Since all the summer movies the last few years are superhero movies, I came up with a great idea for a new superhero: Incremental Improvement Man! 

As you may have already guessed, Warner Brothers and Paramount are not fighting over who gets to write me a big check for the script for Incremental Improvement Man, Part I – The Battle of the Seven Wastes.  Incremental improvement just doesn’t sound like something that will get butts in seats, but it should. Once in a while someone will come up with a grand idea that transforms your company and saves the day from certain doom, but usually the heroes are far quieter. They’re the people who see the small flaws that have big consequences. They tackle issues before the crisis develops. It’s bad drama, but great business. Here’s how you can become an incremental improvement superhero.

Leverage Your Power of Observation

Every superhero has a superpower and yours is the power of observation. While others might become blind to long-standing flaws in processes or work space maintenance, you cannot. Your magic words are why and how. You use them to dig deeper into anything you suspect might lead to an opportunity for improvement.

Outsmart Your Nemesis

Every superhero also needs a nemesis. Yours is waste. Why did you join the fight against waste? Because it is an ominous threat to your true love – customer value. In order to defeat it, you must first work to understand it and all the forms that it might take. You know where it hides and how to trick it into coming into the light.

Join the League of Justice

Ok maybe there is no Justice League for incremental improvement (we just like saying, “Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice”), but there are likely others out there who are like you. Join forces with them to tackle improvements that cross boundaries or require teaming up against trickier troubles. 

Preserve Your Legacy

Good superhero stories need to be written down so they can be passed on over the years. Help others become improvement crusaders by documenting your feats and even your failures. Like any hero, your achievements are not yours alone, share them with all who care to know.

Being a hero isn’t always about saving the damsel in distress or leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Sometimes it is simply about being willing to stay focused on the many incremental improvements that can slowly and quietly transform a business.

We salute you; Incremental Improvement Men and Women. You are the defenders of efficiency, good process and continual improvement.

Free upcoming webinar you superheros may be interested in:

Eliminating Bottlenecks with KaiNexus

June 30 from 12:00 - 12:30 EDT

Learn why bottlenecks happen in the continuous improvement process, and best practices for preventing them. See how to use KaiNexus' reporting features to: 

• Identify existing bottlenecks
• Work to eliminate bottlenecks
• Adopt best practices

P.S. Can't make it at this day and time? Register anyway, and we'll send you a recording of the webinar and slides afterward.