Tips for Developing People in Continuous Improvement

Lean Leadership development Lean Leadership development is about building leaders who don’t just manage results, but actively develop people, improve processes and sustain a culture of continuous improvement. Unlike traditional leadership that focuses on oversight, Lean Leadership emphasizes servant leadership, coaching and respect for people. Here’s a breakdown of its key elements: 1. Core Principles of Lean Leadership Development Lead with Humility: Leaders acknowledge they don’t have all the answers and create an environment where employees feel safe to raise problems. Respect Every Individual: Building trust, listening deeply and engaging employees as problem solvers. Focus on Process, Not People Blame: Leaders look for root causes in systems and processes rather than blaming individuals. Continuous Improvement Mindset: Leaders model kaizen by experimenting, learning and encouraging small, rapid improvements. Create a Vision & Align Goals: Cascading objectives connect strategy (Hoshin Kanri) with frontline work. 2. Development Practices Leader Standard Work (LSW): Daily habits for leaders (gemba walks, coaching, checking visual boards). Gemba Walks: Leaders regularly visit the place of work to observe, listen and support. Coaching Cycles: Using A3 problem-solving and Socratic questioning to develop others’ thinking. Visual Management: Using visual boards to monitor performance and drive dialogue. Daily Management System (DMS): Engaging leaders at all levels in problem solving huddles. 3. Stages of Lean Leader Development Self-Development: Learn Lean principles, reflect and grow mindset. Coach & Develop Others: Teach problem-solving and critical thinking. Align the Organization: Use strategy deployment to ensure everyone works toward common goals. Create a Culture of Kaizen: Build an environment where improvement is part of daily work. Ensure Sustainability: Prevent regression by reinforcing Lean behaviors and rewarding learning. Why It Matters: Without Lean Leadership, Lean tools and methods often fail because culture doesn’t change. Leaders are the key multipliers who create engagement, accountability and sustainable improvement.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝘁? Most leaders see the "tools" of continuous improvement. But the real work lies beneath the surface. When you think of Lean or Continuous Improvement, what comes to mind? 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑚𝑎𝑝𝑠. 𝐴3. 5𝑆. 𝐾𝑎𝑛𝑏𝑎𝑛. These are powerful tools, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg. Without further context, it is difficult to explain why some organisations get fantastic results (e.g. Toyota or Danaher) while others struggle 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀. What’s beneath the waterline? Coaching. People development. Behavior change. When I first started leading large-scale continuous improvement transformations, I faced 3 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀: 1️⃣ Tool addiction — Leaders wanted quick wins, not sustainable change. 2️⃣ Misalignment — Senior leaders talked about "culture change" but measured only short-term metrics. 3️⃣ Invisible work — The coaching, listening, and development required to shift mindsets didn’t show up on dashboards. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱: ✅ Tools can help solve a specific problem once the problem is defined and prioritised. ✅ Leaders need to personally role model and coach to change a culture. Teams look at what leaders do, not what they say. Culture doesn't shift with a workshop — it shifts when leaders model new behaviors daily. ✅ So, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗜 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀? - I stopped "doing Lean" to people and started coaching leaders. - Instead of focusing on tools, I helped leaders focus on their own behaviors first. This often included a good definition on the most important problem to be solved now. - We moved from “get the result” to “become the kind of leader who drives sustainable results.” 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂: If you’re a senior leader, you might be chasing visible wins. But the real competitive advantage lies below the surface. It's the leadership shift that moves the whole system. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: ⚠ 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀. 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 (start with yourself 😉). Your success is measured not just by the results you achieve — but by the leaders you create. Gemma Jones has created a wonderful image to illustrate my points above. 👉  Please follow me for insights on #ContinuousImprovement and #ExecutiveCoaching based on my 25+ years in Danaher and Procter & Gamble.

I’ve seen this scene so many times on the gemba floor: A manager rushing between meetings, boards full of targets and KPIs. People running from one issue to another, fixing what’s urgent, putting out the biggest fires... while production keeps rolling. Everyone’s busy, everyone’s trying hard… and yet no one has time to stop and think: “How can we make tomorrow easier than today?” Because there’s always another order, another report, another “quick fix”. Improvement becomes something we’ll do “later”, when things calm down. But they never do. Here’s what really makes a difference: 1) Set aside real, protected time to improve, not just “find a spare minute”. 2) Link improvement to one specific process step: “If we make this change, what will we save?” 3) Let the team test, fail, learn... and don’t wait for “perfect”. 4) Standardise what works, but keep asking: “Can we make it even better?” Creating time for improvement is not a luxury, it’s leadership. Leaders are responsible not only for results, but for creating the conditions where learning and progress can happen. If your team never has time to improve, it’s not their fault. It’s a signal, that it’s time to start leading differently. #lean #leadership #continuousimprovement #respectforpeople

I used to be the person who would jump in and "fix" things when my team hit a roadblock. It felt faster, cleaner, and frankly, I knew I could deliver the result we needed. But I was robbing my team of something crucial: the chance to grow. The shift from "I'll handle it" to "How can I help you handle it?" changes everything. Here's what I've learned about stepping back to develop others: 1. Start with the right question. Instead of "What needs to be done?" ask "Who on my team could benefit from taking this on?" Every challenge becomes a development opportunity when you view it through this lens. 2. Resist the rescue reflex. When someone struggles, our instinct is to jump in. But struggle is where growth happens. Offer guidance, ask probing questions, share resources—but let them work through the solution. 3. Make failure safe. If you're going to delegate meaningful work, you have to accept that it won't always go perfectly. Create an environment where people can experiment, make mistakes, and learn without fear. 4. Celebrate their wins, not your teaching. When someone succeeds after you've developed them, the spotlight should be on their achievement, not your mentoring. This builds their confidence and reinforces that growth mindset. The irony? When you stop doing everything yourself, your team becomes capable of so much more. You free yourself up for higher-level strategic work, and you build a team that doesn't need you to micromanage every decision. What's the hardest part of delegation for you? The time investment upfront, or trusting others with important outcomes? ♻️ Repost to help others in your network and ▶️ Follow me @NicholasColisto for more leadership tips #Leadership #TeamDevelopment #Management #Growth

STOP trying to push continuous improvement!! --Because you can’t force people to care. --You can’t mandate ownership. --And you definitely can’t sustain change through compliance. Here’s a truth I’ve seen too many organizations (and consultants) ignore: 👉 You can’t push people into continuous improvement — you have to create a pull. When people feel ownership for the work… When they see value for themselves, their team, and their customer… When they trust the leaders guiding them — That’s when real improvement takes root. So how do you create that pull? Here are a few things I’ve learned from 20+ years of leading transformations, training teams, and writing about this in my books Leading Without the Title and Leading from Within: ⭐ 1. Lead from within — not from above. People don’t follow titles; they follow authenticity. Show up, listen, and model the behavior you want to see. Change starts with a person, not a plan. ⭐ 2. Build trust before you build systems. You can’t drive engagement without trust. In every organization I’ve worked with — progress began when leaders stopped inspecting and started connecting. ⭐ 3. Make improvement theirs, not yours. Invite employees to identify problems and own solutions. Ask questions like, “What frustrates you most?” or “What would make your job easier?” Then act on what they say. ⭐ 4. Recognize effort as much as outcome. Celebrating the small wins builds momentum. At Mountaire, we watched engagement explode when leaders began recognizing not just results, but the behaviors that led to them. ⭐ 5. Coach more than you command. Training transfers knowledge. Coaching transfers belief. Pull happens when leaders spend time coaching at the gemba — helping people think, not just do. ⭐ 6. Align improvement to purpose. When employees understand why improvement matters — how it connects to the customer, their team, and their personal growth — they’ll pull improvement forward without needing to be pushed. Continuous improvement isn’t about tools or templates — it’s about people and people don’t want to be managed into change; they want to be inspired into it. If you want your organization to move from push to pull, start by asking: 💬 “Am I leading in a way that makes people want to engage — or just telling them to?” Because when leaders create the pull… Transformation doesn’t need to be forced — it becomes inevitable. #lean #continuousimprovement #acilconsulting #leadfromwithin #createapullforCI

Continuous improvement (CI) in organizations is only possible through developing CI competencies in people and teams!! It's clear that every business wants competent, capable employees who have the ability to streamline processes and swiftly adapt to process changes... BUT... ...despite recognizing the importance of CI, many organizations find themselves with a workforce unskilled in the practical, agile application of continuous improvement. There's a real disconnect! Why is this? 🤔 A few reasons.... 👉 It could be an issue with training vs real-world application. Often, employee training programs are heavy on theory but light on practical, hands-on experience. Employees understand the 'what' but struggle with the 'how.' Including leaders! 👉 It could be cultural resistance. People may not embrace adaptability and learning. That problem could be also caused by ineffective leadership! 👉 It could be lack of tools, resources or autonomy. Knowing what needs improvement is one thing; having the tools and authority to make changes is another. That's also something leaders influence! 🚨 So what's the call to action here? Leaders need support to develop themselves and they also need to understand the important role they play in developing CI competencies in every person. This involves: ✅ Hands-on Coaching and Learning. Shift from traditional "telling" to coaching on the job. Provide real-world problem solving opportunities, ask great questions and involve people in process management to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in every person. ✅ Cultivating a Psychologically Safe CI Culture. Foster an environment where every employee feels empowered and motivated to seek out and try out improvements, without fear of failure. Transparent and regular communication is key. ✅ Empowering people. Equip teams, not just with tools but also the authority to lead and implement changes. People are much more innovative and creative when they feel they are in control of their own work. When employees see their ideas come to life, it reinforces their capability and drive for continuous improvement. What else works to bridge the gaps in continuous improvement skills? Leave your suggestions in the comments below 🙏 #continuousimprovement #lean #agile #employeedevelopment #learninganddevelopment #leadership #skilldevelopment

7 Ways to Upskill Your People: Tell me, and I forget. Show me, and I remember. Involve me, and I understand. In today’s fast-changing world, upskilling isn’t optional—it’s essential. Great leaders focus on developing their team’s skills for the long term. Here are 7 ways to foster continuous learning and upskilling: 1. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 → Encourage curiosity and lifelong learning. → Make learning part of your team’s daily routine. 2. 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘀 → Identify skill gaps and align training with individual goals. → Personalization boosts engagement and results. 3. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 → Use AI-learning platforms like Shiken AI. → Use AI roleplay, quiz generation to upskill your people. 4. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 → Give them autonomy to choose learning paths. → Ownership fosters accountability and motivation. 5. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 → Show how new skills lead to promotions and opportunities. → People are more likely to invest in learning when they see the payoff. 6. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗢𝗻-𝘁𝗵𝗲-𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 → 80% of learning happens through hands-on experience. → Pair employees with mentors or rotate roles to expand their skill sets. 7. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 → Recognize and reward efforts to gain new skills. → Use certifications, bonuses, or public acknowledgment to keep learners motivated. Upskilling isn’t just about staying relevant It’s about empowering your people to thrive. What’s your team doing to stay ahead of the curve? Let me know in the comments below 👇 --- ♻️ Find this helpful? Repost for your network. ➕ Follow Dr Alexander Young for daily insights on productivity, leadership, and AI.

Develop your employees, grow your company… It’s that simple. Many managers fail to identify development needs. This leads to stalled growth and disengaged employees. Without development, teams stagnate and disengage. You risk losing top talent and falling behind. Here’s how to get it right: 1. Create Individual Development Plans (IDPs): Self-assessed goals boost engagement by 50%. 2. Foster a learning culture: Encourage knowledge-sharing to build resilience. 3. Recognize and reward growth: Celebrate milestones—34% higher retention follows. 4. Align with company goals: Tie individual growth to organizational objectives. 5. Measure and evaluate results: Track skill gains to show tangible progress. 6. Set SMART goals: Clear, measurable goals drive focus and outcomes. 7. Involve employees in planning: Align aspirations with company needs—70% prefer this. 8. Set regular check-ins: Frequent feedback improves engagement by 30%. 9. Choose the right methods: Tailor development activities to close skill gaps. 10. Allocate resources wisely: Invest in budgets that grow future leaders. To unlock your team’s potential, take deliberate action. Development isn’t just a need; it’s a leadership priority. These 10 steps create real, measurable growth: ☑ Provides professional development opportunities ☑ Aligns individual goals with company objectives ☑ Sets SMART goals for clarity and accountability ☑ Involves employees in their own growth ☑ Allocates resources for development ☑ Regular check-ins to track progress ☑ Enhances overall productivity ☑ Recognizes achievements ☑ Fosters a learning culture ☑ Increases retention rates Organizations that invest in people invest in success. Found this useful? Follow Jonathan Raynor. Reshare to help others build thriving teams.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 🚀 Ever feel like your team is stuck in a rut, lacking the creative spark needed to drive innovation? You're not alone. Many organizations struggle with fostering an innovative mindset among employees. Without creative thinking skills, your team may fall back on outdated problem-solving methods, stifling your company’s ability to innovate and stay competitive. Here’s the deal: a stagnant approach to problem-solving can be a significant roadblock. Over time, it can lead to missed opportunities, reduced market share, and an overall decline in organizational performance. But don’t worry, there’s a solution. By incorporating creativity and innovation training into your Learning & Development (L&D) programs, you can foster a culture of continuous improvement and keep your organization at the forefront of your industry. Here’s how to get started: 🎯 Integrate Creative Thinking Workshops: Offer workshops that focus on brainstorming techniques, lateral thinking, and problem-solving frameworks. These sessions can help employees break free from conventional thinking patterns. 🎯 Promote Cross-functional Collaboration: Encourage employees from different departments to work together on projects. This diversity of thought can lead to more innovative solutions and a broader perspective on challenges. 🎯 Leverage Digital Tools: Utilize digital platforms and tools that facilitate creative collaboration. Tools like Miro, Trello, and Slack can help teams brainstorm and develop ideas more effectively. 🎯 Encourage Risk-taking: Create a safe environment where employees feel comfortable taking risks and experimenting with new ideas. Highlight the importance of learning from failures as part of the innovation process. 🎯 Provide Continuous Learning Opportunities: Offer courses and resources on emerging trends, technologies, and methodologies. Keeping your team updated with the latest knowledge can spark new ideas and innovative approaches. 🎯 Recognize and Reward Innovation: Acknowledge and reward employees who contribute innovative ideas. This recognition can motivate others to think creatively and contribute to the innovation culture. 🎯 Mentorship Programs: Pair employees with mentors who are known for their creative thinking and innovative approaches. This mentorship can provide guidance and inspiration for employees to develop their own innovative skills. By embedding these strategies into your L&D programs, you’ll not only enhance your team’s creative thinking abilities but also cultivate a culture of innovation that drives continuous improvement and long-term success. How are you fostering innovation in your organization? Share your strategies below! ⬇️ #Innovation #LearningAndDevelopment #CreativeThinking #ContinuousImprovement #EmployeeEngagement #Leadership #Teamwork

The Valley of Despair One of the hardest parts of improvement work is that, in the beginning, it feels like extra work. People say, “I already have a full time job. I don’t have capacity for something on top of it.” This reaction is reasonable. Most people have been taught to see improvement as a separate effort. A project. A task. Something added alongside the daily work. Meaningful improvement is not about adding more work. It is about doing the daily work in a different way so the outcomes improve and the strain reduces. But, there is always a period where the old way and the new way exist at the same time. That overlap can feel like having two jobs. This is the valley of despair. The effort feels heavier before it feels better. This is where many teams give up. So how do we move through it? We acknowledge that the overlap is real. We support people instead of pushing harder. We create new capacity, hours in the day , so people can learn new ways of working. We start by solving the problems that make work frustrating today. We allow people to feel and actually see the work becoming smoother and steadier. When people experience real relief, they see the purpose. When they see the purpose, they participate. When they participate, they learn. When they learn, they advance. This is the People Bridge. Learn. Participate. Advance. Improvement is not extra work. Improvement is how we create better days for the people doing the work. We learn together. We support each other. We cross the valley together. #Leadership #PeopleFirst #MeaningfulWork #DignityOfWork #ContinuousImprovement #TrailPath #LeanThinking