“You don’t develop greatness by keeping potential on the bench.”

That’s a quote from a recent article in Forbes magazine, stemming from a decision by the Los Angeles Lakers to send Bronny James – son of the legendary LeBron James – to the “G League.”

He was doing poorly in the “bigs,” and lots of people were writing him off as little more than a famous name. Rather than putting him on the bench, though, the Lakers’ brass decided to send him where he could get the playing time and reps he needed to improve. As the Forbes article explained, it was “an example of trusting potential through real-world challenge and growth.”

The results were stunning. James’ performance shot up from an average of 3 points per game to 21.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.

So what’s that got to do with getting employees engaged in processes for systematic continuous improvement?

A lot – but from a somewhat different angle.

You see, in many organizations, employees are “sitting on the virtual bench of their potential.”  They’re going along doing their day-to-day regular jobs – and that’s about all. Not bad – but not great. What’s more, it’s not their fault.

Fact is, every single person on your team has the potential to contribute more than what’s defined in their locked-down, tied-up job description.  If you want tap that potential …

• You have to get them “off the bench” of their daily routines.

• You need to get people engaged in an imbedded process for continuous improvement that gives them the “reps” to go above and beyond the work they do every day.

• You need an established practice that allows them to inject their ideas for making work better … faster … easier … safer … leaner … smoother – with less friction … higher quality … and better outcomes all around.

 Warning! The solution is NOT a suggestion box in the hallway!

Click on the link below and let me show you how to tap your team’s talent so they can score bigger for your business.

Schedule a free 30-minute discovery call

BONUS: When you sign-up for a call, you’ll get a step-by-step description of the Continuous Improvement Team Huddle.

Better ever after!

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Imagea; Originally published 7-15-25 Forbes.com)