Elite teams work on getting better.  The teams do it on their own accord.  They find the motivation from within to stretch their ability and results.

In our operations, we have hundreds of small teams.  We believe our company works better when each small team creates an agenda for improvement.

There are five areas that can be the fuel for improvement.

Safety.  It’s job one.  To consider how, where and when accidents occur in your area and take corrective steps to eliminate the accidents is a good area for improvement.

Housekeeping.  Poor housekeeping is an obstacle to safe, productive operations.  To work on a plan to assure a clean, organized workspace all the time is a great opportunity for operational excellence.

Quality.  We each have customers.  We do a quality job when we meet or exceed our customer’s expectations.  Constantly comparing our results to the customers’ expectations identifies areas of potential improvement.

Productivity.  Profitable operations are based on each person/team accomplishing their assigned work in the time allocated.  We aid our profitability when we routinely meet or exceed those numbers.  We hurt profitability when we fall short.  A routine of measuring production and determining how we can improve helps us sustain our success.

Maintenance.  We count on our equipment to operate effectively.  We can’t easily replace things that wear out prematurely due to our lack of attention and poor maintenance.

This is an easy checklist to review.  Look at each area.  Identify shortcomings or opportunities for improvement.  Work together with your immediate team to come up with a plan to make improvement.