Break the Mold: The Power of Embracing Continuous Progress
Staying current with technological advances, managing customer expectations, keeping employees engaged… these are just a few challenges that companies navigate every day. To help manage those challenges and continue to thrive and grow, continuous progress improvement is crucial. But some leaders find it difficult to rally an organization around change. How do you bake progress into your organization's culture? And, how do you know if it’s working?
MAKE PROGRESS A PRIORITY.
At Van Meter, progress is one of the five pillars that guides the company. What does it mean to make progress a priority? Progress improvement is not just about making incremental changes; it's about continuously striving for better outcomes, efficiency and effectiveness in all aspects of your operations.
Jeff Kraus, Van Meter's Director of Progress and Facilities, believes progress touches everyone, in every department, every day. “Progress doesn’t have to be a really large initiative. It can be as small as moving clutter off your desk because it saves you five seconds when you reach for something.”
At Van Meter, there is an expectation for employee-owners to improve themselves and the company every day. When they prioritize progress improvement, they are better equipped to deliver exceptional value and exceed customer expectations.
“The goal is to create a culture where people propose change on their own.”
– Nate Jensema, Chief Operating Officer, Cedar Rapids
For Nate Jensema, Van Meter’s Chief Operating Officer, the key is laying the foundation early during new employee training. “The goal is to create a culture where people propose change on their own,” he said. “They are not waiting for the company to tell them how to improve.”
CREATE A FRAMEWORK FOR FEEDBACK.
While it’s crucial to make progress a priority, effectively implementing and sustaining such initiatives requires a structured approach. Van Meter has built a nine-step framework for progress suggestions from employee-owners. The entire company is encouraged to submit ideas. The progress team reviews an average of 3-4 ideas per week.
The team reviewing the idea has a vetting conversation within 48 hours. “We can’t expect and encourage people to submit ideas, and then when they do, feel like it doesn’t go anywhere. You can preach engagement all you want, but if people don’t feel like their voice is heard, engagement will decline," said Jensema.
Companies with highly engaged employees have better retention, fewer accidents, and 21% higher profitability. Involving employees in progress improvement initiatives fosters a sense of belonging and a more engaged workforce because their contributions are valued.
“ When they submit ideas, we put the ownership on the employee-owner.”
– Jeff Kraus, Director of Progress and Facilities, Cottage Grove
Kraus further elaborated, "When they submit ideas, we put the ownership on the employee-owner. We have conversations, ask questions and give them the tools to get engaged with the change they are proposing. They are ultimately the ones that help drive it forward.”
MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS.
From the start, it’s important to define specific, measurable goals that align with your overall mission and strategic objectives. How do you identify ways you and your customers can work together more efficiently? Sometimes that’s through a thorough process reviews, but other times, it’s simply partnering together to come up with an effective solution.
“For example, one of our automation customers was having a hard time receiving our product into their facility. Through a process review, we found a way to alleviate the issue and save them valuable time and energy. But it all started with a joint effort to solve the problem,” said Kraus.
Progress can be measured in more ways than one. Jensema explained, "If it can’t be measured from a dollars and cents perspective, we have to measure how it positively impacts our people, partners or community. If we can’t indicate that the progress is improving something, we have to ask ourselves if it’s really progress.”
What’s the secret to hitting your progress goals? Jensema and Kraus both believe getting the right people aligned early on and emphasizing communication throughout the process make things go smoothly. “It has to come back to the why. Change can be hard, but when you connect it back to the goal, you get people surrounded by the why and it makes the change much more palatable,” said Jensema.
By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and actively engaging employees in the process, organizations can drive innovation, enhance performance and achieve sustainable growth.