“We have room for improvement.”

“Tomorrow we have another chance to get better.”

“The team needs to clean a few things up if we expect to compete for a championship.”

These are a few of the statements that we hear from coaches and athletes when they are interviewed after a game or match. It is a mindset that is deeply embedded in a successful organization at both the amateur and professional sports levels. The constant pursuit of getting better drives the best teams and individuals to achieve their goals of becoming the best at what they do.

In other words, the most successful coaches, athletes, and organizations should strive for continuous improvement.

In the business world, continuous improvement represents an organization’s ongoing efforts to improve performance by implementing a wide variety of strategies. The constant drive to improve operations leads to success measured by different factors, such as increasing profit margins and attracting more regular customers. Following the continuous improvement business model succeeds only when an organization integrates its core principles into its culture

Continuous improvement is a business philosophy that is a vital part of “This the way we do things around here.”

How to Create a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Creating the right culture for continuous improvement principles to thrive starts at the top of your organization with the COO and other executives. The leaders of your organization set the tone for continuous improvement by following a few helpful tips.

Open Communication

At every opportunity in both formal and informal settings, the leaders of your organization should discuss continuous improvement and the benefits delivered by striving constantly to get better. Open communication of achieving your organization’s goals regarding continuous improvement builds confidence and inspires team members to seek the same goals. The most effective open communication practice is for your organization’s leaders to discuss continuous improvement principles in one-on-one settings.

Lead by Example

Business leaders starting with the COO of your organization must demonstrate support for continuous improvement initiatives by embracing sound management principles. The leaders of your organization must act on the ideas that foster a culture of continuous improvement, as well as encourage other team members to do the same.

The members of your team need to see organization leaders committed to a culture of continuous improvement before they become part of the same culture.

Empower Team Members

Your role as a leader in achieving continuous improvement involves empowering team members to make the goal an integral part of their daily responsibilities. Encourage each team member to continuously improve performance by giving them the tools and providing the training that helps them get better at what they do. Ask for feedback from the members of your team on ways to improve operations, but make sure not to limit continuous improvement ideas just for improving business metrics such as boosting the bottom line.

Take Small Steps

The classic children’s story about the tortoise and the hare also tells the story of how to achieve continuous improvement. Your organization does not achieve the goals of continuous improvement by racing fast to achieve one large goal. Instead, achieving continuous improvement consists of taking slow, small steps on a daily basis at every level of your organization. The incremental approach to achieving continuous improvement is an important part of a plan called Kaizen, which encourages all team members to become actively engaged by taking small steps.

Celebrate Achievements

Recognizing the contributions made by the members of your team creates a business environment that keeps team members engaged in the continuous improvement process. The consistent recognition of team members motivates them to strive for improvement. In addition to recognizing the achievements that lead to continuous improvement, your organization also should initiate a rewards program for team members who contribute to your continuous improvement program.

Adopt the Right Methodologies

Your organization has several continuous methodologies to incorporate into its business model.

Six Sigma is a continuous improvement methodology that minimizes the number of variations produced within the end product. This methodology is often incorporated into the manufacturing process to reduce the number of product defects. The Lean methodology strives to optimize effort, people, and resources to create value for customers. It is based on two principles: Seeking continuous improvement and developing a deep respect for people. Agile is a continuous improvement methodology created for project management and software development professionals to maximize the value of resources by producing the greatest positive results in the least amount of time.

The Bottom Line

Organizations that do not rest on their achievements, but instead work hard to improve operations constantly, do a much better job of meeting or even exceeding long-term business goals. Business leaders such as COOs help their organizations adopt the continuous improvement paradigm by combining commonly developed management skills and incorporating certain methodologies into the company culture.