It’s easy to think of operational excellence as just systems and processes. However, true operational excellence won't happen without the right culture. The people in your team are fundamental to continual improvement. All the systems, processes, and tech can only take you so far.
Continuous improvement needs energy, motivation and momentum. That comes from the people across the whole organisation. Adapting processes and introducing new systems should be the result of suggestions from your people who are always seeking ways to improve. The culture within your organisation is the engine that will drive continuous improvement.

However, creating the right culture is challenging and changing an existing culture is even more difficult, especially as a business grows. Operational excellence requires everyone in your business to:
Share values and understand the goals of the business
Know that they make a difference
Feel comfortable in suggesting improvements
Know they are being listened to
Be open to all ideas - no matter how wacky they sound
Without the right culture, changes in operations can feel like they come from the top down, leaving people feeling disconnected and undervalued. Not motivated and inspired.
Joseph F Paris Jr; Chairman, XONITEK Group of Companies sums this up nicely in his definition of operational excellence.
“Operational Excellence is when the efforts throughout the organization are in a state of alignment for achieving its strategies and where the corporate culture is committed to the continuous and deliberate improvement of company performance AND the circumstances of those who work there – to pursue ‘Operational Excellence by Design’ and not by Coincidence.”
Joseph Paris is worth following on LinkedIn (I wish I could wear a cowboy hat like that) for his regular posts about how companies can embed a culture of continuous improvement.
Kaizenjoy combines the ideas of striving for continuous improvement (Kaizen) with the resulting joy and satisfaction for all participants. Kaizen is a Japanese term that means "change for the better" or "continuous improvement." It involves everyone in the organisation working together proactively to achieve regular, incremental improvements to the company process. The feeling that you are part of something bigger and that you can make a difference in your organisation's day-to-day workings is hard to beat.
There are some core principles of the Kaizen philosophy:
Continuous Improvement: Small, ongoing positive changes.
Employee Involvement: Encouraging suggestions from all employees.
Customer Focus: Improving quality and value for the customer.
Standardisation: Establishing standard procedures that embed an improvement and innovation culture.
What about Joy?

Joy refers to a feeling of great pleasure and happiness. I’ve seen the pursuit of continuous improvement with the right culture lead to a joyful work environment. If you think that’s a lofty or fluffy idea, think again. There are some tangible business benefits to the concept of joy, too. It can lead to higher employee satisfaction (less churn), increased engagement, productivity, and better overall morale.
So, the next time you think about operational excellence, remember it’s the people who make it happen and ensure you bring them along for the ride.
If your organisation embodies the Kaizenjoy approach, why not check out the Kaizen Awards, which celebrate continuous improvement at businesses in the South East of England.
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