But it’s actually about as effective as using a sundial to time a foot race. Companies eventually realized that ongoing feedback and regular meaningful dialogue are far more effective for elevating employee performance and boosting their contributions to the organization.

How about the old-school suggestion box? It was created a long time ago to give employees a place to drop their brilliant ideas. It worked okay for quite a while in some businesses, but over time those boxes became dusty relics that collected gripes and snide remarks along with cigarette butts and gum wrappers instead of useful ideas for how to make things work better. That’s partly because employee ideas eventually went largely unheard and rarely implemented.

The point is, even our most cherished processes need to be examined and adjusted on a regular basis. And whether it’s a better way to manage people or processes, the best approach for discovering those opportunities is through continuous improvement methods that tap into the insights and ideas that everyone has for making things work better day-in and day-out. 

What’s the main takeaway? Commit to getting your teams involved in routinely poking and prodding your processes, no matter how comfy they feel. Just because something has been working for a long time doesn’t mean it’s still the best method for the future. 

Click on the link below to learn how you can foster a culture of systematic continuous improvement to replace outdated practices with more effective solutions to keep your business always moving forward.

6-Week Program for Systematic Continuous Improvement

“Great is the enemy of better”

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