Continuous Improvement Culture Flashcards
7 cards from real CPP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Continuous Improvement Culture flashcards as text
What is the primary purpose of a CI 'champion' or 'sponsor' at the executive level?
Answer: To remove organizational barriers, allocate resources, and signal strategic priority of CI
Executive sponsors use their authority to remove systemic barriers, secure resources, and communicate that CI is a strategic priority—not just a program.
How does Kotter's 8-Step Change Model apply to embedding a CI culture?
Answer: It offers a roadmap for creating urgency, building coalitions, and anchoring new behaviors into culture
Kotter's model addresses the full change lifecycle from creating urgency through anchoring changes in culture, directly applicable to CI transformation efforts.
What does the term 'yokoten' mean in the context of Lean continuous improvement culture?
Answer: Horizontal deployment or sharing of best practices across the organization
Yokoten refers to the lateral spreading of improvements and best practices across teams or sites so that solutions do not remain isolated.
Which characteristic distinguishes a CI culture from an organization that simply runs improvement projects?
Answer: Improvement is a continuous daily habit embedded in everyone's work, not just episodic projects
In a true CI culture, improvement is a continuous habit practiced by all employees every day, not confined to formal projects managed by specialists.
An organization wants to assess the maturity of its CI culture. Which assessment approach is most comprehensive?
Answer: Using a multi-dimensional maturity model covering leadership, behaviors, systems, and results
Multi-dimensional maturity models assess the breadth and depth of CI culture across leadership commitment, daily behaviors, enabling systems, and measurable outcomes.
Why is it important to align CI efforts with organizational strategy in a mature CI culture?
Answer: To focus improvement energy on what matters most and prevent random, disconnected initiatives
Strategic alignment ensures that CI resources and energy are directed toward the improvements that will have the greatest impact on organizational goals.
What is the most effective way to handle resistance to continuous improvement from experienced employees?
Answer: Involve resistors early, listen to their concerns, and leverage their expertise in designing improvements
Experienced employees often resist because their knowledge is not valued; involving them early turns potential blockers into credible advocates.