On July 4th, the United States will celebrate Independence Day, the day it broke from the past and began anew. It’s the day the country changed its paradigm.
Here’s something for each of us to consider -- for the sake of continuous improvement -- breaking from some of our past poor habits and changing our own paradigms.
Ideas for consideration follow, but feel free to pick one of your own. Make it just one that you know you will be successful at changing. Everyone wants to be successful. Build on success, and work your way up to bigger challenges each month. Crawl, walk, then run! Remember, it takes about thirty days to change a habit, so you’ll need to persevere.
#1: Workplace Organization
Organize and clean your workplace. It’s a simple physical change that will save time and allow you to be more productive. Because it’s a physical change, you’ll see the improvement every day, and it will make you feel better.
#2: “To Do” List
Begin and end each day with your personal To Do list. Write it down for you and others to see. Writing it helps you to remember and lets others know what you are aiming to accomplish each day.
#3: Inventory Accuracy
Stop the fire-fighting caused by inventory inaccuracies. Cycle counting will help. There are many more ways to manage your inventory successfully.
#4: Be a Team Player
Teamwork is a great thing, but unfortunately it is uncommon in many organizations. Take the lead by being a team player. Offer assistance to others, no strings attached, and see how others will more readily offer to help you in the future.
Celebrate your independence from past habits that have been hindering your professional development. Make now the time to begin your personal continuous improvement journey. Happy Independence Day!