Let's explore these core improvement and collaborative skills needed by everyone, regardless of position, to perform roles and accomplish responsibilities. 

#1. WORKING WITH OTHERS COMMUNICATION

The essential skill when working with others requres active listening and communication. This includes 'getting' communication skills of actively listening and clarifying and confirming what is heard before provide an opinion. Next is 'giving' communication skills; providing constructive feedback where both leave the conversation with a win-win. The communication skill, particularly valuable when improving and innovating is hitchhiking. Hitchhiking is building upon others ideas vs. hijacking others ideas. More on this skill

#2 GOAL SETTING

Setting goals helps to bring clarity, drive focus, and streamline tasks for quicker and smoother completion. Goals play a crucial role in the daily routines of individuals and teams, guiding them to determine what they aim to achieve today, in meetings, projects, and even in the long term, such as in 3 years. More on this skill +  A Goal setting guide

#3 MEASURE PERFORMANCE

Individually and collectively it is nice to know how we're doing. Are we working on important things? How close are we to our goals and targets? Measures provide this feedback. Feedback for acknowledgement, celebration, and areas of improvement. More on this skill  Webinar on this skill

#4 DATA-BASED PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION MAKING 

High-performing teams excel with this skill. Data is used to evaluate situations. All issues, wastes impacting the situation are evaluated, prioritized; followed by some root cause analysis to identify solutions that prevent the situation from recurring. Problem solving blog + More on Problem Solving + Webinar on Decision Making 

#5 VALUE & WASTE DETECTION

Being able to see value and waste in the day, in work processes, and the environment is the beginning of good change. Once waste is seen, it can be difficult to unsee and will lead to how can we change this/make it better? Find the value and waste, use improvement methods to systematically increase value & eliminate waste. 

#6. LEARNING FROM PEFORMANCE

Avoid repeating the same situations over by pausing to reflect a. How did we do? b. What was good / bad? c. What did we learn? d. What we will do differently to lock in the good and prevent the bad? This can be 3 minutes after a discussion, a meeting, throughout a project, and following an event or activity.  More on this skill

#7 TEACHING & COACHING OTHERS

Adults excel in learning by actively engaging in tasks. When teaching and coaching others use the 4 adult learning principles: Tell the purpose and reasons, Show the learner so they see what good looks like, Have the learner Do the activity, and be there with constructive Feedback and Coaching to boost confidence and lock in the knowledge.  More on teaching skill + Webinar on coaching 

#8 ACTION PLANNING

When high-performing teams decide to take action, the actions include What to do, Who will do it, When will it be done, and What does the output look like. These action planning steps foster more team committment and accountability.

#9 OPERATIONALIZE SOLUTIONS & CONTINUALLY IMPROVE

This last core skill means finish what is started, finish strong, and make changes sticky. This involves embedding changes into daily work (not as a special, one off) by documenting the change, teach others, measure performance, provide feedback and coaching. Webinar on this skill

Reference: Lean Champion Resource Guide

HOW TO GAIN THESE CORE SKILLS