Continuous Improvement Isn’t Enough Anymore

 Continuous Improvement Isn’t Enough Anymore

If you are a leader, you have probably bought into the idea that continuous improvement is a good thing. It’s hard to argue with the fact that we want our businesses to grow, our personal lives to improve. So, sure. Let’s go with it:

Continuous improvement is a good thing.

There is a place for continuous improvement in our business and personal lives – it serves a purpose. Then again, the hamster thinks the hamster wheel is getting him somewhere too!

But is continuous improvement enough? Only if survival is enough. Think about it. You can be doing your absolute best, using every tool you have ever been taught, coaching your employees, making good, incremental changes only to find that someone else has made a transformational change to your reality. A change that could kill your business, even your category.

History is full of examples:

Take the newspaper industry (if you can even call it an industry anymore). When the web emerged, rather than embracing its possibilities, publishers doubled down on their cash cow classified rates (which their clients absolutely resented) only to find that Craig Newmark (Craigslist) had innovated them out of their core businesses. In 2013, Pew Research reported that more than 3/4ths of the newspaper classified revenues had been lost since 2000.

Those publishers were busily spinning themselves in circles, never bothering to look around at an already changed world.

Pretty sure this isn’t an appealing thought for any of us. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 and we can tell ourselves we will never fall into that same trap. And yet, our business change models and leadership develop programs are full of increments and safe bets.

 Let’s look at some commonly accepted terms and options:

IMPROVE: Make or become better

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Continuous improvement is an ongoing process of identifying, analyzing, and making incremental improvements to systems, processes, products, or services. 

INNOVATE: Make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products.

By definition, you can only improve on something that already exists.

To transform something requires creating something new – that did not exist before and cannot be improved into existence.

Improvement, even continuous improvement or innovation are no longer enough.

At best you can maybe keep up – in business and in life. Another word for this would be survival. If that is all you aspire to – to survive – that’s fine, have at it.  But more than likely you are looking at a life of continuous struggle to stay ahead of the threats that will show up at every turn. You will be running, like that hapless hamster, with little to show for it. Or scurrying like the prey from the predator – always looking over your shoulder for the next threat.

This is an exhausting life with little room for health, happiness, love and full self-expression.

There is an alternative way to live your life – professionally and personally – free from the bonds of circumstances dictating your life. A life where you create the future and take on what you once thought to be impossible for you.

If this sounds like a life and business you want – we have the answer.

Come to Renascence to learn what your future can be - and how to get it.

Set your sights here:

TRANSFORM: Make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of

CREATE: Bring (something) into existence that did not exist before

Your life, your organization’s life will never be the same.

Learn more at renascenceprogram.com

Email us at: renascenceprogram@gmail.com