It's Time to Rethink Continuous Improvement - Harvard Business Review

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9/27/12 It's Time to Rethink Continuous Improvement - Ron Ashkenas - Harvard Business Review 1/2 blogs.hbr.org/ashkenas/2012/05/its-time-to-rethink-continuous.html

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Six Sigma, Kaizen, Lean, and other variations on continuous improvement can be hazardous to your organization's health. While it may be heresy to say this, recent evidence from Japan and elsewhere suggests that it's time to question these methods.

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9/27/12 It's Time to Rethink Continuous Improvement - Ron Ashkenas - Harvard Business Review

2/2blogs.hbr.org/ashkenas/2012/05/its-time-to-rethink-continuous.html

anomalous data that doesn't fit preconceived notions. In other cases it causes managers to ask execution-

oriented, cost-focused questions way too early, instead of percolating and exploring ideas through messy

experimentation that can't be justified through traditional metrics.

Continuous improvement doesn't have to be incompatible with disruptive innovation. But unless we think about

continuous improvement in more subtle, nuanced, and creative ways, we may force companies to choose between

the two.

What are your views about continuous improvement and innovation?