When your organization commits to transformation, the choice of who leads improvement matters more than you think. A strong process improvement practitioner is not just a technical operator. They are an influencer, coach, and catalyst for change.
Here are eight qualities that distinguish good practitioners from great ones, and how you can spot them.
The core of process improvement is finding waste and inefficiency. A practitioner must be able to gather data, test hypotheses, and identify root causes. Whether using statistical analysis, process mapping, or performance metrics, they must turn complexity into clarity.
Look for someone familiar with frameworks such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Agile. They should know when to apply DMAIC, Kaizen, or PDCA cycles, and tailor methods to your organization’s maturity and needs.
Visualizing how work flows through systems and people is essential. A practitioner must translate current operations into clear maps, spot inefficiencies, and propose better paths forward.
Improving a process often requires shifting behavior. A great practitioner understands resistance, communicates across levels, engages stakeholders, and guides teams through uncertainty.
Improvement is never “done.” A top practitioner demonstrates curiosity, proactively seeks opportunities for optimization, and champions iterative change.
Decisions should not rely on opinion. The practitioner must collect and analyze relevant metrics, validate outcomes, and track the impact of interventions to verify improvement.
Experience matters. Ask for examples of past success, references, and case studies. A capable practitioner shows history in leading projects that delivered measurable gains.
Change rarely happens solo. Look for someone who can build a goal-driven team, engage peers, and inspire participation. They should influence across silos without requiring formal authority.
In the end, the right process improvement practitioner blends technical skill with emotional intelligence. They adapt methods to context, engage stakeholders, and lead change that sticks, not fades.
At Adonis Partners, we live by these traits. Our consultants bring experience, curiosity, and integrity as we help clients build capabilities, improve operations, and embed lasting transformation.
Barry is an “Operator” who was given the opportunity to learn and practice Lean Six Sigma after 20 years of leading large organizations in North America and Asia in the Technology sector. He earned Master Black Belt status and was recruited back into executive operations roles to lead and develop a culture of Continuous Improvement.
