How Do Leaders Inspire Continuous Improvement at Work

How Do Leaders Inspire Continuous Improvement at WorkHow Do Leaders Inspire Continuous Improvement at WorkIf youre still in the saatkorn role in two years, Ive failed. This statement welches made by a Vice President to an employee who had taken the job working for him right out of college. This statement had a big impact on the employee. He had never thought that helping employees grow and develop aspart of the role of a leader. Now, this man was speaking specifically to a young, new employee- a new grad taking on his first professional job. Its not practical or wise to think that every person is ready to move on within each two year period. Higzu sich Level Jobs Take Longer to Learn for Employee Continuous Improvement The higher the job level, the longer you need to stay in the job before moving up the ladder. Otherwise, youre not ready for the demands of the next level. But, regardless of the level of employees, leaders should always look for opportunities to help their employe es move to that next level. The concept of continuous improvement isnt just about increased responsibility and promotions, though. Continuous improvement is about every aspect of your career and work life- and your personal life. While every employee is responsible for improving their own life and career, if you want to progress to a senior leadership role, you need to focus on improving more than just your own work. Inspiring Continuous Improvement From Your Employees Continuous improvement is not just about getting youremployees promoted (although that is definitely part of it), its about improving their performance in their current job. It is also about changing the job and their responsibilities as they improve- so that they can continue to grow. The latter is more complicated. You need the same tasks accomplished, no matter how long the employee doing them has been in the job. But, you or the employee can always discover a better way to do a task. Helping your employees lea rn that better way will make your department look better. The improved process will make your employees feel better about themselves and prepare them for a promotion into a different job, even a lateral move. Some managers dont want their best employees to move on to different jobs- after all, good employees are difficult to replace. While this feeling is completely understandable, if your employees dont feel that they have the opportunity for continuous improvement, youll lose your best employees anyway. You just wont have any control or say in the matter. If you create a culture where improvement is expected and then rewarded with raises or promotions (eitherin place promotionsor promotions into new jobs), youll attract the very type of employees you love- the hard workers who are driven to improve and succeed. Continuous Improvement of Your Department Continuous improvement is not just about developing the employees, its about developing your department and responsibilities, too. (At the same time, these activities will also develop your employees.) You need to constantly ask these questions. Is this the best way to do this task?Is there something that were not doing that we need to do?Is there something that we are doing that we need to stop? All three of these questions, when asked regularly, can lead to a continuously improved department or geschftliches miteinander function. Heres how to ask these continuous improvement questions. Question Is This the Best Way to Do This Task? Sometimes tasks are performed one way just because thats how the task has always been done. A manager might ask himself, Ive asked myself that question three times already, why on earth would I find a better way now? The answer may be that new technology has been created. But, you may also be asking the wrong person- try asking the employee who is responsible for the task. Keep up with professional publications- make sure that the employees also have access. You cant spend you r whole life trying to find the holy grail ofproject perfectionism, but when an employee has a suggestion about how to improve things- listen. She may be right Question What Are We Not Doing that We Need to Do? Even when youre feeling overworked, you cant improve if youre not asking this question. What activities will not only help your clients or customers but will help develop your employees as well? You can become more efficient and better prepared to handle the future. If youre not looking for better ways to produce work, you may lose out. For instance, once Kodak was the king of film. When digital photos were introduced, Kodak managers didnt say, Hey, we should produce digital photos. Instead, they focused on their film. The result? Well, when was the last time you used film? Someone should have said, We need to focus on digital. What Are We Doing that We Should Not Do? This question isnt asked nearly often enough. An old story tells about a newly married young woman who buys a ham, cuts off both ends of the ham, plops it in the pan and sticks it in the oven. Why did you cut off the ends of the ham? the husband asks. This is how you make ham, she says. You always cut off the ends. He pushes her a little more so she asks her mom, Why do you cut off the ends of a ham before baking it? The mom replies, Thats how my mother taught me to make a ham. The two of them go to grandma and inquire. Grandma says, My pan was too small to hold a whole ham. You can laugh at this silly story, but you may have activities that you do in your job that are done for reasons that no longer exist. A report that no one uses. A process that was replaced by an app. Asking this question regularly can bring about the spirit ofimprovementthat you need for a successful department. When you take the idea of continuous improvement seriously, youll begin to focus on making work better. for you and your employees. This means that you can create a better job without even updating your resume . Your employees will thank you for their continuous improvement opportunities as well. Related to Continuous Improvement and Leadership Need 6 Strategies to Promote the Growth of Your Employees?How to Pick the Best Leadership Style for YouUse Servant Leadership to Improve Your Corporate CultureHow to Use the Principles of Adaptive Leadership in the Workplace

44 Easy Ways to Make Your Workday More Enjoyable

44 Easy Ways to Make Your Workday More Enjoyable44 Easy Ways to Make Your Workday More EnjoyableIts easy to get in the mindset that work is supposed to involve grinding away all the time with the occasional happy hour or other fun activity thrown in. After all, theres just so much you need to get done, and none of it can wait. But heres some good news It doesnt always have to be like that.Below are 44 simple, easy, and cost-effective ways to make every day of work more enjoyable. While you obviously wont be able to do all 44 on a daily basis, just picking a handful to try every day can help you feel happier, more productive, and more connected to your team.Infographic courtesy of Officevibe. Photo of woman smiling courtesy of Shutterstock.

Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM)

Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM)Single-Pilot Resource Management (SRM)Single-pilot resource management, or SRM, is a derivative of crew resource management (CRM) and is a relatively new term that applies to single-pilot operations. CRM was implemented to help crewmembers communicate effectively while using all available resources to identify and manage risks before, during, and after a flight. Single-pilot resource management is the same thing, but for pilots who operate without fellow crewmembers. SRM was implemented as part of the FAA FITS program. Single-pilot operations are inherently more dangerous than operations that involve crewmembers. A single person can be more easily overwhelmed when faced with multiple decisions to make. Task management can quickly become difficult for even seasoned pilots when things go wrong. For example, in the same emergency, a dual-pilot crew can divide the responsibilities and tasks in half, and each accomplishes their given tasks. Airline pi lots can be assisted by flight attendants, off-duty crew members, and even passengers in emergency situations. SRM Concepts A single pilot has nobody to help him. The good news is that through SRM, a single pilot is taught to manage workload, mitigate risk, correct errors, and make good decisions- just the same as a crew would do with CRM concepts. Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) and Risk Management (RM) SRM training teaches pilots appropriate decision-making strategies and risk-management techniques. Each flight has some level of risk to it pilots should know how to do a risk assessment, how to reduce risk, and how to make decisions based on all available information.Task Management (TM) Task management is all about prioritizing and identifying tasks that can be completed before, during, and after a flight to ensure efficient operation without task overload. Automation Management (AM) Todays flying environment is filled with TAA and glass cockpits, so automation management h as become a very important concept. Pilots should practice good AM by programming information into avionics before a flight if possible, and by knowing precisely how their systems operate. An extensive knowledge of automation is extremely important for single pilots.CFIT Awareness Controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) continues to be a problem, and single pilots must identify the risks associated with each flight before, during, and after flying. Knowing terrain and aircraft capabilities is essential. Situation Awareness (SA) Situational awareness is a no-brainer for single pilots. Pilots must stay aware of their position at all times. Its easy to get confused, especially in the clouds, and lack of situational awareness quickly leads to very bad days. Pilots should use the above concepts to help them remain aware of their location, route, altitude, etc. at all times. The 5 Ps A helpful way for a pilot to assess his or her situation as a single pilot is to utilize the concept of the 5 Ps, which is a practical way for the pilot to analyze the risks associated with the glieds of a flight. Plan The pilot should accomplish all preflight planning and be prepared to adjust the flight plan as necessary during the flight. The plan also involves circumstances surrounding the flight planning process, like gathering weather information and assessing the route.Plane The airplane is obviously a significant element of the flight, and the pilot should asses the risks associated with inoperative equipment and the general shape of the airplane.Pilot The pilot should assess himself with a risk assessment checklist and the IM SAFE checklist, but should also assess his currency and proficiency, as well as the conditions of the flight in relation to his abilities and his personal minimums. Passengers Passengers can present challenges like illness, fear, discomfort, and distractions. Its best for a pilot to plan for passenger challenges ahead of time, like providing them each wi th water and sick sacks, and briefing them about what will occur.Programming Advanced avionics must be understood completely and programmed correctly. By assessing each of these items and the variables involved, a pilot can effectively discover and mitigate risks and make knowledgeable decisions on the spot.