Every organization that embarks on a journey toward continuous quality improvement is unique. Leaders in every industry, from healthcare to construction, have set CQI as a goal. Some organizations use a business management method, such as Six Sigma or Lean, while others take a less formal approach.

While differences abound, there is a set of guiding principles that unifies those interested in achieving continuous improvement and enjoying the benefits it brings. Regardless of the mission of your organization, these ideas can be applied.

1 – Improvement Should be Continuous and Incremental

Organizations dedicated to CQI believe that positive change will result from small changes, not major revolutions or new inventions. They aren’t waiting for some big idea that will make everything better. Instead, they know that improvement happens one small step at a time. Change does not have to be scary or destabilizing. By focusing on little changes that occur often, the reluctance to change is minimized, and improvement happens faster. Change becomes part of the culture and an everyday exercise rather than a big event that will happen some other day.

2 – All Employees Identify Opportunities for Improvement

Continuous quality improvement holds that the people who are in the best position to recognize opportunities for improvement are those on the front lines. One does not need a seat in the board room to recognize waste, identify quality problems, respond to customer needs, and practice innovation. Those who work most closely with products, customers, and partners are in precisely the right spot to identify and implement opportunities for improvement.

3 – Goals Must Be Clear and Aligned

Continuous quality improvement requires a unity of purpose. Without a clear definition of the long-term mission and goals of the organization, often called “True North,” it is impossible to say whether the organization is improving or not. Once the strategic vision is clear, the overall goals of the organization can be broken down into the department, team, and individual levels. This helps people understand where they fit into the bigger picture. It also simplifies decisions and makes it easy to set priorities. When an opportunity for improvement is submitted, it can be assessed based on its relationship to the goals.

4 – Respect for People is Indispensable

Continuous quality improvement is about creating an environment in which every person can do their best work. Flaws in processes, not people, almost always cause problems. Leaders who are practicing CQI value the creativity and engagement of each employee. When people contribute to positive change, they are acknowledged and thanked for their efforts. One aspect of respect is support. Employees should have the tools, training, and time they need to engage in improvement.

5 – Standards are Necessary, but Always Changing

It is impossible to know whether you’ve achieved improvement if you don’t have a baseline for comparison. That’s why Standard work is so important. Standard work is the current best practice for doing any task. The Standard is used by everyone operating the process. Results can be measured and are predictable. Once the Standard is in place, improvements can be implemented and measured. If the change is successful, a new Standard is adopted, and the process can begin again. This improvement cycle is often supported by the PDSA or DMAIC improvement method.

6 – Visual Management is Ideal

The quickest way for someone to understand the current state of a process or the results it produces is through images. That’s why there are so many continuous quality improvement tools that support visual management. Among them are control charts, huddle boards, Kanban signs, wallboards, and color-coded status indicators. People recognize and process images far more quickly and thoroughly than text, so these tools are enormously beneficial. Modern organizations turn to cloud-based digital tools that can be widely adopted and accessed 24x7 from anywhere on any device.

Continuous quality improvement is not a “one size fits all” proposition. It can be implemented in an endless number of ways to fit the needs of your organization, but in every case, these bedrock principles should guide your approach. After all, CQI isn’t a recipe that you follow, but a way of looking at work from a different point of view.