That new start-up company from 'down the road' or (these days it is just as likely to be) from overseas will 'take you out' in the years to come. How can you compete for long against a business with a 'fire in the belly' attitude? History is littered with the remains of both major and small corporations, businesses, organizations and governments who lost their way, were brought up or went broke and disappeared.

Most businesses disappear within a generation and many of them within a decade.

The two reasons why it happens is that either something better comes along or the 'fire' within the business goes out. A new product, a new discovery, a new method or a new idea will make all things prior it obsolete. And when a business looses its purpose because its people no longer care about it, it to will become obsolete. If either of these things happen, your organization's days are numbered.

But it doesn't have to be the case. There is something proactive that you can do to protect yourself.

You can introduce counter measures that turn your business or organization into one of the industry's innovators. Do whatever needs to be done to become one of the companies that set the pace in one area of your industry. You will not only make sure your business stays in front of the rest, it will also keep the 'fire' burning within your people. Once that happens the 'fire' will return and never go out. But what are the right 'counter measures' to adopt?

Throughout history the process that has worked to rejuvenate and keep 'alive' desire for growth in both individuals and businesses alike, is the principle of Continuous Improvement.

Ideas don't care who have them.
Continuous Improvement is the purposeful introduction of new ideas into your business through ongoing education. If you are reading this article then, in very small way, you are already practicing continuous improvement. You have bothered yourself to read something new. In so doing you are no longer the same person you were before reading this article - you now know more and from it you will get new ideas.

The question you now need to ask is how many other people in your company purposefully spend time learning about new ideas to use in your business? How many people in your company are doing further schooling to become better in what they do for your business? Are people in your business innovating and developing new, better methods, equipment or processes? Are your managers doing formal study, attending seminars, joining industry groups or reading industry magazines and books? If you are not happy with the answers you must do something to save your business.

Ideas don't care who have them. If you need or want new ideas then make continuous improvement something that everyone in the company does naturally. It must be done at all levels high, mid and low, because ideas don't care who have them, they can just as easily happen in the mind of the janitor as they can happen in the mind of the CEO.

Photocopy articles from magazines and circulate copies to everyone - manager and worker alike. Get in 'expert' speakers or sales representative and have a half-hour seminar with all your people so they can learn about new developments. Get a manager to do a half-hour presentation about what he knows to people in other departments. Find creative ways to keep the 'fires burning' inside your people by adopting continuous improvement practices.

If you really want to see what your managers and supervisors are doing about furthering their education take a look at the bookshelves in their office. Are there only old books from their school days on the shelves? Are there any books at all? Can you see new binders from the seminars they should be attending? Are there new publications in their area of responsibility on their shelves? Did they actually read them?

What about you - what are you doing?
What do your bookshelves contain? Can you show people that you are improving yourself? No one will follow you unless you lead by example. And you lead from the front by doing those things that you believe will make a difference. Everyone knows when a person is honest and true because they can be seen doing what they say.

And what if you are not the manager of your area? How do you go about introducing continuous improvement? Start with yourself. Start by learning more about what you do and how to do it at world best-practice level. You can be sure that history is on your side, working in your favor.

We know that those companies without new, rejuvenating ideas will fail, whereas those with 'fire in their belly' will grow and succeed. The same holds true at a personal, private level. The person with ideas and the 'fire' of enthusiasm for them will move up through the organization. This is as it must be. Companies need 'new blood' and the people that provide the 'new blood' will in time naturally join the top people of the organization.

Continuous improvement through continuous education is not a new idea. It has been the practice of all great leaders, statesmen and successful businessmen. When you adopt continuous improvement as part of your life, and your organization's life, you are guaranteeing your future.