In just two days we will be entering the new year, which means it’s time that we start thinking about what we can do differently this year to improve our lives and the lives of those who we care about. For a business owner, this often means reflecting on the different professionals decisions they made over the last 12 months and contemplating what decisions should be made in the future to better business as a whole. When you think about your business and what you accomplished in the last year, what do you think about? Are you satisfied with all the obstacles you overcame? Did you make the progress you were hoping to? Is there anything you wish you would have done differently?

Despite what your answers may be to these questions, there is no doubt that all of us can stand to improve over time. When it comes to continuous improvement, however, do you know how to form a true culture in your place of business? If you don’t, there’s no need to worry. The Professional Development Center at Glendale Community College can give you the foundation you need to provide your employees with the tools they need to make them not only good at their jobs, but also happy to come to work every single day.

What is a culture of continuous improvement?

A culture of continuous improvement in a workplace exists to constantly allow the employees at the company to obtain and perfect skills that allow them to be the best they can in their professional position. The first way a business owner can begin to build this sort of environment at their company is to figure out what sort of behaviors and skills they would like their employees to demonstrate on a regular basis. The business owner also needs to think about the future and where they want to see their company in five years, as well as what sorts of employees they hope to have aided in growing by this time in the future as well.

part1-side-page-content-image-12-20-16What sorts of behaviors and skills normally result from continuous improvement?

  • Employees at all levels and in all departments understand the business they deal in and measure their work daily with metrics.
  • Employees are great at pinpointing problems as well as identifying multiple solutions to them.
  • Every employee knows how their job in particular aids to the mission of the business as a whole.
  • All employees who work in the same department complete the same tasks the exact same way every time.
  • All employees are constantly improving upon processes based on decisions driven by data.
  • Employees feel comfortable making suggestions and submitting ideas that will result in the improvement of processes or the company in general.

Being able to look into the future of your company when the culture of continuous improvement has been fully implemented will benefit you, your employees and your company as a whole. Once you know what it will look like, you can begin devising a plan of action in order to accomplish your vision.

What Next?

Once you have created a framework for your culture of continuous improvement, you must then get your employees on board. Building awareness around your desire to create an environment that allows your employees to continue to learn will let them know that you are all on the same mission.

In part two of this series, we will tell you how to best build awareness, as well as how to implement your new culture sooner rather than later. Check back to the Professional Development Center blog soon for the rest of the list!