Implement - Continuous - Improvement - Henri Sant-Cassia

Implement Continuous
Improvement / Promote
Innovation in a Team
Environment
BSBINN301A/BSBMGT403A
Contents
Contents............................................................................................2
Description.........................................................................................5
Employability Skills............................................................................5
This unit contains employability skills................................................5
Application Of Unit.............................................................................5
Performance criteria..........................................................................6
Assessment........................................................................................8
Outcomes...........................................................................................9
Promote Innovation in a Team Environment....................................10
Workbook Part 1..............................................................................10
Section 1..........................................................................................11
Introduction: What is innovation?.................................................12
Creativity......................................................................................12
Why Change?................................................................................12
Timing...........................................................................................14
Evaluating and reflecting on the team’s needs............................14
Promoting Innovation within the Organisation..............................16
Finding Information in the Workplace...........................................18
Bringing People into the Mix.........................................................19
Making Suggestions & Cross Fertilising Ideas...............................20
Acknowledge, Respect & Discuss – Keys to Contribution.............21
Feedback......................................................................................22
Logistics........................................................................................23
Implementation............................................................................23
Teams...........................................................................................24
Size............................................................................................24
Team Roles................................................................................24
Section 2..........................................................................................27
Ground Rules................................................................................28
Team Based Innovation................................................................30
Communication.........................................................................30
Feedback......................................................................................30
Planning and Scheduling Activities...............................................31
Personal Reward & Stimulation Tips.............................................32
Section 3..........................................................................................34
Implement Continuous Improvement / Promote Innovation in a team environment
2
Modelling Behavior.......................................................................35
Seeking External Stimuli & Ideas..................................................35
Sharing Information......................................................................37
Challenging and Testing Ideas......................................................38
Ongoing Discussion......................................................................38
Section 4..........................................................................................40
Debriefing.....................................................................................41
Using Feedback to Generate Debate............................................43
Discussing Innovation Constructively...........................................43
Building Future Activity & Communicating Key Issues.................43
Indentifying Success.....................................................................44
The Challenges of Being Innovative..............................................46
Implement Continuous Improvement..............................................47
Workbook Part 2..............................................................................47
Section 1..........................................................................................48
Introduction: Continuous Improvement Systems..........................48
Quality..........................................................................................49
Productivity & Quality...................................................................49
Total Quality Management............................................................51
Encouraging Participation.............................................................53
Taking the Initiative & Assuming Resposibility.............................57
Communication.............................................................................58
Getting Feedback..........................................................................59
Monitoring.....................................................................................59
Mentoring & Coaching..................................................................61
Section 2..........................................................................................63
Monitoring and Reviewing for Improvements...............................64
Improving Customer Service.........................................................66
Questions to Ask...........................................................................67
Continuous Improvement Techniques..........................................69
Recommending Adjustments........................................................69
Section 3..........................................................................................71
Further Improvement....................................................................72
Informing the Team of Success....................................................72
Documenting Work Performance & Managing Records................73
Warnings.......................................................................................75
Summary
.........................................................................................................77

3
Additional Reading...........................................................................79

4
Description
Implement Continuous Improvement
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge
required to implement the organisation's continuous improvement
systems and processes. Particular emphasis is on using systems and
strategies to actively encourage the team to participate in the process,
monitoring and reviewing performance, and identifying opportunities for
further improvements.
Promote Innovation in a Team Environment

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge
required to be an effective and pro active member of an innovative team.
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills.
Application Of Unit
Frontline managers have an active role in implementing the continuous
improvement process to achieve the organisation's objectives. Their
position, closely associated with the creation and delivery of products and
services, means that they have an important role in influencing the
ongoing development of the organisation. At this level, work will normally
be carried out within routine and routine methods and procedures, which
require planning and evaluation, and leadership and guidance of others.

This unit applies individuals who play a pro active role in demonstrating,
encouraging or supporting innovation in a team environment. The
individual may be a team participant or a team leader. The team may
'make itself' or be constructed by others. It may have core members and
members who participate at certain times or for particular purposes. It
may be permanent or temporary, or come together at different times to
work on specific projects.
The team could consist of a team of contractors/freelancers, permanent

staff, clients and service providers, or any combination of these groups. It
may operate within an organisation or across several organisations - or
simply across a group of individuals. The key focus of the unit is on what
makes for an innovative team, what keeps it working well, how the
structure of work can make a difference and what skills and knowledge
are needed to maximise opportunities for innovation. Where a greater
focus on team leadership is required this unit should be combined with
units such as BSBLED401A Develop teams and individuals.
Unit Sector
No sector assigned

5
Performance criteria
Element Performance criteria
1. Create opportunities to maximise innovation within the team

1.1 Evaluate and reflect on what the team needs and wants to achieve 11-17
1.2 Check out information about current or potential team members’ work 18-19
in the context of developing a more innovative team
1.3 Bring people into the team or make suggestions for team members 19-21
based on what needs to be achieved and the potential for cross fertilising
ideas
1.4 Acknowledge, respect and discuss the different ways that different 21-25
people may contribute to building or enhancing the team
2. Organise and agree effective ways of working
2.1 Jointly establish ground rules for how the team wil operate 26-28
2.2 Agree and communicate responsbilities in ways that encourage and 29
reinforce team-based innovation
2.3 Agree and share tasks and activities to ensure the best use of skills and 30
abilities within the team
2.4 Plan and schedule activities to allow time for thinking, challenging and 30
collaboration
2.5 Establish personal reward and stimulation as an integral part of the 31-32
team’s way of working.
3. Support and guide colleagues
3.1 Model behaviour that supports innovation 34
3.2 Seek external stimuli and ideas to feed into team activities 34-35
3.3 Pro-actively share information, knowledge and experiences with other 36
team members
3.4 Challenge and test ideas within the team in a positive and collaborative 37
way
3.5 Pro-actively discuss and explore ideas with other team members on an 37-39
ongoing basis
4. Reflect on how the team is working
4.1 De-brief and relect on activities and on opportunities for improvement 40-41
and innovation
4.2 Gather and use feedback from within and outside the team to generate 42
discussion and debate
4.3 Discuss the challenges of being innovative in a constructive and open 42
way
4.4 Take ideas for improvement, build them into future activities and 42
communicate key issues to relevant colleagues
4.5 Identify, promote and celebrate successes and examples of successful 43-44
innovation
Implement continuous improvement
1. Implement continuous improvement systems and processes

1.1 Implement systems to ensure that indiviuals and teams are actively 46-50
encouraged and supported to participate in decision making processes,

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assume responsibility and exercise inititiative
1.2 Communicate the organisation’s continuous improvement processes to 51-55
individuals and teams, and obtain feedback
1.3 Ensure effective monitoring and coaching allows individuals and teams 56-59
to implement the organsiation’s continuous improvement processes
2. Monitor and review performance
2.1 Use the organisation’s systems and technology to monitor and review 61-62
progress and to identify ways in which planning and operations could be
improved
2.2 Improve customer service through continuous improvement techniques 63-65
and processes
2.3 Formulate and communicate recommendations for adjustments to 65-66
those who have a role in their develoment and implementation
3. Provide opportunity for further improvement
3.1 Implement processes to ensure that team members are informed of 69
savings and productivity/service improvements in achieving the business
plan
3.2 Document work performance to aid the identification of futures 70-74
opportunities for improvement
3.3 Manage records, reports and recommendations for improvement within 71-75
the organisation’s systems and processes

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Assessment
In this instance, assessment is conducted in one part:
Task 1 – What you know and what you do

• an assessment of knowledge through an open book short
answer questionnaire with a requirement to attach samples of
workplace evidence
Your facilitator will discuss the assessment with you.

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Outcomes
When you have completed this unit you will be able to:
• Evaluate and reflect on what the team needs and wants to achieve
• Check out information about current or potential team members’ work in
the context of developing a more innovative team
• Bring people into the team or make suggestions for team members
based on what needs to be achieved and the potential for cross
fertilising ideas
• Acknowledge, respect and discuss the different ways that different
• Jointly establish ground rules for how the team wil operate
• Agree and communicate responsbilities in ways that encourage and
reinforce team-based innovation
• Agree and share tasks and activities to ensure the best use of skills and
abilities within the team
• Plan and schedule activities to allow time for thinking, challenging and
collaboration
• Establish personal reward and stimulation as an integral part of the
• Model behaviour that supports innovation
• Seek external stimuli and ideas to feed into team activities
• Pro-actively share information, knowledge and experiences with other
team members
• Challenge and test ideas within the team in a positive and collaborative
way
• Pro-actively discuss and explore ideas with other team members on an
ongoing basis
• De-brief and relect on activities and on opportunities for improvement
and innovation
• Gather and use feedback from within and outside the team to generate
• Discuss the challenges of being innovative in a constructive and open
way
• Take ideas for improvement, build them into future activities and
• Identify, promote and celebrate successes and examples of successful
innovation
• Implement systems to ensure that indiviuals and teams are actively
• Communicate the organisation’s continuous improvement processes to
• Ensure effective monitoring and coaching allows individuals and teams
• Use the organisation’s systems and technology to monitor and review
improved
• Improve customer service through continuous improvement techniques
and processes
• Formulate and communicate recommendations for adjustments to those

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who have a role in their develoment and implementation
• Implement processes to ensure that team members are informed of
plan
• Document work performance to aid the identification of futures
• Manage records, reports and recommendations for improvement within

Workbook Part 1

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Section 1
1. Create opportunities to maximise innovation within the

team
1.1 Evaluate and reflect on what the team needs and wants to achieve
1.2 Check out information about current or potential team members’
work in the context of developing a more innovative team
1.3 Bring people into the team or make suggestions for team members
based on what needs to be achieved and the potential for cross
fertilising ideas
1.4 Acknowledge, respect and discuss the different ways that different

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Introduction: What is innovation?
Innovation is the translation of that idea into a better product,

service or method of production. Many people have new ideas but
the difficult part is generating the ideas into innovative new ways of
completing a task.
Creativity occurs when an organisation encourages exploration by

its employees of new ways of doing things. Not all organisations
provide such an environment, as they may be uncomfortable with
the process of change. The change itself can be described as the
unfreezing of the status quo, moving to a new (changed) state and
refreezing the new change so it becomes the ‘new status’ quo.
People are most innovative when losing is not an option. Times of

crisis are one of these instances. For example, during times of war,
technology advances at an amazing rate.
However, innovation shouldn’t be confined to times of crisis.

Innovation means taking risks and risks are much safer to take while
the environment is under control.
Creativity
Creativity is the generation of a new idea. Innovation is the

evolution of that idea into a better product, service or production
method. We constantly have ideas, yet few ideas are ever seen to
fruition. Creativity must be fostered in an organisation. Employees
must be encouraged to think outside the box. Many organisations
are uncomfortable with change, and innovation by nature requires
change. However, innovation can only come about when change is
an acceptable part of the organisation’s work environment.
Why Change?
Changes are often necessary to meet challenges. There are many

reasons for change:
• Advancing technology – Technology changes quickly, and

changes must be made to keep pace
• Changing industrial securities and strategies
• An evolving society – Customers are more sophisticated
and demanding. They also require more customisation,
quality and customer service
• Competitors – Your competitors are improving products and
processes, so you need must to keep pace.

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Activity:
What does innovation mean in your workplace?
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Can you think of up to three ideas for innovations which

might benefit your organisation?
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Timing
The change process must match the needs of your organisation.

The best time to enact change is when the risk of failure won’t
disrupt business and time necessary for implementation won’t give
competitors a head start. Change management is a bit like
marketing. The best time is when you’re busy; if you begin when
business is in decline, then it is too late.
Evaluating and reflecting on the team’s needs
A team could need have needs based on a number of reasons:
• To solve a problem, or resolve an issue.

• To take a decision.
• To make a report.
• To plan a new product or project.
• To deal with customers.
What the team needs and wants to achieve may relate to:
• Addressing particular customer feedback.

• Conceiving and implementing a particular project.
• Developing new services or products.
• Generating ongoing ideas within the work unit.
• Improving budgetary performance.
• Improving or changing work conditions.
• New ideas that impact beyond the workplace (e.g. that have a
broader social or community impact).

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Activity: Find and review two of your team’s possible needs.
Why have they got such needs?

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Promoting Innovation within the Organisation
An appropriate environment is necessary for successful change.

Factors necessary include:
• Developing an acceptance of change – Employees must

believe that changes will benefit both them and the
organisation as a whole. Employees and managers need to be
involved in the decision-making process. If an employee is
part of the decision making process, she will be able to see
the advantages and disadvantages of the impending change
and measure the consequences of the change. This helps
with staff ‘buy-in’.
• Encouraging new ideas – Managers within the organisation
must make it clear that new ideas are welcome. Any feeling
of lack of interest from the managers will stop the flow of
ideas.
• Interaction – Interaction between different work groups and
levels allows for the exchange of information.
• Tolerate failure – Many new ideas won’t work out. Without
trial and error, we will fall behind the competition.
• Provide clear goals and objectives – All employees must
know the goals and objectives of the organisation, so that
everyone is working toward a common goal.
• Recognition – People must be recognised for new ideas and
jobs well done.

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Activity: How is innovation promoted at your organisation?
What more could be done? What holds innovation back?

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Finding Information in the Workplace
Information about current or potential team members' work may

relate to:
• Interests.
• Lifestyle preferences.
• Past jobs.
• Technical strengths.
• Work preferences.
• Working styles.
Workplace information takes many forms. Most records will be

either held on paper or in some electronic form, however remember
that some data may be processed verbally, or may never have been
recorded at all.
Common types of workplace information include:
• Budgets and financial management systems
• Customer information software or records
• Databases
• Personal digital assistant (PDA)
• Product and service information
• Project management software
• Record management systems
• Spreadsheets.

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Bringing People into the Mix
Different ways that different people may contribute may relate to

individual strengths around:
• Creating positive energy within the team

• Fundamental literacy strengths (e.g. particularly strong in visual
literacy, written or spoken communication)
• Generating ideas
• Networks or spheres of influence
• Particular ways of thinking
• Powers of persuasion
• Problem-solving capacities
• Specific technical skills or knowledge
It’s clear that the creation of ideas within an organisation is

dependant on the flow of people and information between the
company and the environment. For example, if a company is not
aware of a change in the competitive market, i.e. new technology
has made a product cheaper, they are unlikely to see it as an
alternative and a reason for change (thus removing one of the
motivations for change).
Outside information, whether it is from new employees, customers,

and consultants or from a website article may provide the source of
alternative approaches or technologies used by suppliers,
competitors or similar organisations.

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Making Suggestions & Cross Fertilising Ideas
New ideas are mutations created when two or more old ideas
combine. For instance, Virgin Atlantic Airways is what happens when
you cross an entertainment company with an airline business.
Virgin itself is also a good example of mutation and adaptation. The

music retail business was created when a postal strike threatened
to shut down the fledgling mail order record company. Virgin
Atlantic was the result of an unsolicited approach from outside the
company. Virgin Blue (a low-cost airline in Australia) is a similar
story.
Activity: What could you blend with your organisation? Think in

radical terms and try to find a situation in which your organisation
and the other party would benefit.

20
Acknowledge, Respect & Discuss – Keys to Contribution
Organizations are complex structures with many

interdependencies. We must rely on others to help get
things done and meet our objectives, and that means
cooperation and collaboration are often the key to our
success. While there is evidence that human beings base
our actions on self-interest in an effort to maximize personal
benefit, ample evidence also supports the proposition that
our natural inclination is toward cooperation. The challenge
you face in the workplace is to ensure the conditions that
create and sustain cooperation and collaboration are in
place.
Cooperation and collaboration are facilitated by clear

communication, shared goals and clearly defined roles.
These conditions help encourage and motivate people to
focus on the group's best interest without feeling that they
are minimizing or trading off their own interests in the
process. Once in place, however, cooperation is a delicate
state. People will still have disagreements and different
points of view about how and when things should happen.
Your ability to effectively and constructively influence
others and gain their support is critical to maintaining
cooperation. The loss of cooperation is also caused by
mistakes and miscommunication and it can be undermined if
naturally occurring and healthy disagreements are not well
managed.
We do know that when you act in a cooperative manner it

causes others to reciprocate with cooperation. What it often
comes down to is a willingness to break the cycle of
competition with one person or group taking the risk of the
first step.

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Feedback
Feedback is essential and helps improve work processes in several

ways.
Individual Feedback
Clear and direct evaluation directed at the individual helps the

employee know if their work is meeting standards or requires
improvement. Similarly, feedback from an employee to a supervisor
can result in innovation.
The feedback process is generally seen in formal performance

appraisals but can also happen in informal conversations. Feedback
should be positive and used constructively. If feedback is negative,
it can be viewed as threatening and can be counterproductive.
Constructive feedback should be based on good communication,

trust between the parties, with focus on specific, factual
components. Be careful to not surpass the amount of information
the recipient can handle.
Group Feedback
Group feedback is often more effective than providing feedback to

just one person. Many innovative ideas are produced in group
environments because of the wide range of skills found in the group
setting.
Feedback is important in getting results within the team. Without a

sound understanding, a team of four individuals may interpret the
message four different ways, which will take the team in four
different directions. Because of this, team members need to
communicate with one another and feedback is an essential part of
this communication.

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Logistics
Innovation is dependent up on the flow of information between

employees and organisation and to some extent the environment.
Outside information, whether from new employees, customers and
consultants, or from the Internet, can provide information about
alternative approaches or technologies used by others in the
industry.
Implementation
When deciding which changes should be implemented within an

organisation, several things should be considered.
• The innovation being considered needs to be in-line with the

organisation’s goals. For example, a company focused on
manufacturing should be focused on making, as making is
core, and repairs are not.
• The innovation needs to be realistic and relevant to the
organisation. Risk to the company’s bottom line is something
to consider. Change not only needs to be realistic, it must be
able to be accomplished in a timely manner.
• Once an idea is submitted to management, consideration to
the resources required for the change should be made.

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Teams
A well-rounded team includes a mix of several people and skills.

The team should include:
• Experts – Individuals with ultimate understanding of the
current process
• Customer Service – Individuals who use the process and work
closely with customers
• Technical – Individuals with high technical skill
• Objective – Individuals completely objective about the
outcome
• Customers – Actual customers affected by the process
• New Comers – Individuals not familiar with the existing
process
Make sure that the team works well together and that they are:
• Creative
• Open-minded
• Well-respected among peers, stakeholders and other business
leaders
Size
The recommended size for innovative teams is 3-12 members.

Smaller teams (3-4 members) work faster and produce results
quickly. Larger teams (7+) require additional facilitation and often
require sub-teams. However, larger teams offer a greater functional
representation, and in turn, a grater knowledge base.
You may consider using fewer than 5 people for the design team
who report to a larger representative group periodically. This
structure enables the design team to move quickly but benefits
from the knowledge and insights of a larger group.
Team Roles
Role Responsibilities
Team Leader • Accountable for project outcome
• Methodology selection
• Project planning
• Steering committee interaction
• Budget management
• Team leading.
Project • Project scheduling and milestone tracking
Manager • Managing sub-team activities
• Project monitoring and jeopardy item
identification.
Facilitator • Facilitates meetings
• Objectivity

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• Order and focus to meetings.
Team • Learning from others
Members • Designing an overall solution
• Implementing the design.

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Activity: Sketch out your ideal innovation team, decide who
you would want and what each member of the team would be
responsible for.

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Section 2
2 Organise and agree on effective ways of working

2.1 Jointly establish ground rules for how the team will operate
2.2 Agree and communicate responsibilities in ways that encourage
and reinforce team-based innovation.
2.3 Agree and share tasks and activities to ensure the best use of skills
and abilities within the team
2.4 Plan and schedule activities to allow time for thinking, challenging
and collaboration
2.5 Establish personal reward and stimulation as an integral part of the

27
Ground Rules
It is important to establish and enforce ground rules for the team.

Ground rules can relate to:
• boundaries or lack of boundaries for team activities

• confidentiality
• copyrights, moral rights and intellectual property
• communication schedule
• roles and responsibilities
• time lines
• communication methods.
Ground rules help to even the playing field for all team members.
For example, once mutually agreed upon ground rules are in place,
everyone is free to think about the project at hand rather than worry
about how often to communicate, what their coworker’s
responsibilities to the project are, and any confidentiality issues.
To be effective, ground rules must be clear, consistent, agreed upon

and followed. Rules should be consulted upon and enforced through
team process checks. They should be revised and added as
necessary.

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Activity: Set five ground rules for your innovation team.

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Team Based Innovation
Team-based innovation can be encouraged in several ways,

including but not limited to:
• accessing training and learning opportunities
• balancing guidance and structure with creativity
• equitable workload sharing
• follow through of ideas
• supportive communication
Communication
Good communication is at the root of a successful innovative team.

With established communication guidelines and ground rules,
communication can flow more easily between both team members
and the team and organisation as a whole.
Feedback
Communication within the team should never be only in one

direction. Feedback from managers to team members and vice
versa is an important part of the team’s overall communication
strategy.

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Planning and Scheduling Activities
Take the time to learn more about the importance of planning and
scheduling for your organisation.
Identification
Planning and scheduling are closely related; they're both processes

that apply to almost every element of starting and running a
business. For example, when you create a business plan and write
down each section of how the business will run, you are
participating in the planning process. You must also write a
complete schedule to go along with that plan so that you know what
to work on each day as you work toward the opening day of the
business. For work projects, you must establish a project plan and
well-defined goals, then set a corresponding schedule for
accomplishing those goals.
Significance
There are a couple of important reasons why planning and

scheduling are important for your business. For one, a solid plan and
schedule helps keep costs down and allows you to operate
according to a budget. For instance, if you take the time to create a
plan for an online advertising campaign, you'll be able to narrow
down your target audience and avoid the unnecessary cost of
advertising to people who aren't interested in your products.
Creating a schedule for running your online ads may also allow you
to take advantage of price promotions offered by the advertising
service. You can also set strict ad budget restrictions based on your
plan. Having a plan and schedule also helps make your business
goals seem more realistic and achievable.
Types
In addition to general planning and scheduling activities, many

businesses must also prepare specific schedules and plans. For
instance, a manufacturer must create an operations plan and
schedule for the production process. Companies that have to order
supplies and raw materials on a regular basis need an ordering
schedule. If the company utilizes shift workers, there must also be a
schedule detailing the availabilities of employees and needs of the
business.

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Personal Reward & Stimulation Tips
Here are some ways to show your appreciation to employees and

coworkers.
Praise something your coworker has done well. Identify the specific
actions that you found admirable.
Say "thank you." Show your appreciation for their hard work and
contributions. And, don't forget to say "please" often as well. Social
niceties do belong at work. A more gracious, polite workplace is
appreciated by all.
Ask your coworkers about their family, their hobby, their weekend
or a special event they attended. Your genuine interest - as opposed
to being nosey – causes people to feel valued and cared about.
Offer staff members flexible scheduling for the holidays, if feasible.

If work coverage is critical, post a calendar so people can balance
their time off with that of their coworkers.
Know your coworker’s interests well enough to present a small gift

occasionally. An appreciated gift, and the gesture of providing it, will
light up your coworker’s day.
If you can afford to, give staff money. End of the year bonuses,
attendance bonuses, quarterly bonuses and gift certificates say
"thank you" quite nicely. TechSmith staff receive a percentage of
their annual salary for their end of year bonus.
Last, but not least, provide opportunity. People want chances for
training and cross-training. They want to participate on a special
committee where their talents are noticed. They like to attend
professional association meetings and represent your organization
at civic and philanthropic events.

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Activity: How would your team be best rewarded?
Activity: Without reference to money, how would you like to be

rewarded at your organisation?

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Section 3
Support and guide colleagues
3.1 Model behaviour that supports innovation

3.2 Seek external stimuli and ideas to feed into team activities
3.3 Pro-actively share information, knowledge and experiences with other
team members
3.4 Challenge and test ideas within the team in a positive and collaborative
way
3.5 Pro-actively discuss and explore ideas with other team members on an
ongoing basis

34
Modelling Behavior
Setting an example is vital. By leading from the front, staff and

colleagues will be able to see the behavior they are required to
adopt. They can model their actions on your own.
Therefore, it is important to remain:
• Collaborative
• Equitable
• Fair
• Fun
• Hardworking
• Reflective
• Responsible
• Sympathetic
Seeking External Stimuli & Ideas
The organisation is just a part of a wider world which is brimming

with ideas. Finding inspiration outside the workplace is a critical part
of the thinking needed for innovation.
Sources could include:
• Australia or overseas
• Colleagues outside of the team
• Family and friends
• Internet
• Journals
• Networks or technical experts
• Other organisations

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Activity: Where else could you find source of innovation outside
your organisation?

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Sharing Information
The goal of sharing information is to provide information to others,

either proactively or upon request, such that the information has an
impact on another person's (or persons') image of the world, i.e., it
changes the person's image of the world, and creates a shared, or
mutually compatible working, understanding of the world.
Information sharing includes providing information, confirming the

information has been received, and confirming that the information
is jointly understood. Information sharing is an important
component of information behaviour. It is an essential activity in all
collaborative work, and helps to bind groups and communities
together.
When working together group, or team, members must continually

provide information to others and to some degree mutually
understand and use information others provide. When information is
not effectively shared, collaborative group work fails.
This could be done by:
• Printed report sent by post

• Emailed results sent to a group using a mailing list
• A presentation at a meeting
• Information posted online for customers
It is vital that information is in an appropriate format for the chosen

means of dissemination. Handwritten reports will need typing into
electronic format to use email, whereas a long set of data might
need to be put in a graph to be presented to a group at an agm.

37
Challenging and Testing Ideas
To assure yourself that a business idea can meet the necessary

goals in these four
areas, many questions need to be answered. You will have to invest
time and effort to collect information.
Good sources of information include:
• Community Futures Organizations;

• local Chamber of Commerce;
• local Business Improvement Associations;
• libraries;
• existing businesses;
• Yellow Pages;
• purchasing agents;
• company annual reports;
• market research reports;
• trade association literature;
• trade journals;
• informal contacts in the industry;
• specialized cooks related to the trade;
• statistics compiled by both provincial and federal governments;
and
• provincial and federal government publications.
Additional information may be obtained by:
• conducting surveys
• observing business activities
• observing business facilities
• becoming a customer of potential competitors
• conducting telephone interviews
• conducting personal interviews
• carrying out test marketing trials
• producing sample products.
Ongoing Discussion
Every process in the organisation relies on continuous improvement.

Keep the discussion going as often as possible.

38
Activity: Take one your innovation ideas for your organisation.
Work it through and assess how you would test and model the new
idea to see if it is viable and useful.

39
Section 4
Reflect on how the team is working
4.1 De-brief and relect on activities and on opportunities for improvement

and innovation
4.2 Gather and use feedback from within and outside the team to generate
4.3 Discuss the challenges of being innovative in a constructive and open
way
4.4 Take ideas for improvement, build them into future activities and
4.5 Identify, promote and celebrate successes and examples of successful
innovation

40
Debriefing
How can you inspire constant learning and improvement for your
team? If experience and mistakes are the best way to learn, how
can you help the people on your team learn the most from the
everyday experiences of business? Debriefing is the answer.
At work, some traditional managers think that debriefing their

people is all about telling them what they did wrong and telling
them to "be like me." Mental health practitioners have a saying: "All
interventions should increase choice." I think this also applies to
debriefing. Don’t make me wrong; give me choices.
So if you want to leverage the learning value of the daily events in

your organisation,
your challenge is to overcome any negative associations with
debriefing. You want your people to associate debriefing with being
acknowledged and empowered.
To achieve this, it needs to be okay for people to make intelligent

and responsible
mistakes. If it’s not okay to make mistakes, and mistakes are denied
or covered up, your team misses out on learning. Making it safe for
your team to "make mistakes and learn" means your people can let
go of blaming each other for self protection and get on with
improving things.
Of course, one of the most powerful ways for you to achieve this
"make mistakes and learn" atmosphere is by taking a leadership
role. It is important to openly discuss your own mistakes, relate
them to what you learned, and tell how you improved. An
excellent leadership response to a reported mistake can be, "It
happens. What did you learn?"
Debriefing works best when it is not threatening or obtrusive. With

practice, your
debriefing can be conversational and unobtrusive. Your people will
think you’re just chatting and congratulating them for their own
improvement ideas. In this way, you can even debrief events you
didn’t witness.
Without debriefing mistakes and inefficiencies that have existed in

past projects will remain in future projects. It is better to recognise
mistakes from a project that is finished then to make them in one
that id in progress

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Activity: Plan out a format for debriefing your team, putting the
emphasis on contructive approaches.

42
Using Feedback to Generate Debate
Feedback from all areas of the organisation, customer base and

market can inform debate and generate discussion.
Areas which provide feedback include:
• Numerical feedback or financial data.

• Customer surveys.
• Working groups or discussion panels.
• Market testing or trials.
• External reports or consultants.
• Opinions from management.
Discussing Innovation Constructively
Innovation is such a limitless topic that it is important to focus

discussions. Some tips for doing so might include:
• Have a plan for discussions.

• Elect a chairperson to keep things moving.
• Set time limits for people to speak.
• Focus the discussion by setting limits up front.
• Be practical in your approach.
Building Future Activity & Communicating Key Issues
Many innovations cannot be accomplished in a day, most take

months and years to come to fruition. It is important therefore to
think forwards and to assess what could be done over the long
haul.
Building innovation into every aspect of your work in the

organisation means:
Moving ideas forwards, generating new ones and monitoring the

performance of existing schemes.
Keeping colleagues informed of key issues. Don’t bog them down

with the detail or complex issues – keep them focused on the main
targets and ideas. Often, condensing innovative approaches into
manageable chunks is the true test of an idea’s viability.

43
Indentifying Success
What went well?
This allows people to start off feeling acknowledged, safe and

valid. It is just as
important to recognise the things that have been done well as those
that are weak. Deal with all the positives before moving to the
things that did not go so well.
What didn’t go well?
Once the "What went well?" section is dealt with you need to move
onto those things that did not go as well as they could, or should
have. This does not mean things were done wrong, although this
may be the case, it means things that could have been done
differently. It is important in this section to avoid people attacking
other individuals. Any comments should be made in a constructive
and objective manner. This potentially will be the facilitators
greatest challenge.
For each of the two points above ask the following questions for
each:
Why did things happen?
This elicits reflection and interpretation of the experience. It is in

effect looking for the contributing factor to what went or didn't go
well. Again it is important to not allow things to degenerate into a
blame session. The facilitator must listen and if need be reword the
comment to identify the contributing factor in a none personal way.
For example someone might say the contributor to a bad design

was "James gave me a pathetic brief that he came back and
changed three times". A better way of putting that would be to say
"The initial brief was incomplete and there were a number of what
appeared ad hoc changes. This is more effective as it allows us to
pick up on the ad hoc issue which may lead to another issue.
Blaming people will not lead to anything constructive.
What will we do differently and better next time?
This helps them learn what improvements need to be made. It is

looking for ways that things can be improved. It is important to try
and get all ideas regardless of how general they may be. Even if
someone suggests something that may appear very odd, dramatic
or totally wild, still record it.
How can we use this?

44
This helps people deliberately apply their learning to their work. It
may be something that can be applied at an organisational level or
something that would work at a team or individual level. It is about
recognising leverage and suggesting at a general level where that
can be applied.

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The Challenges of Being Innovative
Challenges of being innovative may relate to:
• Budgetary or other resource constraints.

• Competing priorities.
• Organisational culture.
• Problems with breaking old patterns of behaviour or thinking.
• Time pressures.
Activity: What challenges can you forsee in your organisation

as regards innovation? Why have they arisen?

46
Workbook Part 2

47
Section 1
Implement continuous improvement systems and processes
1.1 Implement systems to ensure that indiviuals and teams are actively
1.2 Communicate the organisation’s continuous improvement processes to
1.3 Ensure effective monitoring and coaching allows individuals and teams
Introduction: Continuous Improvement Systems
This unit will help you to examine quality management and changes
processes and see how these can be implemented in an
organisation.
An organisation should implement systems that ensure individuals

and teams are actively encouraged and supported to participate in
decision making processes, assume responsibility and exercise
initiative.
An organisation’s continuous improvement processes must be

communicated to individuals and teams, and feedback obtained if
they are to be effective.
Effective mentoring and coaching will ensure that individuals and

teams are able to implement the organisation’s continuous
improvement processes.
Continuous improvement processes may include:
• Cyclical audits and reviews of workplace, team and individual

performance.
• Evaluations and monitoring of effectiveness.
• Implementation of quality systems, such as International
Standardization for Organization (ISO).
• Modifications and improvements to systems, processes,
services and products.
• Policies and procedures which allow the organisation to
systematically review and improve the quality of its products,
services and procedures.
• Seeking and considering feedback from a range of
stakeholders.

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Quality
Quality reflects the degree to which goods or services meet the

demands and requirements of the marketplace. It is an elusive
concept whose definition differs according to the type of
organisation involved.
To an appliance manufacturer, for example, quality might mean that

a very high percentage of the appliances produced meet
predetermined specifications. To an appliance repair business,
quality might mean that products are repaired correctly within
stated cost and deadline parameters.
To a fast-food service firm such as McDonald’s, quality applies to

both the food itself (taste, freshness, and so on) and the service
(length of time to be served, friendliness of the cashier, cleanliness
of dining room, and so on).
Quality = Metting your customers’ needs and desires.
Productivity & Quality
Once you have found the needs of your customers and your staff,
you need to begin attempting to find the most effective ways of
meeting those needs and making the product or services that you
offer the highest possible quality. In order to improve overall quality
in an organisation, you need to have a real commitment from
management towards making these changes a reality.
The types of commitment you may need are:
Quality and its cost are inextricably related. All quality improvement
measures have some degree of cost associated with them. In many
ways, the justification of a quality improvement program often
comes directly from the costs associated with any such system.
Imagine for a moment that the cost of your quality system is 1.5
million dollars, but it will produce 4 million dollars in benefits, the
cost is outweighed by the benefits. This is what you need to aim for
in any quality control system.
The costs of any quality control system could be regarded as the

costs for not being a perfect organisation. You will find that the
costs of a quality system are often much larger than you might
imagine. They could include, for example:
• Quality staff salaries.

• Costs of QC inspectors.
• Costs associated with defective products.
• Costs associated with scrap suppliers.
vel of Management Role in Quality Improvement
49
Imagine that every dollar associated with a defective product is
essentially a dollar wasted. If you can spend a few cents to improve
processes to eliminate the need to waste that dollar, you put
yourself in a more positive position.
Thinking from first principles, the less that is spent to make a

product, the more that you are likely to make in terms of profit. So,
by spending a small amount on quality improvement you can
reduce the number of defects and thus the amount of money spent
on your overall production.

50
Total Quality Management
Total Quality Management (TQM) is a management ideal that works

to try and develop a commitment to quality right throughout the
organisation, from the bottom of the organisation right up to the
very highest levels of management. This often means quite a major
change to the way that the organisation’s culture is developed.
There are five essential principles on which TQM is based. These

are:
1. Get things right first time

2. Make sure you focus on the customer
3. Improvement comes about at a strategic level
4. Improvements must be made continuously
5. Ensure that the teams in the workplace are working
harmoniously.
The Implementation of TQM
When you are working on developing a TQM system, you need to

examine a number of key aspects of the organisation and the way it
operates. This includes:
• What your customers think quality is.

• How problems in the production process can be eliminated.
• How quality of the product can be increased so that fewer
problems develop once.
• How the product is with the end user.
• How you can measure performance of your product and
services.
• How you can define quality based on what the consumer of
the product thinks.
• How perceptions of your products have changed over time.
Achieving quality standards can be like having a seal that you can
use to display just
how good your organisation is.

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Activity:
Can you think of process improvements and improvements
in quality which could benefit your organisation?
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Encouraging Participation
There is no way that an organisation can achieve high quality

results in a highly competitive marketplace without staff who are
highly motivated towards achieving the overall goals of the
organisation - your people are your biggest asset. The individuals
who work in your organisation can be your biggest competitive
advantage as they have all the knowledge of your organisation and
are central to the success of the organisation as a whole. It is for
this reason that empowering your staff is so critical to quality
improvement.
Having staff who are well coached and able to make effective
decisions themselves without having to go through layers and layers
of management is more likely to result in staff who are dedicated to
their work and the organisation as a whole. Quality improvement
needs to be encouraged, and one of the most effective ways of
encouraging it in your staff is to ensure that your staff are able to
make decisions independently and feel that those decisions will be
supported by management when made.
Commitment Throughout the Organisation
TQM and a commitment to it are critical in achieving overall

success. In order to do this, ensure that your organisation is
committed to quality from the very top to the very bottom. Your
floor workers and board of directors must be in complete agreement
about the need for quality to be increased.
Real improvements in quality come about when the organisation

understands the need for it and is able to put into action those
commitments. To this point, ensuring TQM is about:
• Changing the culture so that quality becomes an important

part of work.
• Ensuring audits take place to ensure quality is continually
being worked on and improved.
• Ensuring your staff are willing to work together on the
achievement of quality standards – the teams should be
brought together in a way that helps to increase.
• Performance of the teams and organisations in the workplace
• Attempting to find any issues that may stop quality from
being achieved and finding ways to eliminate those issues.
Agents for Improvement
The use of change agents in an organisation is critical to ensuring

that your staff members are working on an efficient basis and
ensuring that any changes to organisational processes are both
accepted and that they stick.
53
Change agents may be current staff members or external
consultants whose job has them working with your work teams to
ensure that change takes place.
The change agent must have certain attributes that make them an
effective worker. In order to do this – make sure you select change
agents who are:
• Self-motivated.
• Able to actively listen to people.
• Are able to deal with difficult situations.
• Will take risks.
• Understand the importance of mistakes.
• Will model good change behaviours.
• Will not be defensive.
• Are able to bring a team together.
• Will forge relationships.
• Can bring a fresh perspective to staff members and
processes.
Other Factors to Improvement
There are a wide range of factors that can have a significant effect
on the implementation of improvement within an organisation.
Some of the most common are:
Organisational Culture and Values: The culture and values of an

organisation may assist improvement, but it also may hinder it.
Sometimes an organisation can get so stuck in its own ways that
improvement becomes hindered. It is the culture and values of the
organisation that can have the most significant impact on
organisational improvement. Resistance may be built from this
strong culture; however it is not always bad. Sometimes the culture
can be a helpful one, particularly in a learning organisation, where
change may be welcome. Before beginning to make improvements
within an organisation, it is important to ensure you gauge the
culture to determine the level of resistance, and work on ways of
overcoming this.
Environmental Pressures: As we mentioned earlier, sometimes

pressure to change comes from the environment itself. If a large
amount of pressure is placed on the organisation, it may find that
change needs to come about much faster than they would like. In
these cases, managers should ensure that just because pressure is
being placed on them that they do not skimp on the development of
management systems for change.
Management Style and Participation: The management style

adopted within the

54
organisation is also likely to be a significant influence. Improvement
processes require participation, and so without a strong
participative culture and management style, change is unlikely to
occur. Authoritarian management will increase resistance to
change, so involve staff as much as possible using participative
methods.

55
Activity: How could you encourage people in your workplace to
participate? What kind of resistance might you meet?

56
Taking the Initiative & Assuming Resposibility
"Taking the initiative" can mean many things--tapping inner

creativity, tackling a persistent problem, capitalizing on
opportunities, or creating ways to improve customer services or
current work environment. By taking initiative in any of these ways,
employees can elevate their visibility in the organization and greatly
enhance their chances for recognition, learning, advancement, pay
raises and bonuses, as well as have a more meaningful and exciting
time at work.
Here are some ways any employee can take greater initiative in his
or her job, voiced in a way that you could give directly to your
employees or managers. It's one thing to tell your employees to
take greater initiative, but another to provide them with easy and
clear ways to do it.
Ways To Take More Initiative In Your Job
Thinking Outside the Box: Innovation--thinking outside the box--is

the spark that keeps organizations moving ever onward and
upward. To think outside the box, look for new combinations, ask
"what if" or develop "what-if" scenarios, consider approaches you've
never considered before, brainstorm with others, and be a champion
of new ideas.
Doing Your Homework: Preparation is often the key to success in

any endeavor. You will be more successful in convincing others that
what you believe is the right thing, if you are armed and ready with
the facts. Taking the initiative to do your homework means doing
the basic research necessary to back up your claims, such as
obtaining necessary information, determining costs and benefits,
making calculations, and/or gaining buy-in from others who will be
affected.
Taking Action--Capitalizing on Opportunities: Taking action can often

be a scary proposition. It would be much easier to wait for your boss
to make the decision and take the responsibility to tell you what to
do and when to do it. However, progressive companies realize that
they need employees at all levels who are willing and encouraged to
take chances and to make decisions--and be willing to take
responsibility for their actions.
Making Improvements: One of the easiest--and most effective--ways

for employees to take initiative is to be on the lookout for ways to
improve the work processes, products, services, and systems that
are a vital part of how the organization does its business. In fact, the
closer you are to an organization's actual product, the greater the
chance is that you have more daily contact with its real business--its

57
customers, clients, products, and services--than do those who are
higher up the ladder.
Perseverance and Persistence: Employees who excel at taking

initiative usually must also persist in the support of the ideas and
actions in which they believe. This type of initiative can, at times,
include overcoming the resistance of higher-ups or of entrenched
policies and systems that work to ensure the maintenance of the
status quo. It often takes a certain degree of courage to take
initiative in the first place. But to persist--even over the objections
of your manager or others--takes even more commitment and
courage.
Taking initiative can be as simple as asking "what if." So, the next
time you're doing a routine task, remember that it's the person who
does the job who is in the best position to know how to do the job
better--whether this improvement means identifying new ways to
cut costs, how to make improvements to the way products are
developed in your company, how a process might be streamlined, or
how to enhance the level of services your customer receives.
Communication
Communication is essential because it enables staff to participate:
Systems may refer to:
• Forums, meetings.
• Newsletters and reports.
• Organisational policies and procedures.
• Web-based communication devices.
Participation in decision making processes may include:
• Feedback in relation to outcomes of the consultative process.

• Processes which ensure all employees have the opportunity to
contribute to organisational issues.

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Getting Feedback
Put simply, process consultation is the building of a helping

relationship. Process consultation is the series of steps taken by a
change agent to involve the organisation and individuals within it in:
• The definition of the problem.

• The development of possible solutions.
• The proposal for a final recommendation.
In this way, the people in the organisation take an active role in the
solving of their own quality issues, rather than relying solely on the
expert opinion. This direct involvement in the process will hopefully
enable the individuals to be more independent of the consultant
when facing future issues.
Monitoring
Plans must be constantly monitored to ensure that targets are being

reached. Achievements and problems should be reported on a
regular basis so monitoring can take place.
Remembering our earlier work on reviewing sales peformance, we

need to look at the same factors when assessing a sales plan:
• Analysis of performance and adherence to the plan.

• Notable signposts of improvements.
• Customer satisfaction.
• Staff satisfaction.
• Analysis of sales history.
• Consideration of related product strategies.
• Evaluation of competitors' or other companies'
approaches
• Innovative suggestions.

59
Activity: Layout a draft monitoring form for feedback on
process improvement, including boxes for areas your specifically
need to check.

60
Mentoring & Coaching
Mentoring and coaching may refer to:
• Providing assistance with problem-solving.

• Providing feedback, support and encouragement.
• Teaching another member of the team, usually focusing on a
specific work task or skill.
In order to implement the training mentioned above, the following

process should be undertaken:
1. Select a consultant, community college, or other training.

2. Train management.
3. Select trainer, facilitator.
4. Send trainer, facilitator to training.
5. Trainer trains front-line supervisors.
6. Trainer trains remaining employees.
7. Establish a training committee.
8. Orient short-term hires and new employees.
9. Facilitator or trainer provides team training.
10. Establish long-term, continuing program for training in quality
management, leadership, communication, technical skills.
11. Evaluate all training.
12. Improve training.

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Activity:
What major points would you need to coach the team on?
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Section 2
Monitor and review performance
2.1 Use the organisation’s systems and technology to monitor and review
improved
2.2 Improve customer service through continuous improvement techniques
and processes
2.3 Formulate and communicate recommendations for adjustments to those
who have a role in their develoment and implementation

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Monitoring and Reviewing for Improvements
Monitoring and reviewing, as always, is critical. Here we are looking

to use our workplace technology to make assessments. Above all we
need to ensure customers are happy.
• Management interest and support.

• Focus on customer satisfaction.
• Identification of areas needing improvement.
• Employee involvement.
• Cooperative attitude between elements of the company.
• Viewing every person who is on the receiving end of a process
as a customer.
• Fear driven from the company.
• Correctly composed teams.
• A system for selecting processes to be improved.
• Training for all employees in quality awareness.
• Training for teams in team procedures and disciplined
problem solving.
• Improved communications outside the company.
The structure approach to process improvement:
1. Problem is brought to the attention of the steering committee

2. Steering committee forms a team to examine the process and
make necessary
recommendations for improvement
3. Team meets, reviews its mission, and determines how often it will
meet
4. Training is initiated for team members
5. Team meets weekly for an hour or two to analyze the problem
and develop a solution
6. Solution is initiated on a pilot basis
7. Results of pilot study are examined
8. Solution is implemented company-wide
Technology may include:
• Computerised systems and software such as databases,

project management and word processing.
• Telecommunications devices.
• Any other technology used to carry out work roles and
responsibilities.
Customer service may be:
• Internal or external.
• To existing, new or potential clients.

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Activity: What systems and technology could be used at your
organisation to monitor a programme of continuous improvement?
What other information might you need?

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Improving Customer Service
Still one of the best ways of accomplishing quality improvement is

obtained by focusing on customers’ concerns, and by learning what
those concerns are through owner/customer surveys.
Much can be provided by studying how your owner/customer feels

about your service, your attitude, and whether you would be
recommended to another owner/customer. Several areas to survey,
and to take care to provide or honor, are listed here:
• Safe operating procedures.

• Accident experience.
• Attitude.
• Professional competence of the project manager, superintendent,
and project engineers.
• Technical competence of the work force.
• Overall responsiveness to owner/customer requests.
• Degree of communications.
• Planning.
• Administrative procedures.
• Appearance and conduct of the work force.
• Condition of equipment.
• Coordination and supervision of subcontractors.
• Appearance of the jobsite.
• Timeliness.
The six principal elements of owner/customer satisfaction are:
1. Your product/service delivery system.

2. Your product/service performance.
3. The general image of your company.
4. Your people’s level of performance.
5. The perceived price-value relationship of your product/service.
6. Your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses.

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Questions to Ask
Successful TQM companies have asked their owner/customers the

following questions:
1. How well do we deliver what we promise?

2. How often do we do things right the first time?
3. How often do we do things right on time?
4. How quickly do we respond to your request?
5. How accessible are we when you need to contact us?
6. How helpful and polite are we?
7. How well do we speak your language?
8. How well do we listen to you?
9. How hard do you think we work at keeping you a satisfied
owner/customer?
10. How much confidence do you have in our products or services?
11. How well do we understand and try to meet your special
request?
12. Overall, how would you rate the appearance of our facilities,
products, communications, and people?
13. Can you list any specific instances where we have fallen down?
14. Overall, how would you rate the quality of our service?
15. What could we do to improve our service to you?
16. Overall, how would you rate the quality of service provided by
our competitor?
17. How willing would you be to recommend us?
18. How willing would you be to buy from us again?
19. Are we doing or not doing anything that bugs you?
20. What do you like best about what we do?
21. What parts of our service are most important for you?
22. What parts of our service are least important to you?

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Activity:
What improvements could be made to your organisation’s
products/services?
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What improvements to your organisation’s image might be

useful?
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What is your customers’ greatest need?

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Continuous Improvement Techniques
There are so many techniques that it is wise to focus on basics:
• Benchmarking
• Best practice
• Change management
• Continuous improvement systems and processes
• Quality systems.
Plan: Identify the problem or the issue. Perceive the final outcome.
Gather the data.
Do: Conduct the action. Make the improvements. Implement the

changes
Study: Review the actions, improvements and changes. Are they all
positive? Were there any negative consequences?
Act: Document the improvements. Lock in the changes. If there

were any negatives, conduct the planning process again.
Recommending Adjustments
Areas where quality improvement teams could begin investigating

for possible improvement are:
• Increased Employee Value

• Informed Employees
• Technical Training
• Quality Training
• Employee Suggestions
• Employee Participation
• Higher Quality of Artistry
• Personal Development

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Activity: Which people are responsible for continuous
improvement in your organisation?

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Section 3
Provide opportunities for further improvement
3.1 Implement processes to ensure that team members are informed of

plan
3.2 Document work performance to aid the identification of futures
3.3 Manage records, reports and recommendations for improvement within

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Further Improvement
Improvement is a continuous process. In fact, often great leaps are

not made but improvement is a result of gradual rises across the
many processes within an organisation.
Informing the Team of Success
Processes to ensure that team members are informed of savings

and productivity/service improvements may refer to:
• Email/intranet, newsletters or other communication devices.

• Newsletters and bulletins.
• Staff reward mechanisms.
• Team meetings.

72
Documenting Work Performance & Managing Records
The strategic planning documents necessary to provide maximum

input into the continuous improvement process are:
• The organization’s strategic plan. For some companies this

may be a 3-5 year forecast or template for growth. Many
larger companies plan for at least 10 years out and it is a
rolling plan, always adding on a year as one passes. A 1-3
year operational plan is derived from the strategic plan.
• Department strategic plans. Every department in an
organization needs to develop plans in alignment with the
organization’s plan. The department strategic plans outline h
our support functions will play a role in assuring that overall
goals are met.
• An organization’s mission, vision, or value statements. These
provide a compass to make sure that all plans truly represent
what the organization stands for to the community,
shareholders, employees, and customers.
• An internal assessment of your organization including the
products, customer base, historical sales data, costs to do
business, profit margins, financial statements and budget, the
workforce, the facilities, and current distribution channel,
customer satisfaction information.
• An external assessment of the environment in which the
organization must complete including changing laws(federal,
state, and local), analysis of competitors, recent legal
decisions, social norms or concerns; global financial concerns
that might affect supply, distribution, lending, or consumer
purchasing power.
• In short, you want to analyse your finances, customer
base/relations, employees (sales force and those who are
required for their success), the products, and how you deliver
the product. All of this is done in the context of the external
environment.

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Activities:
What methods would you choose to inform your colleagues?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
How could you record your own performance to aid

improvement?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
What documents would be used to monitor continuous

improvement at your organisation?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

74
Warnings
The transformation to quality is not without its pitfalls. Many

companies have started on the road to quality but failed to achieve
success due to several factors:
• Lack of top management support.

• Lack of middle management support.
• Commitment in only one department.
• Short-term commitment - failure to stay on course.
• Haphazard approach - a little of this and that with no
meaningful change in the system.
• Failure to acquire the services of a competent statistician or to
provide statistical training for employees.
• Measure success and guide program on the basis of short-
term profits.
• Failure to solicit worker input.
• Over dependence on computerized quality control.
• Funding failure - lack of funds to make meaningful changes in
the system (i.e., new machinery, training, improved raw
materials).
• No market research. Not knowing what the requirements are.
• No testing of incoming materials - garbage in - garbage out.
• Overselling hourly workers - expecting instant pudding.
• Adversarial management (management by fear).
• However, with total commitment and constancy of purpose,
these hazards can be overcome.

75
Activity: What could prevent your organisation improving over
time? How could you keep the process of improvement continuous?

76
Summary
• Creativity is the generation of a new idea. Innovation is the

translation of that idea into a better product, service or method
of production.
• Creativity occurs when an organisation encourages

exploration by its employees of new ways of doing things.
• Any time there is a need to change, to meet a challenge –

there is a need to be innovative.
• To get ideas generated and change encouraged, successful

organisations needs to look at its environment including
Developing an acceptance of change, Encouraging new ideas,
breaking down the departmental walls and allow interaction,
accepting failure as a way to success, Providing clear goals and
objectives and offering recognition to those that perform.
• The flow of people and information between the company and

the environment is vital for innovation, this means going outside
the four walls of the company structure and using every and all
resources we can.
• Individual and group feedback is critical to ensure everyone is

going down the right path and that everyone has an opportunity
to participate.
• Being innovative and having lots of great ideas doesn’t mean

implementation of change is a given. Risk and resources need to
be considered.
• The innovation and change needs to be realistic and relevant

to the organisation.
• Quality management is continuous and must address all the

processes within the organisation.
• Customers needs are the basis for all quality improvements as

they define quality.
• Monitoring and coaching are necessary to implement a good

system which makes gains at all levels.
• Quality and quality improvements usually result from asking

the right questions. Addressing customers, management, staff

77
and the marketplace and doing the right kind of investigation will
lead to a plethora of pointers.

78
Additional Reading
Innovation
http://www.adb.org/documents/information/knowledge-
solutions/harnessing-creativity-and-innovation-in-the-workplace.pdf
Promoting Innovation
http://www.dunmow.com/programs/xs/innovate.htm
Continuous Improvement
http://www.quality-assurance-solutions.com/basic-tools-for-process-
improvement.html
Monitoring Improvements
http://tpu.bluemountains.net/unit-display.php?
recordID=2787&s=AUM00
Coaching & Mentoring

http://www.brefigroup.co.uk/coaching/coaching_and_mentoring.html
Total Quality Management

http://managementhelp.org/quality/tqm/tqm.htm

79

Implement - Continuous - Improvement - Henri Sant-Cassia

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Implement Continuous

Implement Continuous Improvement / Promote Innovation in a team environment

Implement Continuous Improvement / Promote Innovation in a team environment

Promote Innovation in a Team Environment

Promote Innovation in a Team Environment

The team could consist of a team of contractors/freelancers, permanent

Implement Continuous Improvement / Promote Innovation in a team environment

Promote Innovation in a Team Environment

1. Create opportunities to maximise innovation within the team