The Bottom Line - Spring 2018 - 14

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OFFICE:

The First Four Months
By Jeff Gander,
Continuous Improvement Officer

he first four months serving as Continuous Improvement
Officer has been enlightening and exciting! Much of my
time has been spent meeting staff, learning the organization,
assessing the culture, and joining existing projects. I appreciate all the support the OCFO has exhibited in bringing me up
to speed with current operations. I am thoroughly impressed
by the dynamic assortment of capabilities, skill-sets, and perspectives OCFO staff bring to such a diverse set of government operations and program functions.
In addition to gaining knowledge on current activities, one
of my first initiatives was introducing Continuous Improvement
Training for Managers and Supervisors. Over the last few months, 327
Managers and Supervisors were trained on the importance and benefits
of working in a culture of Continuous Improvement. The learning objectives of the training included: defining the SMARTER values, exploring
the benefits of a Continuous Improvement (CI) culture, identifying strategies for exchanging ideas, and how to best anchor and embed the culture amongst teams. In addition, we discussed the importance of supporting and cultivating SMARTER values, and how best to align them
to our everyday operations. A common definition and understanding of
each SMARTER value, and how it supports our continuous improvement
efforts is vital to transforming our organizational culture.
Driving the Continuous Improvement culture that builds on our
SMARTER values is my top priority. This culture is necessary to ensure
that the OCFO continues to successfully achieve its mission and realizes its vision of being a "best in class" financial organization. As we
move forward, staff can expect regular OCFO-wide communications
on continuous improvement and SMARTER topics with the goal of providing greater visibility into process improvement projects, expanding
on SMARTER principals, recognizing individuals and teams who have
THE BOTTOM LINE

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Bottom Line - Spring 2018