Leading Change

Mind Your Mindset
Mindsets are key to our being able to execute necessary, routine behaviour. The problem with mindsets is that once learned, they are difficult to unlearn. The changing business environment requires that we constantly question the 'learned behaviours' of the organization. The inertial delay in changing a corporate mindset could lead to lost business opportunity, unprofitable product lines or even closure of the company. Full article

Changing Mindsets: Developing a Continuous Improvement Culture (Part 1 of 2)
Following three years of Kaizen Blitz workshops, Aberdeenshire Council commissioned BHW to help them develop an approach to embed continuous improvement in the day-to-day activity of its team in two pilot areas. This article describes how the street cleansers in Aberdeenshire embraced the BHW Bronze-Silver-Gold approach to creating a mindset with continuous improvement at its heart, giving improved performance, better customer service and involved team. Full article

ONS engages staff to cut out waste and boost efficiency
The Office for National Statistics in Newport, Gwent has been developing a continuous improvement ethic through a series of staff development programmes, combined with process improvement workshops. The four key elements include:
- ‘Focus’ – in which about ten people were trained to deliver a (lean) simulation to
hundreds of staff
- The ‘Ideas’ database – to capture the ‘Voice of the People’ and tap into their creativity
- ‘Rapid’ – the development of in-house facilitators to run Kaizen Blitz-like workshops
- ‘Working Together’ – a programme to explore the working relationships between and within teams, management and individuals. Full article

The Gold at the End of the Rainbow 
"If I have seen further, it is because I have stood upon the shoulders of giants." - Sir Isaac Newton.  The body of (human) knowledge builds upon that which was conceived before and is at the heart of 'learning'.  There is no end to the growth of human knowledge and inspiration; there is no limit to our ability to achieve; there are no boundaries to our creativity.  Full article