Not the typical title or image for a continuous improvement blog, but I believe courage is at the core of it. Courage is a quality that any keen continuous improvement professional should posses, or at least learn and grow with time.
Courage is to name things as they are without sugar coating, calling a problem a problem, admitting that oneself, the organization, or the system is not perfect, especially in front of a board, a CEO, or senior executives, is definitely not a common trait in today’s business.
Courage is to listen to others actively and attentively without interrupting them, to tell them something, or worse to downgrade or mask their point of view in favor of one’s own. We, quality professionals always preach about accepting others’ ideas and differing opinions, but it’s hardly practiced amid heated discussions.
Courage is to give the chance to junior staff with less experience and professional level to speak up, even if that means disagreeing with us in the middle of a meeting, and to let go our egos and the fact the we know more and bring better ideas to the table, just because we are senior !
Courage is to promote other people skills and knowledge and letting them shine without feeling threatened or jealous.
Courage is to stay persistent in the face of resistance, when the majority can’t see what you are seeing, no matter who is resisting as long as the change is worth the try and is necessary. Courage is to see things through, despite all the surprises and shifting priorities, because it’s a commitment we made at the beginning to the customers and to the people who have spent energy and effort on it.
Courage is to speak up and say what need to be said without fear of failure, criticism or rejection.
Courage is not only about bravery in a battlefield or being fearless in an adventure, but it’s also about raising the bar in the middle of comfort zones. True continuous improvement is a constant battle; so, how courageous are you?
