Chapter 16

Define the Guiding Principles and Management System Elements to Sustain the Excellence Journey

Real improvement comes from changing systems, not from change within systems.

—Donald Berwick

Most organizations struggle to sustain change in their organization. Experience informs the following five reasons as the key contributors to failed cultural transformation journeys:

1.Behaviors expected from employees are not clearly articulated.

2.A conducive environment for employees to demonstrate expected behaviors on a daily basis is not provided.

3.The new way of working is not integrated into the employees’ daily work.

4.The excellence journey is treated as a project/initiative.

5.Leadership’s commitment to the excellence journey falters ...

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