What is continuous improvement planning?
Continuous improvement is the idea that even if things are going really well, there are always things that could be improved to benefit performance. Where it is used effectively, small incremental changes can lead to impressive results with time.
However, in order to plan for the future, the first step for leaders to take is to conduct a review of where the business is currently, which will highlight the areas where improvements could be made.
The key word to note is ‘continuous’ – this means ongoing reviews, evaluations and learning to help understand whether the changes that are being made are having the desired effect. If they are not, then it’s time to think about what else can be done.
QCS has produced a tool to help with this task, reviewing all areas of a business, looking at areas from staffing, recruitment and stakeholder satisfaction, to health and safety.
Key foundation
Team members will be the key foundation to the success of any continuous improvement planning and this can mean that it is a helpful tool to drive employee engagement.
Employees have a good understanding of the business and will often have ideas for change. Therefore, it is important that staff of all levels are involved in the process of continuous improvement planning and are asked for their feedback. It’s important to remember that employees can speak to their own area of expertise, whether that be talking to the HR team about their views on recruitment practices or asking the team where they feel that training is needed, as well as having on the ground experience in terms of health and safety risks and challenges they face.
This process helps to build a culture of openness with clear lines of communication, as well as promoting good leadership practices. However, this can’t simply be a box ticking exercise. When employees make suggestions, it is vital to take them seriously and give them the resources they need to make those improvements. By doing so, employees will feel valued and buy-in to future plans, leading to increased retention levels and employee engagement.
What are the benefits?
In summary, the advantages of continuous improvement planning cannot be underestimated. Below are just some of the key points to take away:
- Strong leadership
- Employee satisfaction and engagement
- Increased staff retention levels
- Highly trained and confident employees
- Improved delivery of services
- Increased efficiency and productivity
- Service user satisfaction
- Decreased costs (particularly from a recruitment perspective)
Adopting a mindset of continuous process improvement will put the business on a different, more successful trajectory.
