Workshop: Tweet"Continuous Improvement: Identifying & Avoiding Hell"
Keywords: Learning, Collaboration, Interactions,
Communication, Team Effectiveness, Continuous Improvement, perspectives,
Team Culture, Kaizen, Agile, Lean
Abstract:
We all love the term 'Continuous Improvement' - which is an honourable
intention - but the 'wrong' kind of push for Continuous Improvement can
produce the opposite effect on team collaboration and culture than is
intended (e.g. apathy). We have learnt the hard way, that in the real
world, even if you are Agile/Lean, it doesn't mean you will
automatically continuously improve!
So, why is this? How can Continuous Improvement create a negative
impact on teams and culture? How do we avoid it? What are other ways of
handling this need to consistently overcome challenges in an
ever-changing industry? And how does Agile/Lean deal with these
difficulties and are they really any better?
This workshop will alternate through discovery exercises and
contemplative review points to collaboratively explore what Continuous
Improvement initiatives REALLY feel like on the ground and investigate
how else we might want to approach 'always getting better' by looking at
and drawing from your own ideas, other industries and different
perspectives.
What you will walk away with
By the end of this workshop, we will have exposed the common issues and
mistakes people make with Continuous Improvement, and learnt at least
one practical technique that can be tried the very next day (as well as
perhaps inventing your own) – at the very minimum, you will have enough
information and insights to begin creatively developing solutions to
issues in your own context.
Prerequisite Knowledge:
This workshop is relevant to anyone who has been through, is
establishing, or considering rolling out ‘Continuous Improvement’. The
principles discussed are applicable across all levels – and sceptics are
welcome.
Learning Outcomes:
As a result of this workshop, you will
• be able to define at least two generic weaknesses of a Continuous Improvement program
• understand the reasoning behind these weaknesses
• recognise how/why the weaknesses do/do not apply to Agile/Lean teams
• understand the different ways Agile/Lean handle Continuous Improvement
• be aware of a different approaches to Continuous Improvement
• walk away with useful techniques to combat the highlighted issues
• use this understanding to think creatively about how you can strengthen your own endeavours
