Management of

coaching and mentoring

CMI LEVEL 5 COACHING AND MENTORING

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Contents The impact of coaching and mentoring programs on an organization................................................... 2

How coaching and mentoring is used by an organization .................................................................. 2

The benefits of coaching and mentoring to an organization .............................................................. 4

COACHING & MENTORING FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE ............................................................... 5

The organizational and human resource implications of using coaching and mentoring .................. 6

To determine the use of management coaching as a tool in human resource development ............... 8

The impact on an organization of establishing a coaching and mentoring culture ............................ 8

Barriers to change which impact on coaching and mentoring ......................................................... 10

How to overcome organsational and individual resistance to the implementation of coaching and

mentoring ......................................................................................................................................... 12

Plan to support individuals in the adoption of change ..................................................................... 14

Monitor and evaluate the operation of coaching and mentoring within an organization ................... 17

Implement coaching and mentoring programs within an organization ........................................... 17

The implementation strategy to ensure continuous improvement ................................................. 19

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The impact of coaching and mentoring programs on an organization

How coaching and mentoring is used by an organization Coaching and mentoring are increasingly used mainly for professional development, to indicate a

positive change in individuals and to encourage the transfer of knowledge from the coach / mentor to

the individual. Organizations and companies find coaching and mentoring highly beneficial for the

career growth of their employees so coaching and mentoring has been applied by many entities in

their organizational practices.

At the workplace, coaching and mentoring is used when the management finds that there are working

individuals who need to enhance their potentials to perform better in their jobs and to be more

productive. There may be skills that need to be strengthened, lapses in working behavior and issues

with performance output corrected at certain employees. Once this is assessed, these employees will

be recommended for coaching. The coaches are usually the supervisors and managers. The company

may even have a delegated coach for that particular department.

Benefits

The importance of coaching and mentoring extends broadly from the coach / mentor to the learner

and the organization as a whole.

Benefits to the Coach or Mentor

The coach / mentor plays a very important role in transferring knowledge to the individual and helps

the person in enhancing his personal and professional growth. The following reasons explain the

importance of coaching and mentoring to the people who are conducting it:

• Increased job satisfaction

• Further enhancement of their own skill level

• Advantage of their own professional development

• Enhanced skill in problem analysis and strategic thinking

• Develops self-esteem

Benefits to the Learner

• Increases self-confidence and self-esteem

• Promotes professional career growth

• Enhances skills

• Identifies weak areas and turns them into potential successes

• Develops good relationship with the supervisor

• Enhances problem analysis

• Reduces the feeling of low self-worth and frustration

• Provides an opportunity to think about a better work role and career

• Gives a focused attention in the aspect of training and development

Benefits to the Organization

• Higher employee retention

• Competitive advantage with more skilled and well-performing employees

• Increased skill set and knowledge levels of the people

• Greater chances of attaining goals

• Succession planning

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• Full utilization of human resources

• Enhancement of communication within the organization

• Strengthening of company culture and ethics

Effectiveness of Coaching and Mentoring

The impact of coaching and mentoring sessions to the individuals working in an organization is greater

with these things:

• There is a collaborative atmosphere in the workplace wherein professional learning is

productive and individuals have the willingness and commitment to develop and improve

themselves.

• The management acknowledges the needs of the employees for professional learning that

must be attained in order to raise organizational standards.

• There are standard processes and sets of procedures for coaching and mentoring

programs based on best practice.

• The work roles of employees are redefined to incorporate coaching and mentoring

sessions.

• The designated coaches and mentors have the appropriate personal and professional

attributes and skills required to conduct effective coaching. These experts are also able to

provide continuous training and development necessary for the progress of employees.

• The employees recognize the need and responsibility to attain professional development.

• There is an evaluation about the impact of coaching and mentoring on the individuals and

the organization.

The Advantages of Coaching and Mentoring

It is already a great advantage to the organization that coaching and mentoring benefits both the

coach/mentor and the individuals. Good working relationships are also developed since the supervisor

usually takes the role of a coach to the staff. At the same time, the employees also see their superiors

as their mentors who are willing to guide and help them develop their full potentials. It touches both

the personal and professional aspects of the individuals.

When the focus is on improving performance, the person will realize that there are personal issues

that need to be addressed. The implementation of coaching and mentoring in the workplace is a great

contribution to the overall development of the individual and organizational level. That is why these

programs are incorporated as a regular practice in the organizational system.

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The benefits of coaching and mentoring to an organization Coaching and mentoring can provide an array of benefits for organizations of all sizes, especially small

businesses. When conducted in an efficient and productive manner, coaching and mentoring provides

employees a way to connect, learn and grow within the company and along their own career paths.

Significance

Coaching and mentoring involve pairing experienced professionals with employees that could use help

adapting to the environment and culture of the workplace. This can include pairing a mentor with new

employees to help them settle into the surroundings and get off to a good start. Coaching often comes

in play when a new employee or current employee can benefit from personal guidance on specific job

duties, processes or responsibilities. Small businesses can also use mentors to help develop other

employees along a specific career path, such as management.

Retention

On an organizational level, coaching and mentoring can provide a host of benefits. Mentoring and

coaching can help encourage loyalty to the company. When experienced professionals help mold the

career of and provide opportunities for mentees, these individuals may feel a greater sense of

connection and commitment to the business. Coaching helps an employee feel comfortable with

management and encourages open communication, resulting in a positive work experience. This can

allow the company to save money that would have otherwise been spent on the continual recruitment

and training of replacement employees.

Personal Development

Taking advantage of the expertise and knowledge of experienced employees and professionals can

help bring younger or less experienced employees up to speed. This results in better efficiency across

the organization when bringing on new employees. In addition, coaching and mentoring can help

guide an employee along on her career path resulting in an employee well versed on company

expectations. Coaching specifically allows individuals to resolve issues and concerns within the

boundaries of a trusted and confidential relationship. This can help reduce frustrations on a personal

level and improve the job satisfaction of the individual, providing a benefit for the organization.

Team Efficiency

On top of developing employees, coaching and mentoring can improve the function of the team,

department and entire organization. Coaching and mentoring allows managers to identify the

weaknesses and strengths of each employee. This allows the organization to capitalize on the

resources at hand to keep the whole team working smoothly when employees request vacation or

take a sick day.

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COACHING & MENTORING FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE The success of your small business is largely dependent on the talent surrounding you and their loyalty

and commitment to your mission. Coaching and mentoring may foster both once you understand the

subtle differences between coaching and mentoring and make your own commitment to support

either or both efforts.

Annual Performance Evaluations

Both coaching and mentoring go beyond the traditional annual employee evaluation, which is typically

given from the top down and may be summarized as follows: Here is what you did well, here is what

you didn't do well, here are your goals, and see you next year. The traditional evaluation model leaves

an employee with feedback and an entire year to falter or rise on her own. Coaching and mentoring,

on the other hand, is more relationship based and involves ongoing or periodic interaction between

an employee and her supervisor, coach or mentor --- these roles may overlap --- leading to talent

nurturing and growth and preventing an unnecessary time lapse between annual evaluation feedback.

Coaching and Mentoring

Both coaching and mentoring involve one-on-one, active, ongoing participation between the leader

and student in a partnership. Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there are differences

between coaching and mentoring. Coaching is result- and task/project-oriented; it's often short term

and assigned. Mentoring, on the other hand, is a long-term commitment with a broader range,

including guidance toward professional education and career choices; the relationship is usually

organic. Both have value to business organizations of any size, but mentoring is specifically valuable

in small businesses with high and long-term retention, where a subject-matter expert takes a novice

under his wing and both guides and inspires him throughout his growth in the business.

Benefits

Talent and knowledge base are keys to small-business success, but they may slip through your fingers

if employees meeting these criteria move on to other ventures. Either coaching or mentoring may

significantly and positively impact employee retention. Though there are differences between the two

roles, both may foster company commitment and loyalty and contribute to the reduction of turnover,

recruitment and repetitive training of new employees. The partnership mentality of coaching or

mentoring may lead to employees feeling more like teammates in your business, which, in turn, may

increase their motivation. Once an employee is personally, as well as professionally, invested in your

mission and you can continue to foster it and his growth, it can meld with your business and you can

both reap rewards.

Considerations

Coaching and mentoring takes time. If you recognize the potential rewards, allow your potential

coaches or mentors within your business the time away from other responsibilities to foster the

necessary relationships and cross-training to fulfill the commitment.

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The organizational and human resource implications of using coaching and mentoring If you’re an experienced Human Resources professional, you probably think coaching is just another

name for what you’ve already been doing for years—helping managers and executives increase their

capabilities and knowledge in dealing with people.

If you feel this way, You are encouraged to think again. The skill of coaching, as coaching is taught and

practiced today, has the potential to revolutionize the Human Resources relationship with

organization managers and executives.

What is Coaching?

Coaching is providing feedback, usually to executives and managers, about how to reach their personal

best in their organizational leadership role. In her capacity as coach, the Human Resources

professional will do everything from active listening through providing test results that highlight a

manager’s strengths and weaknesses.

While a business coach usually works with high potential managers, the HR coach may work with every

manager and supervisor at every level in the organization. This is what makes the Human Resources

coaching role so challenging.

The Traditional HR Coaching Role

The traditional Human Resources coaching role focused on helping managers address issues and

opportunities organizationally. Additionally, talented HR professionals have always provided feedback

to managers about the impact of their personal and behavioral style on others.

Most frequently, the HR coach is asking an organizational leader to reflect on how she handled a

particular situation. The HR coach asks hard questions and provides advice about actions that may

have been more effective than the course of action the manager chose. People have different

reactions to feedback, and even the most carefully chosen words can create an unexpected negative

reaction.

Thus, the HR coach practices a blend of politically deft observations with a frankness that will help the

manager develop in her capacity to lead people and personally excel.

The New Coaching Role

In the newer coaching role, which HR professionals are urged to pursue, the HR person partners with

the manager and focuses specifically on his development. Few internal HR people are working in this

new coaching arena. Organizations have most frequently hired external coaches and consultants.

But they don’t always need to do so if their HR professionals are prepared to take on this new coaching

role. In fact, an HR professional is missing a career-enhancing opportunity if she declines to develop

these coaching relationships.

According to Christina Zelazek, SPHR, Director of HR at The Mennonite Home of Albany,

Oregon, fundamental to the role is trust. “An executive might feel embarrassed admitting he needs

help or worry that the HR person might tell others in the organization.” To help, she said, “the HR

person must be extremely credible with executives. You obtain credibility from how you conduct

yourself, from the ideas that you have, and your own political savvy.”

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Don’t expect to coach unless your credentials, reputation, and standing in your organization are

impeccable. The person participating in the coaching has to feel that you are looking out for his best

interests and maintaining confidentiality at all times. This is the only way in which you can expect

managers and executives to seek the coaching interaction.

One of the most important factors the internal HR person brings to the coaching role is her knowledge

of the organization and the impact of the manager on that environment. This is also one of the reasons

HR coaches fail to attract internal clients for these new relationships.

Beyond the issue of complete confidentiality, the coaching assistance she is providing to the executive

must contribute more than organizational feedback to help the executive further develop his

potential.

Human Resources coaches must be knowledgeable about surveys and other feedback instruments to

provide impartial feedback to the manager. Coaching often takes the place of training for individuals

who are advanced in their careers. So, the HR professional must be well versed in management and

behavioral theory and practices.

She must know about and have access to a variety of resources for the executive as well. Goal setting

strategies, follow-up, organization and highly advanced communication skills are necessary for the HR

coach to succeed at coaching executives.

As a larger organizational issue, the HR manager can serve as a resource to coordinate and unify the

process of coaching. She can monitor the expenditure of resources, check out the credentials of

external coaches and assist with the measurement and determination of coaching results.

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To determine the use of management coaching as a tool in human

resource development

The impact on an organization of establishing a coaching and mentoring culture Mentoring is a management practice that can assist organizations in building a desired corporate

culture, while enabling the careers of those who are already motivated to pursue one. It is an efficient

and effective method of shortening the learning curve of new executives and providing more

knowledgeable employees with broader perspectives. New executives with a mentor have a sounding

board, as well as the benefit of their mentor’s experience as they navigate through situations that may

be unfamiliar to them. Based upon a foundation of trust, the relationship of mentees with experienced

executives can offer a safe place to try out ideas, skills, and roles with minimal risk, while focusing on

their individual development needs.

In this article, I will discuss the impact a mentoring culture can make in an organization, how mentoring

differs from coaching, the value of a structured approach to mentoring and the steps to set up a

mentoring program.

Successful Mentorships

Mentoring is defined as a professional and confidential relationship between two individuals that

assists one of them in developing “business strategies” and acquiring new “technical” knowledge and

skills. One mentee concluded, after a year-long mentoring relationship in a structured program I

designed for a large public sector organization, that: “It is an evolutionary process, where mentors

become a resource for someone enabling an exchange of ideas and experiences. Avoid matching of

those who have known each other a long time… the forging of the relationship is a valuable part of

the process.”

CEOs and leadership teams are charged with the management of people in complex organizations.

Great leaders create a culture in their companies that drives the results they want to achieve. It is the

leader of an organization who is in the best position to influence culture change. No one person,

however, can change an entire culture. Influencing culture requires obtaining the trust and enhancing

the motivation and capabilities of those who follow. The leader has the potential to create the setting

that becomes a powerful source of identification and commitment for employees (Schein, 1992).

Coaching can help leaders achieve this.

The attitudes, assumptions and beliefs that guide a companys characteristic way of doing business

define a companys culture. Organizational culture can be a major factor in a companys success or

failure over time. Cultural characteristics and principles may be obvious or not so obvious. Sometimes

they are the least obvious to those who are embedded within the companys way of doing and

perceiving things. Also, culture in large institutions is complex because there may be sub-cultures that

operate in different parts of the company. On an individual level, it is not always apparent to leaders

how their own behavior (or that of their managers) models, teaches, and reinforces the company

culture.

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Barriers to change which impact on coaching and mentoring

Coaching is arguably the most vital part of an organization’s learning and development strategy today.

It has numerous advantages as a way to accelerate learning and performance, including the highly

contextualized and personalized nature of the approach to meet vastly differing learning requirements

and styles. Coaching can also bring about a more empowering, inclusive and innovative culture where

the full value of employees’ strengths and talents are unlocked and people take greater responsibility

for finding their own solutions.

Given the importance of coaching to performance improvement and growth, many organizations are

attempting to create “coaching cultures” where coaching is an integral part of day to day management

practice and is deeply embedded in regular check-ins and performance and learning conversations.

However, there appears to be a big ‘gap’ between theory and practice and most organizations are

struggling to create a culture that supports constructive and regular coaching. I have outlined below

some of the common barriers we see in our work and how organizations can overcome these.

Lack of leadership from the top

One of the major challenges is that top management pays lip service to coaching and doesn’t set a

good example of what great coaching looks like. A good starting point therefore is to get the CEO and

other management team members to tell their coaching stories and to lead by example by practising

good coaching techniques with their teams. Eric Schmidt, the previous CEO of Google, is one leader

who spoke openly about the benefits of coaching and this set the tone for coaching to be legitimised

throughout the company.

If the organization’s prevailing style of leadership is that of telling individuals how things should be

done in a top-down manner and focusing only on short-term productivity gains, then coaching is

unlikely to thrive and the top team culture will need to be changed first. The organization’s leadership

needs to be supportive, encouraging and motivating with a strong commitment to longer-term

sustainable growth and competitive advantage through people for coaching to become part of the

company’s DNA.

Lack of understanding of the value of coaching

One of the major challenges getting in the way of a coaching culture is a lack of understanding of what

coaching can achieve and misconceptions about what it is all about.

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Many still see coaching as a time-wasting activity and only necessary when employees are performing

poorly, what is often called “remedial coaching”. They don’t fully understand the benefits or the need

for managers to get involved, seeing it as the preserve of executive coaches outside the company.

For coaching to succeed, top management and HR need to ensure managers at all levels understand

their role as strengths coaches and workplace energizers. It needs to be positioned as part of a wider

culture change process to ensure top talent is attracted, developed and retained by the company

rather than a ‘nice to have’ or an exclusive program reserved for a small talent pool.

Any successful coaching program requires strong management, promotion, communication and a high

level of internal coaching expertise to support managers. Without this investment, coaching results

are unlikely to measure up to expectations.

Time to learn and practise

Most companies provide very little training and subsequent time to practice coaching so managers

never become competent at it. In fact, a recent CIPD survey showed that only 5% of organizations

have properly trained all their managers as coaches. We always recommend to clients that after

training, managers are allocated into peer coaching groups and encouraged to meet up at least once

a month to discuss coaching challenges, successes and learning. In addition to peer learning groups,

companies can use the latest technology including cloud-based social learning platforms to help

encourage the sharing of learning and knowledge about better practice coaching techniques.

In organizations where coaching thrives, there is the fundamental belief that coaching opportunities

occur with almost every interaction and happens during both formal and informal conversations.

Over-complicated techniques

Many manager training programs try to turn managers into pseudo psychologists bombarding them

with a host of techniques from NLP to cognitive-behavioural models. Although these can be useful for

advanced coaches, we suggest organizations start by training managers to be skilled to apply one

pragmatic and proven coaching process such as STRONG Business Coaching™ or GROW, as well as

equipping them with core coaching skills including deep listening, powerful questioning, challenge and

constructive feedback. We recommend creating a series of video vignettes to show managers what

good coaching looks like and to provide them with varying examples of how it can be used to raise

performance and motivation across different people and situations.

Finally, it is important managers are given access to straightforward coaching tools for different

applications such as individual development, resilience, confidence building, delegation, dealing with

change, etc. to enhance their confidence, competence and self-management of the coaching process

within their teams.

Insufficient reward and recognition

One of the most commonly used sayings in HR is “what gets measured, gets done”. However, behind

this adage is a lot of truth. In order for a coaching culture to take hold, coaching behaviours and

outcomes need to be part of the performance management system so managers get measured and

rewarded not just for the results they achieve, but also how effectively they engage, coach and retain

their people.

The business impact of coaching on employees’ behaviours and relationships, as well as business

results, also needs to be studied and the results shared with managers and executives to ensure

continuous improvement and reinforce successes, learning and better practices.

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Monitor and evaluate the operation of coaching and mentoring within

an organization

Implement coaching and mentoring programs within an organization Your coaching or mentoring program is now well designed. You’ve spent time on the details and the

program has taken shape. Don’t jeopardize your success by forgetting to carefully plan the

implementation of the program. In this step, you’ll need to look at marketing, selection, training, and

scheduling. You may have planned some of this in your design stage, but let’s discuss some general

tips in each of these areas to ensure a smooth rollout.

One of the most important pieces of implementation is the marketing of a program. Just as your

organization markets its products and services to its clients, you must market your coaching program

to your clients. And, as with other developmental programs, the sell is not always easy. First,

determine who your target audience will be for both coaches and proteges. If the entire organization

makes the cut, focus your marketing on the benefits for the organization, the coaches, and the

proteges. Consider a training program rollout as a comparison.

The quickest way to sink a new program is to simply put it out there and tell the organization that it

was needed and ordered. Think about your coaching program in the same marketing terms. Why is

the organization adopting the program? What can the organization expect to gain from the program?

What can coaches, mentors, and proteges gain from taking the time to become a part of the program?

Use your mission statement and objectives to frame and develop your marketing.

The marketing may get the attention of prospective coaches and mentors, and even participants. But

when they find out the level of commitment they may have to have, a few might fall out. This is a good

problem to have, but be sure that your training effectively explains the program and expands on the

benefits that are mentioned in the marketing. Your training should not focus solely on the definition

of mentoring and the steps to take to become a coach. Your training should, in effect, create a

mentoring and coaching environment for mentors and coaches.

It should be interactive, focus on benefits, and truly convince the people involved that they’ve made

a good decision both personally and professionally. Choose your instructors wisely, as well. Perhaps

now is the time to consider using “guest” instructors, that is, organizational members who are not

part of the training and development staff. Successful managers, that is, those that have the respect

of peers, direct reports, and cross-functional areas, sometimes make the best coaches. For this reason,

these people may make the best coach-instructors.

When you begin your selection process, which is a big part of implementation, be certain that criteria

for becoming a coach or mentor as well as that of becoming a proteges are clear, measurable, and

non-biased. Just as Human Resources must make these types of selections when choosing job

candidates, you must make solid selections of both coaches and proteges. Don’t get caught in the trap

of trying to find “warm bodies” or simply selecting popular managers. Use the criteria, goals, and

measurements you’ve spent time developing in order to choose the right people for the program. And

be certain that any decisions can be backed up factually. When you pay this close attention to your

selection process, you’ll be steps ahead of the curve when the program first rolls out.

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Finally, think about the scheduling aspect of the coaching or mentoring program. Aside from training

coaches or mentors, are you going to require regular meetings of coaches and proteges, as well as

separate groups of coaches and proteges? If your program is more informal, decide if business-hours

meetings are called for. In cases such as these, you may have to confine meetings of informal mentors

and coaches to after- or before-hours times. On the other hand, if the coaching program is formal and

expected to be part of an overall development path or curriculum, consider how scheduling meetings

should be handled. The key here is to make plans for scheduling before you start doing it. This way,

your implementation will be clean from start to finish.

After the implementation, let your program run for a set amount of time. You can decide what time

frame is appropriate, as well. After that time frame runs, it will be necessary to go back and measure

effectiveness.

Organizations implement Mentoring and Coaching programs to align the goals of the company with

the professional development of its employee. For example, the mentoring program can target new

employees in product development when the goal of the organization is to bring new products to the

market. Developing employees in weak areas of the company can also benefit the business’s

organizational goals.

Companies can benefit enormously when they deploy all or any of the following methods to mentor

and coach its employees:

• Companies can assign a mentor or coach to new employees during the initial period of

settling down in an organization to help them get used to the culture of the company as

well as bring them up-to speed on company procedures and policies. Mentoring also

provides the worker with a leader he can turn to with questions. The coach can provide

the new employee with information on the corporate culture, organizational structure

and procedures that will help the younger professional settle into his role in the business.

• Employee Growth and Development is achieved by providing the individual who is

mentored or coached with practical knowledge that bridge the gap between educational

theory and actual business practices.

• Mentoring generally helps boost employee morale and engagement, experts say. “From

increased morale to increased organizational productivity and career development, the

benefits of an organization that actively supports mentoring are numerous,” according to

a report by U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

• Reduced employee turnover boosts productivity in an organization. High employee

turnover costs organizations money in the form of recruitment hiring and training of

replacements. Companies should weigh the costs of implementing a Mentoring/Coaching

program against the inflated cost of employee turnover to determine the benefits of

coaching and mentoring.

• Team efficiency can be developed by Coaching and mentoring. The process enables

managers to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each employee. This allows the

organization to capitalize on the resources at hand to keep the whole team working

smoothly

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Coaching and mentoring can provide an array of benefits for organizations of all sizes, especially small

businesses. When conducted in an efficient and productive manner, coaching and mentoring provides

employees a way to connect, learn and grow within the company and along their own career paths.

Coaching and mentoring serve as learning tools in the workplace that can lead to empowering your

employees. The employees who are coached and mentored often receive the greatest benefit, but

the coach or mentor also benefits and may feel a sense of empowerment from the relationship.

Understanding the dynamics and outcomes of this type of workplace learning strategy helps one

evaluate the need for a coaching/mentoring program in their respective organization.

The implementation strategy to ensure continuous improvement Companies need to continuously improve their products, services, and processes to remain

competitive, yet many companies struggle in this area. Making use of a continuous improvement

model eases the process, but perseverance and persistence become necessary. Improvements take

time, and small changes will be needed to see major improvements with time. Continuous

improvement strategies help significantly throughout the process. Strategies for continuous

improvement provide the desired results when implemented properly and used regularly.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Companies in need of Continuous improvement strategies for performance management often turn

to the 5S technique. With the use of this philosophy, companies find they are better able to maintain

a work space that is organised and clean, promoting enhanced functionality, efficiency, and

productivity. Five strategies are actually used here: sort, set in order, shine, standardise, and sustain.

Sorting involves removing all unnecessary items, setting in order requires one organise their tools and

resources in specific areas so they can easily be accessed, and shine means one puts things away when

they are no longer being used. Standardise involves organising all workstations that conduct the same

job in an identical manner to ensure job processes are standardised, and sustain requires these

standards be maintained and reviewed regularly to allow for continuous improvement.

SERVICE ORGANISATIONS

Those in need of a Continuous improvement strategy for service organisations may find the Kaizen

technique to be of great assistance. This long-term approach focuses on making small changes over a

period of time. Although results won’t be seen immediately, the end results tend to be impressive.

What makes this technique so beneficial is the fact that all employees are fully involved in the process,

as this helps to ensure future improvement in all processes. Quality circles, teamwork and personal

discipline are three traits that are highly coveted within this strategy.

MANUFACTURING

The Lean technique focuses on maintaining the quality of one’s products while eliminating waste and

reducing the employee workload. Areas addressed when using this technique include wasted

resources, wasted time and wasted money. When this technique is used, companies witness improved

customer satisfaction, an increase in employee morale and processes that are more efficient and

streamlined. The goal is to remove any activities that don’t add value to the company to transform a

business into one that is more competitive, agile, and profitable.

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GENERAL

Any company may benefit from the use of the Plan-Do-Check-Act continuous improvement strategy.

This quality model is designed to be used in a continuous improvement cycle. First, a company

identifies or recognises an opportunity and determines where a change needs to be made.

A continuous improvement plan is put into place and implemented on a small scale to see how it

benefits the company. The results must be reviewed and analysed to see where the plan is working

and where further changes need to be made. Successful changes may then be implemented on a larger

scale, and unsuccessful ones taken back to the drawing board for modifications.

OUTPUT IMPROVEMENT

When a company feels they need to improve in the area of output, they often turn to Six Sigma. These

quality management techniques are designed to identify errors and defects. Changes can then be

made within certain parameters to move a process closer to perfection. Only six standard deviations

are allowed when this strategy is used, and each deviation must fall between the specification limit

and mean in terms of error. Motorola developed this technique, which has saved them more than $17

billion since its implementation.

Continuous improvement processes and strategies being utilised need to be routinely reviewed by

business owners to ensure they are still working. The process is ongoing and may be modified at any

time to eliminate those strategies that aren’t producing the desired results and incorporating new

ones that may be of benefit. Don’t hesitate to remove a Continuous improvement strategy that isn’t

working and trying a new one. This process isn’t set in stone, as each business has unique needs, and

there’s no one model that works for everyone.