Continuous Process Improvement is a State of Mind, Not an Activity

In my new book Lessons Learned:  Taking Project Management to a New Level in a Continuous Process Improvement Framework, I discuss identifying, capturing, documenting, and sharing project lessons learned, and feeding them back to improve the project and business processes through a Continuous Process Improvement Framework.

Many readers have asked me about Continuous Process Improvement, and my response has always been to emphasize that “Continuous Process Improvement” is really a state of mind, an aspect of maturity.  It is not just another project “activity” that the project group should pursue.

There are many underlying facets of Continuous Process Improvement as well.

First, “do it right the first time” if your organization has a methodology or a practice that they follow consistently.  Eliminating rework and redo will go a long way toward improving overall group and individual performance.

Second, approach everything as if you wanted to find a Best Practice for your organization that could SUSTAIN performance by relying on successful processes that are proven to work in your business context.

Third, continuously look at feedback from stakeholders, customers, clients, auditors, and internal project groups that advocate changing some part of your internal business processes.

Fourth, understand and apply good sound business and project practices as the underlying foundation for your organization’s project processes.  You may recall that I covered this topic in a recent blog.

Fifth, benchmark your tools and your practices versus others in your industry and in your field of discipline.  You will be surprised at how many “new” ways of looking at the same thing there are in action.

An excellent reference in the area of project workflow is a new book by Daniel Epstein and Rich Maltzman entitled Project Workflow Management:  A Business Process Approach.

Continuous Process Improvement is a state of maturity that pervades every facet of your business.  Embrace it and you will find true rewards in the process improvements and resulting performance you will see.

Don’t just take my word for it….be creative in your approaches to everything.