POSSIBLY FOR NOTHING. AND MAYBE FOR EVERYTHING.

 IT DEPENDS WHAT IT IS ABOUT.

There are two opposing views.

ONE SAYS THAT IMPROVEMENT IS NOT NEEDED.

The company has been working quite well for years, growing and making a profit. And no system of continuous improvement is in place.


It is usually in this kind of company so that the owner has a few clever and willing people around him. And they usually invent new things and they are always where something new is happening. This method includes the fact that these few pullers then pull a cart with dozens or even hundreds of people riding in that way. And so they are really upset and tired and still feel like we don’t have time for anything. And so there is no time for hobbies, friends, family or even oneself.

I went through it myself, I have it still in my memory. I was working like a beaver.

In the past, there was a very strong topic – a lean business, or lean methods. It hit me from every side, so it occurred to me that I guess it would be good to know more about it.

My colleague and I also got tempted to a one-day seminar on this very topic. Lectured mainly practitioners directly from the factory and among them was the main speaker of the Czech plant of the world famous company. He had to talk about what problems they had solved in the implementation and how advanced they were already in lean methods at that time. And they were. And what I realized even more was that we weren’t.

Even after the first hour of the lecture of this expert, I would rather see myself somewhere else. And after the seminar, I felt very stupid. “So that’s how it goes in the world today” – my head flashed. And I just bought a few books. And to my surprise, especially to myself, I read them because it wasn’t my good habit at the time. It was a powerful experience for me. And in that time I didn’t take it that way, but later I noticed that it was a breakthrough in my working life. I began to pay more attention to what was happening around me, in the world, and news in science and business. And it keeps me going to this day.

To the study of various sources, I gradually added the testing of new knowledge on me and my friends and later on co-workers.

And – the first failures came. It upset me, I was only faintly aware that this was supposed to be the case, that’s right because one learns by trial and error. There is one more knowledge to this – just as the sun comes after rain, so success comes again after failure. Nicer said: failure is a harbinger of success.

VERY VALUABLE FOR ME WAS THE DISCOVERY THAT TOIL IN COMPANY WITH A GROUP OF HARD WORKERS IS JUST ONE OF THE POSSIBILITIES HOW TO MANAGE THE COMPANY AND SUCCEED. THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER POSSIBILITY.

FOR YEARS, I´VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY MOST IMPORTANT FOR A RUNNING COMPANY. AND IT TURNED OUT TO ME THAT IT IS STILL SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENT. AND WITHIN IT, PRIORITY SUPPORT FOR GROWTH AND IMPROVEMENT OF PEOPLE. DO YOU THINK THAT YOU CAN AGREE WITH THAT, OR IS THERE STILL SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT?

Anything else I imagined – buildings, machines, processes, quality, motivation, products, services – can only be improved by people. And “same” people can only create “same”. The skills and willingness of people are crucial for the growth and development of the company. Therefore, it is necessary to lead people to their improvement and only then can the company be expected to improve.

EVERY COMPANY IS ONLY AS GOOD, ONLY PEOPLE IT HAS.

THE OTHERS SAYS THAT IMPROVEMENT IS A NECESSITY.

HERE WE GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF IMPROVEMENT, THE SECOND APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY. TO BUILD A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE BASED ON DECENCY, PEACE, RESPECT AND CONFIDENCE LEADING TO THE BUILDING OF A SYSTEM OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

Awareness of the phenomenon of change, acceptance of improvement as an integral part of work, leads to a proactive approach to creating new solutions, products and services. When a person feels that he has improvement in his hands, that he controls and manages it according to his will, everything will go better and faster.

A PROACTIVE, CONSCIOUS AND SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO IMPROVEMENT IS KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF COMPANIES AND PEOPLE.

Better said for the success of people and companies, because they are always the people who make up a company and also all the values of the company.

Change is here and it seems to be one of the main principles of existence. Thinkers have long noticed that:

THE ONLY THING THAT DOES NOT CHANGE IS THE CHANGE ITSELF.

For example, the human body is said to produce 300 billion cells every day to regenerate them. There is nothing to be surprised either, because man consists of 76 trillion cells. After seven years, almost all cells in the body are replaced.

Even when we are sitting, we are moving. Indeed, nothing can be found in the whole universe that stands still that would not change. If not from the outside, then inside.

Just because properly engaging in a stream of change is better than resisting.

IMPROVING, AS A WANTED CHANGE, IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS AT WORK OR FOR LIFE HAPPINESS.

The man is still the mover of all changes in companies. Although artificial intelligence and robots are increasingly used at work, they are not yet able to replace people in creative activities.

Inventing new things and finding solutions that are the basis for improvement is still the domain of man. Creating new processes, products or services is increasingly important for business sustainability. Only new ones can be sold, no one wants the old ones.

IMPROVING PRIORITY FOCUSED ON PEOPLE IS AN EFFECTIVE WAY FOR THE LONG-TERM PROSPERITY OF THE COMPANY.

It not by chance is said that change is life. When it turns, the one who resists change lives only partially.

Improvement is change. It’s a game about new things that haven’t been here before, rehearsals that no one else has tried. And since people are the bearers of creativity, focusing directly on improving people is the key to any task, to any purpose. It is about awakening your people to a higher level of interest, involvement, activity, creativity. It requires a new approach – discovering new ways, new means of inventing and creating new things.

WHATEVER WILL BE NEEDED IN THE COMPANY, IT IS DESIRED TO MAKE IT BETTER.

Do you need to improve quality?

Support and develop your people in understanding and creating quality and achieve improvement. Ask people for their opinion on quality issues. Constantly convince them that their suggestions for improvement are desired and that they will be adequately rewarded. Use appropriate methods, systematically educate people and implement the right projects. You will definitely achieve quality improvement.

Need to improve productivity?

Create or improve your continuous improvement system with a focus on improving people and will certainly result in improved productivity.

Or do you need to increase the company’s profit and growth?

The solution is the same – implement or optimize the current system of continuous improvement with an approach fully focused on the priority of improving people. And more willing and capable people will then improve everything necessary need. First with help and later without internal or external help. In my experience, there will be improvement.

And if you don’t need any of that, because everything works great, then improvement will bring the improvement of the delegation of tasks and activities to the place and level where it optimally belongs.

PEOPLE WILL DO MORE WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. AND BOSSES WILL BE ABLE TO DO THEIR TASKS THAT NOBODY AT A LOWER LEVEL CAN DO. THIS INCLUDES LEADING PEOPLE TO THEIR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT.

Masters will not have to arrange things for operators, or run to buy paint instead of the people responsible for the purchase. And managers will not have to solve problems in the workshop instead of masters.

THERE WILL MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT VISION, STRATEGY, PREVENTION AND OVERALL TO SOLVE MORE SYSTEMATICALLY – THINKINGLY, PLANNED, ORGANIZED AND REGULARY.

YOU WILL NOT NEED TO STAY AT WORK TILL 7 P.M AND STILL IT IS NOT ENOUGH.

 WHAT IS IMPROVEMENT GOOD  FOR?

For those who feel they need neither higher profits nor business growth, improvement is good for creating more peace and quiet. There will be more time for more meaningful work in the company and more time for family, hobbies and oneself at home.

SYSTEMATIC IMPROVEMENT LEADS TO HIGHER STABILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS OF THE COMPANY. THIS IS A GOOD BASIS FOR ACHIEVING LONG-TERM PROSPERITY.

And for those who want to earn more and grow, the benefit is that this is what will happen.

Of course, what is stated above must be added.

INSERTED DECENCY – QUIET – RESPECT – CONFIDENCE WILL RETURN TO YOU THROUGH YOUR SATISFIED PEOPLE, THEIR HIGHER PERFORMANCE IN OPERATIONAL WORK AND INNOVATION.

Yes, you need to invest in systematic improvement, but it pays off. Maybe the most of all investments. Just start with minor improvements and gradually add to the complexity and scope of the projects. Always in line with the increase of creativity and the level of readiness of people.

NOT EVERYONE WILL BE ROCKET DEVELOPERS AND ENTHUSIASTIC INNOVATORS. IF, HOWEVER, THINGS CORRECTLY GRASP, THE FIRST RESULTS CAN BE EXPECTED IN A FEW WEEKS.

For some people, it will be necessary to be satisfied that they will be involved in improvement only by not hindering the realization of other people’s ideas. This can also be a great benefit, because resistance to change tends to be great.

It is necessary to focus the attention of a person from the outside world also on his inner world, on himself, on his development. One usually knows what the other should do, but knows much less what he should do himself.

When people notice more care from management, more respect and expectation of improving, they engage in this process with greater interest and activity.

PEOPLE CAN WELL CALCULATE WHAT PAY THEM OFF.

The incomes of the people involved in improvement will become an increasingly important part of their total income. This will be a strong motivation for those who are still procrastinating. The point is to have a good opportunity to get involved.

THE PEOPLE’S INCOME FOR IMPROVEMENT IS COVERED BY THE HIGHER ADDED VALUE FOR THE COMPANY. THEREFORE, IT IS TRANSPARENT AND FAIR FOR BOTH PARTIES.

A summary of the main benefits of continuous systematic improvement is shown in the following figure.

Continuous systematic improvement, especially that aimed at prioritizing the improvement of people such as our  FPFA system (Fully People-Focused Approach), can achieve benefits of tens of percent.

REALLY, IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE UP TO 30% PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT DEPENDING ON THE SOLUTION PROCEDURE AND ALSO FROM THE CURRENT LEVEL OF IMPROVEMENT IN THE COMPANY.

IT MAY BE HELPFUL TO CONSULT WITH SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE, WHETHER FOR LACK OF CAPACITY OR FOR OBTAINING AN UNBIASED VIEW OF THE SAME THING – FOR NEW IMPULSES AND INSPIRATION.

I still offer you to think about the topic of improvement, maybe it is a similar internal dialogue as many of us have. I call it:

INTERVIEWS WITH MY QUARRELSOME MIND.

And what do I consider most important by improvement?

TO START AND STILL CONTINUE.

But what if I start too early and I make a mistake?

YES. THERE WILL APPEAR SOME MISTAKES ON THE ROAD, FORTUNATELLY. BUT THROUGH THE MISTAKES WE ARE LEARING.

And what if the mistake is big and endangers the whole company?

THE GREATEST MISTAKE IS DOING NOTHING. HOW LONG? THE RIGHT TIME TO ACT IS NOW.

But some things were better done earlier and some things it is better to do later in the “right time”.

YES. THERE ARE ALSO THESE KINDS OF THINGS. BUT IN THE EVENT OF IMPROVEMENT, THIS IS A CONTINUOUS, CONSTANT PROCESS, ONGOING PROCESS LINKED WITH THE LIFE ITSELF. WHEN DO PEOPLE WANT TO HAVE BETTER LIFE, IN 2-3 YEARS, OR NOW?

But isn’t it better to stand first and think things through?

WHEN ONE BEGINS, THIS ALSO MEANS THAT HE IS THINKING ABOUT IMPROVEMENT. WHEN HE IS WALKING, HE CAN SPEED UP OR SLOW DOWN. IT DOESN’T HAPPEN WHEN HE IS STANDING, WHEN HE DOES NOTHING IN IT.

But he can also get lost.

YES HE CAN. AND HE CAN ALSO GO BACK AND TRY ANOTHER DIRECTION. HE CAN ADAPT THE DIRECTION, METHOD AND SPEED OF MOVEMENT DURING HIS WAY.

But it can also slow down or stop.

BUT WHO HAS ALREADY MOVED, EVEN WHEN HE STOPPED, MOVE AGAIN IS EASIER THAN FOR THE FIRST TIME.

But it’s dangerous, it can be a journey into the unknown.

MORE DANGEROUS IS TO STAY AND WAIT. WALKING AROUND THE ROAD MEANS TO MANAGE YOUR LIFE ACCORDING TO YOUR VISIONS. WAITING MEANS TO LEAVE THE OTHERS TO MANAGE MY LIFE.

THEREFORE, THE MOST IMPORTANT IS TO START RIGHT NOW.

Alexander Suja

www.asconi.sk

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