How to Build an Incredible Culture of Continuous Improvement!
Dear reader, these are some notes from a recent online training I presented.
The tools and tactics I shared will absolutely transform your leadership and business IF you apply them.
Here we go….
Clear Rules – Right From the Start
Rules on these webinars are really clear. Part of being a lean thinker is being very clear. OK? Clarity. We need clarity. That’s what lean is all about. Transparency.
Building a business that is like an aquarium — you can see what’s coming in, you can see what’s going out.
Now — please take notes right from the start, because lots of these little quotes are going to be valuable to you as you move through and grow your business.
Some of you on this call have probably heard some of these quotes a thousand times before because you’ve worked with me and you’re existing clients — which is great.
Welcome to all the new people. Fantastic. And welcome to the people that took action right at the start and got the free tickets. Well done.
Life rewards action, and I’m all about helping business owners take positive action.
Action Beats Sitting on Your Hands
One of the big problems I see in every business? The owner sits on his hands — or her hands — for too long.
Then, a month later, they’re like:
“Why didn’t I make that decision?”
“Why didn’t I pick up that client?”
“Why didn’t I phone that client a month ago?”
“Why didn’t I solve that customer issue a month ago?”
All I’m trying to do every day with business owners — all my clients — is help you take action every single day. Positive action.
You’ve got to take the right action — I agree, you can’t just go chasing every flipping rabbit. That’s what I help everyone with: chase the right rabbit, get rid of all the other rabbits, catch it, and do a very, very good job.
If you choose to work with me going forward, we’ll help you narrow down on what you’re really, really good at.
Starting With Good News
Today, the first thing we’re going to do — I want you to type in the chat where you’re from and what your great news is for the week ahead.
Tell me what your great news is for the last week — what’s been your biggest win for the week? Put it in the chat.
We start with some good news because it sets the tone.
This Is Not Another Boring Webinar
Are you all committed to listening, paying attention for the next 45 minutes, and making sure you write down every single thing you possibly can? Yes or no? Give me a thumbs up.
This is not another boring webinar. This is brutal. This is confronting. This is high-performance coaching and it’s transformation.
I know I say this a lot — I say “This is a game-changer, this is a life-changer” — and people say, “Bernard, you use that term too often.”
No, I don’t. Because every single day you can have a life-changing moment. A life-changing learn.
Do you agree? Yes or no? Type it in the chat. And you don’t have to agree with everything I say — but interact.
This is not a usual training. No boring, fluffy BS, no fairy dust. None of that stuff.
First Stop: Mindset
First we’re going to talk about mindset. We must cover mindset. If I don’t change your mindset, we cannot change your habits. And if I can’t change your habits, we cannot transform your business. Impossible.
So if you’re not open to learning something new today — get off the webinar. I told you it would be brutal. I told you it would be confronting. This is my filter — how I figure out who wants to be my clients and who doesn’t.
I’m here to serve you and help you unlock all the potential that’s lying trapped in your business right now.
Too many grey areas. People don’t know who they’re reporting to. People don’t even understand what continuous improvement looks like.
Comfort Zone: The Oblong Version
We’ve got to talk about the comfort zone.
Draw this. This is your comfort zone. You’ve probably never seen an oblong one like this, but my board’s cramped lol so an oblong it is!
Most of us spend all day in our comfort zone — yes or no? Where you’re comfortable, you’re OK, you’re just doing the usual stuff.
You will not grow your business if you don’t get outside your comfort zone — even for one hour a day.
One hour — that’s all I’m asking for. One hour a day to grow your leadership skills and grow your business.
Put a “yes” in the chat if you’re prepared to do that. Just one hour. That’s it.
From Zero to 101 Calls
I’ll give you a real story. Flynn — joined us a few weeks ago. Inspiring guy. He went from making zero gold calls — terrified of the phone — to making 101 calls in one day.
That’s the result of transformational coaching. It’s freaky. It’s scary. But it’s fantastic.
You Are Your Only Limit
You are your only limit. Your limiting beliefs, your stupid glass ceiling — we’ve got to pull that off today and get outside this stupid comfort zone.
And when I call you an idiot, I don’t mean you personally — you’re all lovely people — I just mean you might be thinking like an idiot.
Please, don’t be an idiot and stay here all day. Get out of it.
Commitment to Action
Write this in your notes:
“I’m going to get back to Bernard in one week from now and tell him what I’ve done differently.”
This is not a talk-fest. This is an action-fest.
Life rewards action. Even if you take away just three things today and put them in place, your business will get better. Period.
Draw the Blue Dot Model
Now, I want you to draw something for me.
Draw a jellybean shape. Inside that jellybean, put a little blue dot. That blue dot? That’s you. That’s everything you know right now.
Everything outside that blue dot is all the stuff you don’t know. And here’s the kicker — it’s also the stuff you don’t even know you don’t know!
Everything outside that blue dot? That’s where all your potential is. It’s where your future income is. It’s where your next level of leadership is. It’s where all the skills you haven’t learned yet are sitting, just waiting for you to go get them.
Most business owners? They live inside the dot. They’re comfortable. They know their products. They know their customers. They know their little way of doing things.
But outside that dot — that’s where the magic happens. That’s where your comfort zone gets stretched, where you start learning things that transform your business and your life.
Your Job: Grow the Blue Dot
Every time you learn something new, the dot gets bigger. Every time you read a book, attend a workshop, or take on a challenge you didn’t think you could handle, the dot gets bigger.
And here’s the kicker — the bigger your dot, the more you realise how much is still outside it. That’s why I’m still learning, still reading, still finding coaches and mentors. Because no matter how much you know, there’s always a bigger world out there.
Knowledge Without Action is Pointless
But let me give you the bad news — just knowing stuff doesn’t make you any money.
I’ve met people who’ve done every business course under the sun, read every book, been to every seminar — and they’re still broke. Why? Because they never do anything with what they learn.
You’ve got to take what’s outside the dot, bring it in, and apply it in your business. That’s when the magic happens.
The Bridge to Lean Thinking
So how do we take all this learning and turn it into growth? That’s where Lean comes in.
Lean is not just for factories. It’s not just for Toyota. It’s not a corporate buzzword.
Lean is a way of thinking and working that’s all about:
Respect for people.
Respect for resources.
Constantly removing waste from your processes.
It’s not complicated. In fact, if it feels complicated, you’re doing it wrong.
What Most People Get Wrong About Lean
Most people hear “Lean” and think:
“Oh, that’s for manufacturing.”
“That’s going to be a bunch of forms and flowcharts.”
“That’s going to mean cutting costs and making everyone miserable.”
Nope. That’s not Lean. That’s just bad management dressed up with a fancy name.
Lean done right is fun. It’s about making work easier, faster, and more enjoyable. It’s about removing the struggle.
The Real Definition
Here’s my plain-English definition:
Lean is about continuous improvement through the elimination of waste — and the elimination of waste through continuous improvement.
It’s a daily habit, not a project. It’s something you live, not something you tick off a to-do list.
And when you get it right, it doesn’t just transform your business — it transforms your life.
My Lean Turning Point
For years, we had consultants come in to help us “do Lean.” Some were great. Some were useless. Nothing ever stuck.
Then we discovered TDI — Tiny Daily Improvements. That’s when the game changed.
Instead of chasing big, flashy projects, we focused on small changes, every single day. Within months, our team was making over 200 documented improvements a week.
We’re talking actual before-and-after photos. Shared with the whole team. Celebrated. And the energy went through the roof.
Paul Akers — the guy who wrote 2 Second Lean — came to see it and said he’d never seen anything like it.
Leadership is the Dealbreaker
But let me tell you something blunt: If your leadership is weak, Lean will fail. Every. Single. Time.
You can have all the tools, all the books, all the workshops — but if the leaders aren’t on board and leading from the front, it will fizzle out.
Strong leadership is the foundation. Without it, you’re building on sand.
Two Pillars of Lean
Every successful Lean culture is built on two things:
Deep Respect for People — your team, your customers, yourself.
Deep Respect for Resources — time, money, tools, materials.
You need both. Miss one, and the whole thing crumbles.
Fix What Bugs You
If you want to get started tomorrow, do this: Tell your team, “If something bugs you, fix it.”
Not “ask permission.” Not “fill out a form.” Just fix it.
Move the bin closer to the workbench. Label the shelf properly. Shorten the cable so it’s not a trip hazard.
One improvement per person, per day. That’s it.
Remove the Struggle
Can’t think of an improvement? Watch someone work for two minutes. You’ll see waste instantly.
Too much bending? Too much walking? Waiting for a printer? Hunting for tools? That’s all waste.
And remember — waste is anything that doesn’t add value for the customer.
Living 100 Lifetimes
Every time you remove waste, you get time back. That’s time you can spend adding value, serving customers, or living your life.
Do this for years, and you’ll feel like you’ve lived 100 lifetimes.
Three Pillars of a Lean Culture
See Waste — Learn the 8 Lean Wastes until you can spot them everywhere.
Fix What Bugs You — One improvement per person, per day.
Document It — Before-and-after proof. Share it. Celebrate it.
We failed at Lean several times before we nailed these three pillars. Now, they’re non-negotiable.
Why Morning Meetings Change Everything
If you only take one tactic from this whole session and apply it tomorrow, make it this: start a daily morning meeting.
Why? Because it sets the tone for the day — every single day.
It’s your chance to:
Get everyone aligned before the chaos starts.
Surface small problems before they become big disasters.
Build accountability across the team.
Maintain momentum without constant firefighting.
And here’s the kicker — it doesn’t have to take more than ten minutes.
The Common Excuses
I can already hear the pushback:
“We don’t have time for a morning meeting.”
“Our people won’t want to do it.”
“We tried that once and it didn’t work.”
Here’s my answer: you don’t have time not to do it.
If your team spends the first hour of the day working on the wrong priorities, fixing yesterday’s mistakes, or guessing what matters — you’ve already lost time.
Ten minutes invested in a daily meeting can save hours of wasted effort.
How to Structure It
Here’s the simple framework we use and teach:
Wins from yesterday – Start positive. This lifts energy and reinforces good behaviour.
Key metrics – Show the numbers that actually matter. Keep it visual and simple.
Problems or roadblocks – Address them early. Assign someone to fix them.
Improvement focus – Who’s making what improvement today? What’s the plan?
Stick to the structure and keep it fast-paced. The moment your meetings drag or lose focus, people start resenting them.
TDI in the Daily Rhythm
Morning meetings are the perfect place to embed Tiny Daily Improvements (TDI) into your culture.
Here’s how:
Everyone brings one improvement idea each day.
It can be small — moving a bin closer, changing a label, creating a shortcut.
Share before-and-after photos or videos to make progress visible.
This turns improvement into a habit, not a “special project.”
Why Visibility Matters
If improvements happen in secret, momentum dies.
When you share wins in the meeting — especially with photos — you create a sense of pride and healthy competition. People start thinking: “I want my improvement to be the one everyone’s talking about tomorrow.”
Keeping the Rope Tight
One of the easiest ways to kill progress is to let things slide. You miss a meeting. You stop asking for improvements. You stop following up.
The “rope” between you and your team goes slack. Energy drops. Habits fade.
Your job as a leader is to keep that rope tight:
Be present in the meetings.
Ask about improvements.
Follow up on problems.
Show your team you care about the process as much as the results.
Leadership by Example
You cannot hide in your office and expect a Lean culture to thrive.
Leaders have to be out on the floor:
Spotting waste with the team.
Asking “What’s bugging you?”
Celebrating wins publicly.
Jumping in to help fix things.
If the team sees you improving your own work, they’ll be far more likely to improve theirs.
When Things Stall
If improvements slow down, it’s not because your team ran out of ideas. It’s because:
They don’t see you engaged.
Wins aren’t being celebrated.
The rope has gone slack.
Get back to basics. Restart the daily rhythm. Make it fun again.
From Theory to Transformation
By now, you’ve got:
The mindset shifts that unlock growth.
The comfort zone challenge.
The Blue Dot model.
The power of writing and sharing goals.
The truth about Lean.
The TDI principle.
The three pillars of Lean culture.
The morning meeting framework.
The last piece is the one most people skip: consistent action.
Final Action Steps Checklist
Commit to one hour a day outside your comfort zone.
Write your goals down — and share them with someone you trust.
Start a daily morning meeting — ten minutes, every day, no excuses.
Teach your team the 8 Lean Wastes so they can spot them.
Adopt the “Fix What Bugs You” habit — one improvement per person, per day.
Document every improvement with before-and-after proof.
Lead from the front — be visible, be involved, and show you care.
Why Now Matters
None of this works if you don’t start. Not next week. Not “once things calm down.”
Now.
Start small. One improvement today. Do another tomorrow. And another the next day.
Over time, those improvements stack up and transform your business — and your life.
The Bottom Line
You don’t have to fix everything at once. You just have to start fixing something.
One habit. One improvement. One day at a time. That’s how you fix your broken business and build something you’re proud of.
For more great resources go to: www.premierbusinessacademy.co.nz
DM me with any questions.
Time to get your A game on.
Tagged Culture, Improvement, Lean Culture
