An Easy-to-Use Continuous Improvement Model Based On A SWOT Analysis
The most effective and efficient continuous improvement model for people who are self-employed or run their own small businesses.Conventional Approaches To Continuous Improvement
At that time, large corporations and business organizations jumped on the 'quality' bandwagon that had been so effective in rebuilding the Japanese economy following the second world war.
As a result, most approaches to continuous improvement have been developed, promoted & implemented by specialized consultants.
For the most part, this reliance upon costly consultants has meant that many potentially useful continuous improvement resources have been unavailable to people who are self employed or run their own small businesses.
Happily, there is another consulting tool that easily lends itself hep you continue to improve.
That tool is the SWOT analysis.
A SWOT-based Continuous Improvement Model
SWOT is consultant-speak for:- Strengths: these personal factors that will help you achieve your desired results
- Weaknesses: these personal factors will interfere, possibly even prevent you from achieving your desired results
- Opportunities: these external factors can help you achieve your desired results
- Threats: these external factors might interfere, possibly even prevent you from achieving your desired results
Top To create a SWOT-based continuous improvement model, simply shift the focus from achieving results to continuous improvement:
- Strengths: these personal factors that will help you continue to improve
- Weaknesses: these personal factors will interfere with...possibly even prevent from...continuing to improve
- Opportunities: these external factors can help you continue to improve
- Threats: these external factors might interfere, possibly even prevent you from continuing to improve
Here is how it works in practice.
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'Strengths' In This Continuous Improvement Model
These are personal factors will help you continue to improve.These factors include such attributes as:
- diligent
- flexible
- good listener
- helpful
- patient
It also includes various success factors as well as the core values that help you succeed in business and attract clients.
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'Weaknesses' In This Continuous Improvement Model
These personal factors will interfere with or even prevent you from continuing to improve.They might be a lack of the strengths referred to above.
Or they might be the exact opposite of factors normally considered strengths:
- indifferent
- rigid
- close minded
- nonconstructive
- intolerant
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'Opportunities' In This Continuous Improvement Model
These are external factors over which you have little or no control.You can however take advantage of these opportunities to further your continuous improvement.
Typical opportunities might include:
- new market developments
- training or educational events or programs
- new training or educational resources online, off line or in hard copy format
- uniquely qualified or experienced individuals.
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'Threats' In This Continuous Improvement Model
Like opportunities, these are external factors over which you have little or no control.However, when dealing with threats, you can...and must...take whatever action is necessary to minimize, if not eliminate any negative impact on your continuous improvement.
Threats could be:
- new market developments
- increased competition
- loss of training resources, clients, support staff
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3 Steps To Applying This Continuous Improvement Model
Step
1: Identify--
- personal factors will help you continue to improve
- personal factors will interfere with or even prevent you from continuing to improve
- external factors which you can however take advantage of in order to continue to improve
- external factors which might prevent you from continuing to improve
When identifying
these factors, do
not limit yourself to examples listed above.
Follow the links to identify as many factors as possible that apply to you.
Follow the links to identify as many factors as possible that apply to you.
Step 2: Prioritize these factors according their--
- importance AND urgency
- urgency
- importance
Develop and use your own criteria for defining importance and urgency.
Step
3: Take Action--
- to improve as much as you can, continuously and using the fewest resources possible.
It is worth noting that this same approach to continuous improvement will also help you achieve greater success beyond work. Ultimately you will want success in both your work and your personal lives.
In many cases, a follow-up system is the best and easiest place to start to apply your model for continuous improvement.
Not only will it help distinguish you from the competition, it will help you convert more prospects to clients, better serve your existing clients...and generate more referrals.
What is your best tip for continuing to improve at everything you do?
Click here to share your tip with others.
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