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Guest post by: Andrew Rondeau Become an Author

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In this article, I'd like to touch upon a real passion of mine - Continuous Improvement. I have worked in several companies where things take 4 or 5 times longer to complete just because of the bureaucracy or processes in place. How many times have you heard phrases like:

"That's the way we do things around here"

"We've always done it that way"

"We've tried to do that before and it failed"

"That's the process we have to use"

And many other statements just like it.

I've heard phrases like that hundreds of times.

As a successful and Effective Manager it is your job to instill an insatiable desire to continually improve your own and your staff's development and the service you provide. You must act quickly, resolve and/or remove all blockages and bureaucracy no matter how small, in order to allow your staff to be as efficient as possible.

Challenge the process - as a Manager that is what you are paid for.

Imagine the following 2 scenarios:

1. You are the Manager of the ‘widget making' department. Three years ago, you and your teams target was to produce 100 high quality widgets each day, everyday. For the past 3 years the target hasn't changed and you have met the target 99% of the time - great job well done.

2. You are the Manager of the ‘widget making' department. Three years ago, you and your teams target was to produce 100 high quality widgets each day, everyday. Over the last 3 years you have established an environment whereby continuous improvement is the norm. You and your team now make 150 high quality ‘widgets' each day, everyday. You have reduced the cost of

making each ‘widget' by 50% - fantastic job - well done.

Which Manager is more highly respected, credited, rewarded, praised and thought of, by their boss, peers and staff?

The Manager who is never satisfied by the status quo.

To be a successful and Effective Manager you must have an insatiable desire to improve your output, your quality, your service.

As the Manager you are accountable for establishing a Continuous Improvement environment.

One of the biggest keys to being a high performing Manager is seeing possibilities of improvement where others only see impossibilities.

Great high-performing Managers are fantastic Problem Solvers. They find solutions to improve, others see obstacles.

Now, which type are you?

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