Five Steps to Minimizing Performance Barriers
“There are no constraints on the human mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress except those we erect ourselves.” Ronald Reagan
When developing and maintaining a Continuous Improvement culture in organizations today, it is critical that leaders provide employees with a process for overcoming obstacles. Whether anticipated or unforeseen, barriers can easily derail employees’ efforts and cause a decline in performance outcomes. To keep performance improvements on track, leaders can follow a practical, five-step process.
Five Steps to Minimizing Performance Barriers:
- Agree that a barrier exists.
- Discuss alternatives to minimizing the barrier.
- Agree on actions to be taken to implement an alternative course of action.
- Follow up to confirm follow through on the actions taken.
- Adjust operational processes to ensure the barrier remains minimized moving forward.
By helping employees face barriers head on, a leader will build trust and reinforce a Continuous Improvement culture. Over time, employees will become more adept at recognizing barriers, providing alternative opens and following through with corrective actions on their own.
