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*AHA MessagesX
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1Every corporation has to continually improve because the competition is not sitting idle. Any corporation that does not work on daily change doesn’t care about #ContinuousImprovement and will soon be obsolete. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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2The competition is doing some form of #ContinuousImprovement every day. Corporations that are not creating something more sustainable than their competitors are bound to lose. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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3The change of culture and processes toward #ContinuousImprovement has to happen at every level. But it has to start at the top: from the CEO being engaged daily. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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4The CEO, the managers, and the employees are the best engineers who can implement #ContinuousImprovement in their corporation. They can come together to redesign their process and make it better. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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5A corporation that does not #ContinuallyImprove will never become the superstar they're meant to be. Their cost will continually deplete their cash flow. Their employees will never be engaged to reduce cost and improve work on a daily basis. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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6With #ContinuousImprovement, employees will be empowered to eliminate the non-value-adds because they take pride in what they do. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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7When #ContinuousImprovement is in the corporation's DNA, employees deliver the best quality because they know where the non-value-adds are. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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8For some corporations, quality is number one. But even with the best quality, if they don't deliver product on time, complete, and at the right cost, they will not be able to stay in the supply chain. https://aha.pub/JohnBallis #ContinuousImprovementShare on X
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9Corporations that #ContinuallyImprove: 1) reduce costs, 2) improve quality, and 3) maintain on-time and complete delivery to customers. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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10#ContinuousImprovement affects the EBITDA in such a positive way that the corporation will: 1) stand out from the competition and 2) continually meet or exceed its goals. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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11Corporations that are too focused on day-to-day activities are missing out on the consistent #ROI of #ContinuousImprovement. They may even lose profit. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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12The #ROI of #ContinuousImprovement comes from saving money through a highly engaged culture. This culture mobilizes employees to reduce cost and improve quality every single day. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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13Discovering the #ROI opportunities is understanding how to convert lean concepts, #ContinuousImprovement, and sustainability into cash. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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14CEOs want a continuous #ROI without having to reinvest on new processes. Investing on new processes takes away from the corporation's profitability. https://aha.pub/JohnBallis #ContinuousImprovementShare on X
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15Most CEOs repeat the same sin all the time: If what they have doesn't work, they'll look for a replacement, when they should be going for an #ROI. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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16CEOs can only say that there's an #ROI if they use the same methodology and it consistently earns them a return on investment every year. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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17CEOs don't need to spend millions of dollars to bring consultants in for an #ROI discovery. CEOs, managers, and employees can discover #ROI opportunities on their own with a coach who has lived lean. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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18Discovering #ROI opportunities requires every CEO to 1) clarify what their vision is and 2) find out if it is being achieved in the corporation. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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19A visual value stream map enables the CEO to see what's happening at the management level, at the supervisor level, and at the operational level. #ContinuousImprovement https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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20To discover #ROI opportunities, the CEO needs to understand how the corporation is doing today. A visual value stream map can help because it reveals the value-adds and the non-value-adds in the current process. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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21A visual value stream map reveals employee behaviors that cause defects. By uncovering these flaws, CEOs will see what needs to be improved. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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22In #ROI discovery, CEOs and managers need to assess employee performance and find out 1) if employees are doing well and 2) which areas of work employees need help with. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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23Once the CEO and the leadership understand how employees are doing, 1) they can empower them to #ContinuallyImprove and 2) they can provide help where help is needed. #ROI https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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24When employees feel valued, they are encouraged to perform better. This boosts employee engagement, which is an #ROI of #ContinuousImprovement. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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25#ContinuousImprovement can take the corporation to the next level by enabling their business process and employee culture to earn a consistent #ROI annually. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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26Corporations only have their employees to rely on for #ContinuousImprovement. If employees don't feel valued, CEOs and managers cannot #Mobilize them to perform better. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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27The most important phase of #ContinuousImprovement is #Mobilization. It requires CEOs to: 1) create a reflection of what "great" looks like in their vision, 2) communicate it well to employees, and 3) energize them every day to achieve it. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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28#Mobilization does not create a sense of fear. It creates a sense of energy and enjoyment of being part of the team. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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29Without #Mobilization, the employees will not have self-awareness of their behaviors, and the corporation will not be able to make any lasting improvement. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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30#Mobilization is about calling people to action. When employees can't be mobilized, they can't be energized to make any lasting improvement. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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31#Mobilization is about energizing everybody to 1) be at their best, 2) outperform what's expected of them, and 3) enjoy it along the way. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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32#Mobilization is all about creating that energy in the team as if they're going into the game that could get them to the playoffs. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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33#Mobilization is being able to call employees 1) to improve safety, 2) produce better quality, and 3) prevent accidents from happening. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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34Part of #Mobilization is making sure that employees are safe while they work. Managers have to talk with their teams daily to make sure that hazards don’t exist in their processes in the corporation. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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35#Mobilization involves making managers conscious of their negative talk. Positive talk best mobilizes employees to action. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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36“If you tear people down, then don't expect anything in return except to be torn down as a leader.” —Lou Holtz via https://aha.pub/JohnBallis #MobilizationShare on X
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37The critical factor for #Mobilization is the ability of managers to convert negative behaviors into positive ones that reinforce what they want. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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38Managers should approach concerns or faults with open-ended questions like, “What went wrong?” instead of, “Who was wrong?” This way, they can call employees to action by leading them to become self-aware. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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39When managers call out "what" went wrong instead of "who" was wrong, employees are mobilized to change for the better. #Mobilization https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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40#Mobilization creates a Hawthorne effect for the positive. When managers are positive and encouraging, 1) employees are mobilized and 2) productivity goes up. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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41Managers must see to it that the corporation is a good environment for the employees. They should be able to get to work, and there shouldn’t be high absenteeism. #Mobilization https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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42Through #Mobilization, managers are trained to stop being a leader-supervisor and start being a coach-mentor. Being a coach-mentor means leading by example. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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43Managers can #Mobilize employees if they teach through demonstration. When something needs to be taken care of, the manager must be ready to take care of it. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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44Energized employees create a highly engaged culture that CEOs need from their workforce. This culture sustains a state of #ContinuousImprovement for the corporation. #Mobilization https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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45#Assessment is required so the managers and employees will have a roadmap to a great destination. Without proper assessment, their drive to improve will be wasted. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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46#Assessment is bringing the process to life through visual management. It requires an effective way of communicating to everybody at every level so they will be aligned about what's important and what's not. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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47In #Assessment, a value stream map is created to show the workflow required to come up with a product or service. It classifies activities as value-add or non-value-add. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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48A value stream map is full of processes and tasks that either bring value to the company’s end goal or to delight customers. #Assessment https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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49A value stream map is a communication tool that identifies wastes. Wastes are the non-value-adds, while productive activities are the value-adds. https://aha.pub/JohnBallis #AssessmentShare on X
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50A value stream map is what managers and employees use to work together so waste can be removed. #Assessment https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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51The most dangerous kind of waste is the waste we do not recognize. —Shiego Shingo via https://aha.pub/JohnBallis #AssessmentShare on X
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52The reality of most companies shows that the value stream map is usually 98% non-value-add versus only 2% value-add. There is much more waste than productive parts of a process. #Assessment https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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53Shiego Shingo said that if corporations want to be world class, their value stream map should be 50% value-added activities and 50% non-value-added activities. #Assessment https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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54#Assessment is powerful because it brings value streams to life. It creates a color communication code of value-added and non-value-added activities that the team can understand and work on. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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55If employees in the corporation see value-adds versus non-value-adds the same way, managers can get them to focus on the "right" things to do. #Assessment https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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56When value-adds and non-value-adds are identified, the employees can drill down to the root cause and eliminate the waste. #Assessment https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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57Value stream maps are done in colors: yellow for processes, baby blue for value-adds, and pink for non-value adds. When the team sees a huge cluster of pink, they can be mobilized to work on the waste versus value-added processes. #Assessment https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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58Managers who are able to 1) spot the non-value-adds (pink) and 2) mobilize employees to remove the pink waste daily are on their way to a #ContinuousImprovement journey. #Assessment https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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59#Assessment has a common language for clear communication. It guarantees ROI by enabling the employees to eliminate the non-value-adds daily. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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60If the #Assessment is done right, the value stream map will morph over time. Value-added activities will increase, while non-value-added activities will decrease. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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61Everybody in the corporation will see where the non-value-adds are if the #Assessment was done properly through a visual management system. This enables them to focus their energy on eliminating the waste. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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62There can be no #ContinuousImprovement if non-value-adds are still present in daily operations. The business process needs to be #Redesigned so waste cannot exist. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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63#Redesign is about 1) improving the process to delight customers, 2) changing employee behaviors for the better, and 3) creating a sustainable journey of #ContinuousImprovement. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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64The DNA of every corporation may be unique. But each one needs a #Redesign to 1) improve cash flow and 2) engage employees for better performance. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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65#Redesign involves 1) eliminating waste in the process and 2) creating a new and improved design to attain the CEO's desired ROI. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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66#Redesign is looking at the ideas that will be the most impactful to the business and setting them up for #Implementation. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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67The tangible ROI of #Redesign is cost reduction, while the non-tangible ROI is a higher level of employee engagement. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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68In an ordinary corporation, employees are 10% naysayers, 10% highly engaged, and 80% in between. #Redesign can convert the 80% in-betweens and the 10% naysayers into the 10% highly engaged employees. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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69Through #Redesign, naysayers can be engaged by empowering them to contribute and make positive changes in their workflows and the corporation. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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70Benchmarking during #Redesigning is important. It reveals the wrong paradigm of the corporation to promote self-awareness. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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71#Redesign is essentially doing a paradigm shift so the corporation will have an improved cash flow and an engaged culture. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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72#Redesigning the process reveals whether the managers and employees did the #Assessment correctly. Were they able to identify the value-adds and non-value adds correctly — or not? https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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73In #Redesign, the team needs to 1) set a design goal, 2) identify if the current process is working, and 3) get down to the root cause of the issues. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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74The team needs to find out where time is wasted in the process. This will result in a bigger yield, reduction of time, and increased productivity. #Redesign https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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75When a corporation #Redesigns their process, they will either reduce product costs or labor costs. Either way, they'll improve productivity that leads to a tangible ROI. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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76By looking at the non-relevant steps and tasks of the process and thinking about how to eliminate them, the team will generate great ideas for implementation. #Redesign https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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77#Redesign brings out brilliant ideas that weren't thought of before. It creates pride of ownership among the employees. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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78While doing a #Redesign, the team should always capture everyone's ideas, regardless if they get into the list for implementation. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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79When ideas from employees are logged during the #Redesign phase, they will feel valued. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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80When everybody's ideas get captured, it creates an environment where everybody wants to contribute. This results in another level of employee engagement. #Redesign https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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81Generating the most impactful ideas from the team will create a whole new layer of engagement. Employee engagement leads to a new layer of ROI for the corporation. #Redesign https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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82Employee behaviors need to be #Redesigned too. While redesigning the process, managers also need to redesign the environment by encouraging employees to take action by changing their personal performance plans to align to the new process. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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83The final step of #Redesign is doing a small pilot rollout to make sure that the team captured everything that could be done to improve the process. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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84After the #Redesign, 1) tweaks can be made to improve the process, and 2) employees will have a sense of ownership and a desire to #ContinuouslyImprove. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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85Rapid #Implementation of the #Redesigned process is important to prevent the grass from growing back. What the corporation needs is a solid and rapid implementation plan. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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86Every CEO needs a realistic #Implementation plan that is 1) attainable and 2) effective in delivering real results. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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87#Implementation is setting a new standard of work based on the redesigned process and culture. It can create a complete paradigm shift for the whole corporation. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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88#Implementation should be done by the employees, not by outside engineers or consultants. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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89#Implementing a process that the employees created is better than bringing a consultant to create a process for them. If a CEO does the latter, employees will start pointing fingers as soon as the process goes wrong. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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90What's good with #ContinuousImprovement is that the employees take ownership of the process they created. When something goes wrong in the #Implementation phase, they won't point fingers. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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91Without the employees' pride of owning the process, the "grass" will definitely grow back. Unproductive behaviors and wastes in the process will return. #Implementation https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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92The #Implementation plan must be clear and detailed so everyone will understand it. This will make the redesigned process easier to carry out. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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93The #Implementation plan must have a timeframe that allows rapid deployment of changes. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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94Rapid #Implementation is critical. If this is not done, the
naysayers will be the voice of the corporation saying
that #ContinuousImprovement is never meant to work.		Share on X
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95#Implementation has to be done as rapidly as
possible to prevent the grass from growing back. If the
team trimmed something out in redesign but didn't
implement it rapidly, it cannot be sustained.		Share on X
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96It's critical for the #Implementation phase to be rapid and measurable daily. Otherwise, the old habits and processes will come back thrice as fast. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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97If the #Implementation phase is not rapid and measurable, 1) CEOs and managers will shoot aimlessly, and 2) employees will return to their old habits. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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98In #Implementation, CEOs must understand that ownership needs to happen at the root level. Otherwise, the ROI will never come to fruition. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X
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99In #Implementation, employees work together to improve the process. This creates pride of ownership, which then gives birth to sustainability. https://aha.pub/JohnBallisShare on X